Sullivan grew up on the South Side of Chicago and moved here after serving two tours in Vietnam. Sullivan, who sold 100% of his stock in the privately held company to Mission Viejo, CA-based Chang, will remain as a consultant to the company for at least three years. The sales price wasn't disclosed.

At different times, SullivanHayes has handled seven out of every 10 retail deals in the metro area, Sullivan claims. His was the first boutique firm to focus on one sector--retail--and the first tenant rep firm in Denver, he says. Clients over the years, he adds, have included Target, Costco, TJ Maxx, Ross, Chili's, Applebee's, Chipotle, Starbucks, Wild Oats, OfficeMax, Office Depot, Bass Pro Bass Shops, Toys R' Us and Kids R' Us.

"Our goal is to create a major regional real estate platform primarily focused on the retail sector," says Carl Chang, Michael's brother and president of Chang Enterprises. Last year, Chang bought the 100-year-old locally based Dunton Real Estate, which he renamed as Dunton Commercial.