CBRE Welcomes Industry Leading R&D/Industrial Broker Duo in San Jose

CBRE announced that Steven Chon and Sofi Choi have joined its San Jose office, advising companies throughout Silicon Valley and Asia Pacific on transaction and portfolio management, lease and sales negotiations, property disposition, and strategic planning. Mr. Chon joins as Executive Vice President. Ms. Choi joins as Senior Vice President.

Mr. Chon and Ms. Choi bring over 40 years of combined experience in the R&D and industrial sector, representing several divisions of Samsung Group, Hyundai Motor Group, SK hynix and global tier 1 suppliers within the semiconductor, automotive and contract manufacturing industries.

New innovations in artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicle and battery technology have resulted in an increase in demand for R&D and industrial product despite economic headwinds. According to CBRE Research, Silicon Valley R&D tenant demand in Q4 2023 was 4.3 million sq. ft., led by automotive (autonomous and electric vehicles), hardware and software companies. Leasing activity in the R&D market was 1.26 million sq. ft., 54% of which were new leases.

“The addition of Steven and Sofi bring incredible momentum to CBRE’s San Jose office. R&D and industrial have been Silicon Valley’s best performing asset types and the duo have been among the top players in the sector for the last two decades. Their experience with Asia Pacific and Silicon Valley companies adds to the breadth and depth of CBRE’s global platform and creates an unmatched combination in our market,” said Joe Wallace, President, Northern California, Advisory Services at CBRE.

Mr. Chon’s international exposure has enabled him to deliver fully integrated real estate solutions for a variety of clients ranging from multinational conglomerates to startups looking to establish corporate headquarters, research and development centers, manufacturing/fabrication sites and distribution/logistics centers. Prior to CBRE, he was Senior Managing Director at JLL. He received his bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University and Master of Business Administration from Yonsei University in South Korea. Mr. Chon is fluent in English and Korean.

Ms. Choi has provided global portfolio corporate services including site selection of manufacturing sites and disposition/acquisition of investments across a variety of asset types for high net-worth individuals. She joins from JLL and previously taught hospitality and business courses for the University of Phoenix. Ms. Choi received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, a master’s degree from Seoul National University in Korea and master’s in hotel administration from Cornell University. Ms. Choi is fluent in Spanish, Korean, English and French.

“I’m incredibly excited to growing our capabilities in San Jose with top talent like Steven and Sofi. Their decades of experience and global perspective will be a great addition to our team, and complements the strategic, forward-thinking dynamic required in our market,” said Steffen Kammerer, Senior Managing Director of CBRE’s San Jose office.