Meet Henry McClure – Real Estate Broker, Developer, Deal Maker, and 4th-Generation Topekan
Hey there — I’m Henry McClure (@mcre1 on X), licensed Kansas real estate broker, developer, and proud 4th-generation Topekan. I’ve lived in 11 different towns across the country — from Florida to Colorado, California, Nevada, Missouri, and beyond. Those experiences gave me a boots-on-the-ground understanding of what makes communities succeed (or struggle), and they’re a big reason I’m so committed to making Shawnee County and Topeka a place where families want to stay and grow.
My Professional Journey Right after Washburn Rural High School and the University of Kansas, I joined MaceRich Company (now Macerich) in February 1983 as the third person accepted into their national management training program. Founder Mace Siegel looked me in the eye and said, “Some boys have the Army to see the country; you have MaceRich.” Over the next 13+ years I handled tenant leasing, major mall redevelopments, and award-winning renovations that generated millions in new income across the country.
In April 1996 to January 1997, I stepped into entrepreneurship as President of Shopwave.com in Ventura, California. Long before online shopping was mainstream, I built one of the earliest secure internet shopping channels from scratch — developing CGI shopping carts, dynamic web pages, encryption, fax fulfillment, and order verification in the days of 33-speed dial-up modems. We became the first internet company to join the ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers). It was an exciting time of invention and foresight.
From there, I continued in large-scale mall leasing and operations:
- 1997 – Leasing Manager for MD Management in Overland Park, KS (Sherman W. Dreiseszun’s company). I managed leasing and operations for four shopping centers totaling 3.3 million sq ft across Missouri, Kansas, and Ohio, delivering 55,000 sq ft of executed leases with another 31,000 sq ft in process.
- December 1997 – April 1998 – Leasing Manager / General Manager for Excel Realty Trust at Clearwater Mall (950,000 sq ft) in Florida. I closed eight permanent deals (6,744 sq ft total) plus 15 temporary deals, increased temporary income by 11%, and cut operating expenses by $98,000 annually while coordinating redevelopment with the city.
- May 1998 – February 2000 – Senior Associate at Divaris Real Estate in Tampa, where I led leasing for the 1-million-sq-ft netp@rk Tamp Bay redevelopment (a former mall transformed into a corporate supercenter). Key deals included New Horizons (16,217 sq ft + expansion), Creative World School (17,750 sq ft children’s facility), The Temple Gym, and WFS Financial.
In 2000, I returned home to Topeka and founded McClure Real Estate, LLC (now MCRE, LLC), where I’ve built more than 25 years of focused experience in commercial leasing and sales, shopping mall and strip center redevelopment, mixed-use/TIF projects, triple-net sale-leasebacks, zoning/platting advisory, and investment sales. I’ve worked with over 150 client entities, including national and local retailers.
One of my signature local projects was the College Hill TIF Development — a $36 million public-private partnership directly across from Washburn University. We assembled 9 acres by closing on 40 separate properties and delivered 183 apartment units, 33 townhomes, and 24,000 sq ft of retail space, helping revitalize an inner-city neighborhood.
Today, I continue actively brokering deals, including the current Grandma Hoerner’s Foods $6 million triple-net (absolute NNN) sale-leaseback opportunity in Alma, KS — a strong 40-year lease with solid growth numbers behind a well-established Kansas manufacturer.
Who I Am I’m a father of a wonderful daughter, which is one of the main reasons I ran for Mayor of Topeka in 2025 — I want Shawnee County to be a community she’d be proud to raise her own children in. I stay involved in local government meetings, share insights through live YouTube streams, and speak my mind on X.
Come Visit Me in Topeka Topeka has more going for it than most people realize — wide-open skies, real community, and real opportunities. If you’re ever passing through Kansas, thinking about a visit, or just want to connect, reach out. Whether it’s coffee, a property tour, or a good conversation about real estate, life, or local development — I’m easy to find and always enjoy meeting new people.
📍 Topeka, Kansas 📧 mcre13@gmail.com 📱 785-383-9994
Explore More on My Blog (mcrekansas.blogspot.com):
- Full career chapters from MaceRich through Divaris
- Current deals and property details (including Grandma Hoerner’s)
- Sale-leaseback education and local economic insights
I look forward to connecting — online or in person.
— Henry McClure
Real Estate Broker • Developer • Deal Maker • Awake • Early Internet Pioneer
