Many agents dream of working for the world’s largest commercial real estate brokerages. Getting hired by those commercial real estate firms takes a lot of luck as well as talent and hard work. People who get hired by these brokerage services often have experience in investment banking, selling commercial properties, investment sales, and local market evaluations.
Learning more about the biggest commercial real estate brokerages could help you become a more competitive agent. Whether you ever join their ranks may not matter as much as you think. If you can find your niche and the right tools to succeed, you can build a rewarding career without getting involved with the largest commercial real estate services.
Colliers International
Colliers International is a Canadian company with offices in at least 68 countries. Formed in 1976, it increased its market share in 2010 by consolidating with numerous franchises. The company used its consolidation to expand its services. Today, it does much more than sell commercial properties. It has services including:
- Landlord representation
- Insurance
- Mortgages
- Securities
- Engineering
- Capital markets
- Project management
- Valuation and advisory
Selling a wide range of commercial property types helped Colliers International grow. The company also encourages investors to put their money in the company, which gives them more opportunities to expand around the world.
Marcus & Millichap
Marcus & Millichap got started in 1971 by George M. Marcus of Palo Alto. William Millichap became a partner in 1976. Somewhat surprisingly, the real estate brokerage has fewer than 1,000 employees and only operates in North America.
Marcus & Millichap sells a variety of commercial properties, including apartment buildings, fast food restaurants, retail locations, and storage facilities.
Like many of the largest commercial real estate brokers, Marcus & Millichap doesn’t restrict itself to arranging deals between sellers and buyers. It also has interests in:
- Financing sales
- Researching market insights everywhere from Los Angeles to Indianapolis
- Advisory services to clients that help them build profitable real estate investment portfolios
It takes a lot of money to run commercial real estate brokerages like Marcus & Millichap. Having more money, though, doesn’t always mean that they always have the upper hand.
CBRE
CBRE has been in operation since 1906, so it has had plenty of time to build clout in the industry. Estimates show that in 2018, the company managed $13.457 billion in assets. With over 100,000 employees, CBRE is easily one of the world’s largest real estate brokerage firms.
CBRE has properties for sale and lease. It also helps businesses find retail properties that meet their needs.
The commercial real estate brokerage lists an unbelievably long number of services that it provides, including:
- Client strategy and consulting
- Portfolio services
- Space enablement
- Investment banking
- Litigation support
- Energy and sustainability
- Corporate capital markets
- Telecom advisory
CBRE’s industry sectors include:
- Industrial and logistics
- Retail
- Student housing and education
- Life sciences
- Healthcare
- Data centers
- Law firms
- Technology, media, and telecom
- Financial services
- Energy, oil, and gas
It’s hard to think of many industries that it doesn’t serve!
Cushman and Wakefield
Founded in 1917, Cushman and Wakefield has grown into one of the most powerful commercial real estate services firms. It employs more than 53,000 and manages approximately 4.1 billion square feet of commercial building space.
The company focuses on leasing office, retail, and industrial spaces. It sells a much wider range of commercial properties, though, including multifamily buildings, land, and capital markets.
Cushman and Wakefield excels at connecting clients with the right brokers and agents. Clients with complex needs have access to teams of professionals who can help them secure funding, scrutinize contracts, and close deals.
Avison Young
Avison Young is a fairly new commercial real estate brokerage. Formed in 1978 in Toronto, Canada, it now has offices throughout North America and Europe, including Romania, United Kingdom, Germany, and Ireland.
The company considers itself more than a brokerage firm. It also identifies as a leader in real estate thinking. Realistically, more firms should identify this way. The most successful residential and commercial real estate brokerages know how to use data and research to predict changes in the industry.
As you probably expect by now, a commercial real estate brokerage the size of Avison Young provides exceptional services to clients. According to the brokerage, it can meet the needs of practically any organization, including those that need:
- Senior housing
- Data centers
- Automotive properties
- Healthcare centers
- Multifamily buildings
- Office space
- Retail space
- Industrial facilities
Avison Young has services for owners and occupiers, so it can reach deals between companies that want to sell real estate as well as those that want to buy or lease commercial space.
ProsectNow Can Help You Compete With Larger Agencies
Having a huge amount of money and influence behind your real estate business can certainly help you finalize deals. You don’t have to become one of the biggest commercial real estate brokerages to help your clients and earn an excellent living, though. Even a small commercial real estate firm can do great work when it has access to the right tools.
ProspectNow makes it easier to compete with large commercial real estate brokers. The platform has an updated property database that includes details about each business’s characteristics, the contact information of decision-makers, and SIC codes.
ProspectNow also uses predictive analytics to help you focus on commercial properties that may become available soon. Has a business renting retail space missed several of its payments? Has a commercial property owner recently applied for a second mortgage? These and other actions may indicate that you can make a move that will benefit you and your clients.
Do you want to experience how ProspectNow can help grow your commercial real estate brokerage? Request a commercial demo so you can see all of the platform’s benefits. You may never become as large as the companies above, but you can reach your full potential with help from ProspectNow.