R. CRAIG COPPOLA
Founding Principal, Lee & Associates
Craig Coppola is the top producing office broker in the 60+ office, Lee & Associates’ 40+ year history. He is one of the Founding Principals of Lee & Associates Arizona (1991) and received the William J. Lee Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. He has earned the top three designations in the real estate industry: CCIM, CRE and SIOR. Less than 33 people worldwide hold all three designations. He has been named NAIOP Office Broker of the Year six times, and in 2020 was awarded the NAIOP Award of Excellence. Craig is also the current CEO of CRE OneSource, an online collaboration platform that is elevating the way commercial real estate professionals complete transactions.
Beyond his successful professional career, Craig has been a lifelong athlete with a bevy of achievements under his belt. He was drafted by and played in the Minnesota Twins Baseball organization, represented the USA, and won a world championship in Tae Kwon Do. He was inducted into the Tae Kwon Do Hall of Fame in 2015. In addition, Craig is a former ultra-long-distance runner completing over 60 marathons and longer. Today, he is an avid backpacker having hiked in over 25 countries and 5 continents and completed such rigorous trails as the Arizona Trail (one of 11 U.S. National Scenic Trails), GR 20 in Corsica (widely considered one of the most difficult GR routes in the world), Everest Base Camp and the Summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Craig is extremely involved within his community, donating substantial amounts of his time annually. He has served on a broad range of community boards including Advisory Council of the World’s Largest St. Vincent DePaul (4 years), the Banner Health Foundation (9 years), the Arizona Chamber of Commerce (13 years), the Xavier Preparatory Board of Trustees (7 years), and as the Valley of the Sun United Way Tocqueville Chairman for multiple years.
Among his many accomplishments, Craig has also authored five books. His first book, How to Win in Commercial Real Estate Investing, won him the “Best First Time Author Award” from The National Association of Real Estate Editors (NAREE). As a follow-up to his investing book, Craig published The Art of Commercial Real Estate Leasing in December 2014. Craig co-wrote, Chasing Excellence: Real Life Stories from the Streets with Lee & Associates Founder Bill Lee. In addition to his three real estate books, Craig has also written The Fantastic Life: How to Get it, Live it, and Pass it On, and What Now? A 5-Prong Approach to Handling Cancer Diagnosis & Treatment.
Craig is widely known as an industry thought leader and is asked to give numerous speeches each year on market overviews, forecasting, and strategic planning. He produces two blogs on the commercial real estate industry and other interesting topics that reach over two million people annually.
Craig holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from Nicholls State University and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Arizona State University. In 2017-2022 (the past 6 years), he was inducted into the ASU Sun Devil 100 for distinguished alumni who own or lead successful businesses.
Craig is a third-generation Arizonan and father of four remarkable children.