By Patricia B. Dwyer

Any business that deals with exchanging large amounts of money is innately cunning and commercial real estate is no different.

Transactions that have such high stakes require the services of brokers to protect the interests of both parties. It wasn’t until the last 20 years that business owners looking to buy or rent property had such basic protections.

“The real estate business really revolves around landlords first and tenants second,” said David Marino of Hughes Marino, a real estate firm dedicated to representing only tenants and buyers of commercial real estate. “We are really putting the business on its head by representing the tenants.”

Marino, a La Jolla resident, joined forces with his long-time colleague Jason Hughes of Rancho Santa Fe in February of this year to form Hughes Marino. Hughes formerly had a similar company with Craig Irving.

Both Hughes and Marino have each been in the real estate business for over 20 years, and say they are using their collective knowledge for the betterment of commercial tenants across San Diego.

“Tenants are constantly being taken advantage of simply because landlords almost always have the advantage,” Hughes said. “Dave and I have the same passion for taking care of our clients.”

More largely based tenant representation companies can sometimes focus on square footage and numbers as opposed to the characteristics of the property being rented and how well the tenant may utilize the space.

“Since we work mainly with local business owners, each transaction has to be based on quality, not just volume,” Marino said.

Hughes Marino also works in construction management, lease audit services, and tax credit services. Regardless of the task, all of their work is done with the goal of making life easier for San Diego businesses.