Denver's one of the top cities in the Western US in attractiveness for commercial real estate professionals, according to RETS principal Kent Elliot (snapped off the California coast with a catch). The company's inaugural Western Cities Survey, which asked workers about their preferred relocation destinations, found that San Diego ranked atop the region as the place respondents would relocate to when presented the right opportunity. Denver ranked second, followed by a tie for third between San Francisco and Seattle.

“Denver is very attractive to real estate professionals because of the lifestyle and the relatively low cost of housing compared to high demand markets in California," Kent says. There's expansion, acquisition and development in the region providing opportunities for top talent, he adds. Denver is also attractive because of compensation trends: firms in the region are currently offering a boost in base salaries of 15% to 20% to remain competitive with other Western cities, Kent says.