Eric Paulsen

Eric Paulsen serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Kidder Mathews, responsible for driving key growth initiatives, optimizing operational efficiencies, and fostering synergies across divisions.

Eric is a 37-year veteran of commercial real estate, with more than two decades in leadership roles. Since joining Kidder Mathews in 2021, he has been a driving force behind the company’s growth and expansion as the largest fully independent commercial real estate firm in the Western U.S. As COO, he oversees daily operations, manages the firm’s 19 offices, and leads the brokerage, asset services, and valuation divisions, as well as marketing, technology, and human resources functions. Eric also serves on the Strategic Planning Committee, where his expertise is instrumental in guiding the company’s long-term vision and decision-making.

Before being promoted to COO, Eric served as President of Brokerage, where he expanded Kidder Mathews’ market presence, grew the firm through recruiting – promoted company culture and pursued strategic initiatives with other divisions. Eric’s leadership with Kidder Mathews began in July 2021 when he joined as Regional President for Southern California and Arizona Brokerage. His contributions in this role were instrumental in driving growth and expanding the company’s footprint in the region, recruiting over 50 brokers, resulting in $7.3 billion in volume and over 4,600 successful transactions.

Prior to Kidder Mathews, Eric has held various leadership positions throughout his career. He served as CEO of Topside Real Estate in Newport Beach and Ten-X Commercial. Eric’s expertise also spans leadership roles as managing principal at Cushman & Wakefield’s Orange County and Inland Empire offices. Additionally, while at LNR Property Corporation, he played a key role in the acquisition of major development deals and the underwriting and acquisition of several billion dollars of CMBS positions. Over the course of his career, Eric has closed over $10 billion in assets across the country in all product types. Prior to moving into leadership, Eric was a successful investment broker at CBRE for over a decade.

Eric is a recognized leader in the business community and sought-after speaker on commercial real estate panels, sharing his insights and expertise. He is an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), as is past president of the Southern California Chapter of NAIOP. In recognition of his influential role in the industry, the LA Times named him a 2024 Commercial Real Estate Visionary, honored for his outstanding leadership, commitment to driving companies towards sustained growth, and his influential role in the community.