Pacific Northwest CRE Rising Stars: Emerging Leader

Strategic Vision and Mentorship Define Next Generation of Regional Real Estate Leaders

Three professionals have earned recognition for their exceptional contributions across research and analytics, valuation leadership, and occupier services, demonstrating how emerging leaders are shaping the Pacific Northwest’s commercial real estate future through innovation, mentorship, and strategic execution.

Jacob Hamlin

Jacob Hamlin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobhamlin/), Vice President at CBRE, is a leading commercial real estate advisor providing occupier services to corporate, technology, media, and manufacturing clients across the Puget Sound region and globally. With a decade of commercial real estate experience, he brings a strategic, ethical, and client-first approach to every assignment, whether guiding hyper-growth startups or advising mature, established businesses.

As a member of CBRE’s premier Puget Sound occupier advisory team, Hamlin leverages the group’s collective expertise and the firm’s platform to deliver optimal outcomes across leasing and sales transactions. His experience includes notable assignments such as representing Snowflake in its 327,000-square-foot headquarters lease in Bellevue, Washington, and industrial transactions for Paizo Publishing, EL1 Sports, and Northwest Recreation.

Hamlin began his brokerage career in 2018, and when the COVID-19 pandemic hit with office leasing nearly at a standstill, he quickly repositioned himself as a strategic advisor, helping clients define return-to-office policies and long-term space needs. This demonstrated resilience, foresight, and strong value-add during deep uncertainty, highlighting his integrity and work ethic.

A member of CBRE’s Tech and Media Practice Group, Hamlin also mentors incoming junior brokers. He spent a year mentoring a junior broker through the basics of the industry, emphasizing strategic thinking and a client-first mindset. Outside real estate, he volunteers with Junior Achievement of Washington, promoting youth financial literacy, and contributes to the Washington Trails Association, helping maintain and build hiking trails across the state. Prior to joining CBRE, Hamlin worked in corporate accounting and investment banking, building his analytical skills and strategic perspective.

Mitchell Olsen

Mitchell Olsen (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitch-olsen-mai-02259b11/), Managing Director at CBRE, leads the Seattle-based industrial valuation team, now the largest of its kind at CBRE. In 2023, he was promoted to Managing Director—becoming the youngest among over 65 MDs nationwide. Under his leadership, the team has achieved a tenfold increase in revenue, positioning him as one of the most influential emerging leaders in Pacific Northwest commercial real estate.

Olsen has been recognized as a PNW Top Producer and National Top 10 Percent Producer across multiple years. He received CBRE’s Managing Director MVP award in 2024 and the RISE Award (Respect, Integrity, Service, and Excellence) in Q2 2023. In 2024, the Puget Sound Business Journal honored him with a Commercial Real Estate Leadership Award as an Up and Comer.

His focus has been on expanding CBRE’s capabilities across the Pacific Northwest, including recruiting an Anchorage-based firm to establish the Alaska presence, launching a new Property Tax service line, and growing the Right-of-Way/Public Agency team. He has also recruited and managed three National Sector Leads in Data Centers, Manufactured Housing Communities, and Aviation. The division has held the number one national win rate for three consecutive years while maintaining fee integrity and ranking in the top three for SOP, DOP, and year-over-year revenue growth.

Olsen holds the MAI designation and currently serves as President of the Seattle Chapter of the Appraisal Institute, following prior roles as VP, Treasurer, and Secretary. He has chaired the Fall Conference (2019-2021), moderated the Industrial Panel (2015-2022), and received both the President’s Award (2020 and 2024) and Appraiser of the Year (2019).

Outside of work, he volunteers with Seattle Children’s Hospital, Habitat for Humanity, Westside Baby, and CBRE’s Veterans-focused Employee Resource Groups. He’s a CREW sponsor and mentors five professionals pursuing their MAI designation. He also speaks at industry events, including those hosted by the University of Washington. Most importantly, Olsen is a devoted husband to his college sweetheart, Jaclyn, and proud father to Bennett (8), Anna (5), and their dog Louie (13).

Jacob Pavlik

Jacob Pavlik (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacoblpavlik/), Research Manager for Colliers’ Puget Sound region, exemplifies innovation and forward-thinking leadership, consistently going above and beyond his daily responsibilities as the sole researcher for one of Colliers’ leading markets in Seattle. While supporting nearly 30 brokers in a high-growth environment, Pavlik has spearheaded numerous first-of-their-kind initiatives, elevating Colliers’ brand voice through thought leadership content and creating long-term tools that strengthen the firm’s business nationally.

Among Pavlik’s most impactful initiatives: creating Colliers’ first-ever U.S. Hospitality Report, a groundbreaking work that garnered attention from Connect CRE, Hotels Magazine, Hotel Business, and HospitalityNet; leading a multi-market research collaboration to produce Colliers’ first National Migration Trends Report leveraging IRS income data; and leading a market report for Colliers’ global FIFA World Cup insights series, highlighting real estate and economic impacts on host cities.

Beyond Colliers, Pavlik is advancing the future of real estate education as a first-time teacher, educating undergraduate and graduate students in Real Estate Economics and Market Analysis at the University of Washington’s Runstad Department of Real Estate. Shannon Affholter, Department Chair and Assistant Teaching Professor, said Pavlik has distinguished himself through an engaging teaching style and genuine commitment to student success, approaching challenges with curiosity, positive energy, and willingness to learn.

Pavlik served as a member of ULI Thriving Communities, where he planned events to showcase insights on sustainable developments and regional projects highlighting the economic vitality of Puget Sound. He also served as a leading expert at Portland State University, planning a two-day real estate tour for 12 PSU Master of Science in Real Estate students.

Scott Blankenship, Executive Managing Director for Puget Sound at Colliers, noted that Pavlik is always looking for innovative ways to deliver research and analytics with a logical approach to data and its application to business, leading from the front in research pursuits and significantly enhancing the ability of brokerage professionals to provide best-in-class service.