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Michael Cisternino

Executive Managing Partner & Co-Founder

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Michael Cisternino is the Executive Managing Partner and Founder of Essential Capital Advisors (ECA). Michael has been active in commercial real estate for 20 years and has completed over $655 million in investment sales.  Throughout his career, Michael has consistently demonstrated a strong ability to skillfully transact leased investments across a wide-spectrum of asset types which include single tenant and multi-tenant retail, medical-office and industrial properties throughout the US.

Prior to forming Essential Capital Advisors (ECA), Michael was a Senior Vice President at The Kase Group with a focus on the disposition and acquisition of credit, net leased assets throughout the US.  Prior to The Kase Group, Michael was a Senior Vice President and Regional Director of Investment Sales for Transwestern in Northern California. Michael specialized in providing investment services to real estate investment trusts, institutional capital, private equity, regional developers, family offices and high net worth investors in the dispositions and acquisitions of net leased investments.  Michael played a critical role in Transwestern’s west coast expansion into investment sales and capital markets as he helped build their platform from the ground-up.  Prior to Transwestern, Michael was a Senior Associate at Marcus & Millichap and worked with investors on the dispositions and acquisitions of leased investments throughout the West Coast.

Significant Transactions

$47,000,000    Webster Medical Plaza – Oakland, CA

$16,125,000    Hilltop Shopping Center – Redding, CA

$18,000,000    Lucky Anchored Shopping Center – Novato, CA

$15,250,000    Tracy Corners Shopping Center – Tracy, CA

$15,000,000    Safeway Anchored Shopping Center – Stockton, CA

$14,450,000    Jawbone Headquarters – Sunnyvale, CA

$12,970,000    DaVita Dialysis – San Rafael, CA

$9,300,000      California Plaza – Walnut Creek, CA

$8,600,000      Walgreens – Lafayette, CA

Professional Affiliations | Recognitions

Michael is a licensed California and Nevada Real Estate Broker and member of International Council of Shopping Centers and NAIOP Commercial Real Estate Development Association. Michael was awarded CoStar’s Power Broker Award in 2014, 2015 and 2017 and Crexi’s Platinum Broker Award in 2023.

Education

St Mary’s College, BA Politics

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