2017 RANKING & REVIEWS
TOP RANKING BEST COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE COMPANIES
Highlighting the Top Commercial Real Estate Companies in 2017
If you’ve ever looked through commercial real estate listings to lease office space or looked into buying commercial realty to generate income, then you may have run across some of the biggest commercial real estate companies in the business.
The top commercial real estate companies around the world perform a number of vital commercial real estate services for those dealing with commercial realty, including working with property owners, landlords, tenants, developers, and investors.
What makes a commercial real estate agent different than one you use to buy or sell a home? A commercial real estate broker works with properties used specifically for business purposes that are leased or sold to provide either a workspace for a commercial enterprise or a rental revenue steam, such as an apartment complex.
Award Emblem: Top 6 Best Commercial Real Estate Companies
Many commercial estate agents are acting as leasing agents either working for the commercial realty owner, on behalf of the tenants looking to rent office space, or both.
When it comes to the commercial real estate companies, their commercial property agents are dealing with much larger spaces used for a variety of purposes, such as:
- Hotels
- Shopping malls
- Office complexes
- Data centers
- Academic facilities
- Banks
- Museums
- Restaurants
- Hospitals
In this article, we are going to take a look at the best commercial real estate companies, the commercial realty types they offer, and the multiple services that they provide to their clients. We’ll also delve into some of the main FAQ’s of commercial real estate listings.
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AdvisoryHQ’s List of the Top 6 Best Commercial Real Estate Companies
List is sorted alphabetically (click any of the business website names below to go directly to the detailed review section for that business website):
Top 6 Top Commercial Real Estate Companies | Brief Comparison & Ranking
Top Commercial Real Estate Companies | Global Transaction Volume 2015 | Corporate Headquarters |
| CBRE | $310,600,000,000 | Los Angeles, CA, USA |
| Colliers International | $112,000,000,000 | Toronto, ON, Canada |
| Cushman & Wakefield | *2014 volume (2015 not available) $100,799,604,077 | Chicago, IL, USA |
| Eastdil Secured | $119,500,000,000 | New York, NY,USA |
| JLL® | $214,400,000,000 | Chicago, IL, USA |
| Newmark Knight Frank | $112,570,325,050 | New York, NY, USA |
Table: Top 6 Biggest Commercial Real Estate Companies | Above list is sorted alphabetically
What Commercial Real Estate Services Can You Find at the Best Commercial Real Estate Companies?
The types of commercial real estate services offered are vast at some of the largest commercial real estate companies. These firms try to be a full service, one-stop shop for those with commercial real estate listings or property rentals that need managing.
They do everything from helping a small business owner find a new restaurant location to assisting large investors with commercial realty investments. Other services offered by the biggest commercial real estate companies also deal with property management and facilitating tenant-occupied properties.
Image Source: Biggest Commercial Real Estate Companies
The types of services these top commercial real estate companies provide fall into a few main categories:
Business/Corporate Services
This includes helping businesses of all sizes expand their facilities and find new locations; the buying, selling, and leasing of commercial realty; and locating specialty properties for manufacturers or other organizations.
Tenant Services
This includes property and facility management services, project management to rehab a space to be leased, and assisting landlords with all aspects of renting out commercial real estate listings.
Investor Services
There are commercial estate agents that specialize in investment properties and advising investors on purchases and how to make the best investments in real estate. They also assist with financing and loan services.
Advisory Services
The advisory services of commercial real estate companies cover a global range of information that commercial realty buyers and sellers need to know, such as market value, taxation, construction, risk management, and zoning regulations.
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What’s the Difference Between a Commercial Real Estate Broker and a Commercial Real Estate Agent?
Some may think these two designations are interchangeable, but they are not. Although they both provide commercial real estate services, there is a distinct difference between a commercial real estate broker and a commercial real estate agent.
Image Source: Commercial Real Estate Broker
A commercial real estate agent is a professional who has passed all required real estate classes and the licensing exam in the state in which they work. They work under a licensed commercial real estate broker.
A commercial real estate broker has continued their education further and passed the real estate broker license exam. A commercial real estate broker can work as an independent agent or have other agents working under them.
A commercial real estate agent is required to take 60 hours of classes and then pass an exam, where a commercial real estate broker must take 180 hours of broker-specific classes, pass an exam, and have actively worked in real estate for 36 months.
When you’re working with the top commercial real estate companies, you will be working with either an agent or a broker. A commercial real estate broker bears the responsibility for those agents working under their supervision, and if there are any glitches in a commercial realty transaction, it’s the broker who will typically step in.
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AdvisoryHQ’s Selection Methodology
What methodology does AdvisoryHQ use in selecting and finalizing the credit cards, financial products, firms, services, and products that are ranked on its various top-rated lists?
Please click here “AdvisoryHQ’s Ranking Methodologies” for a detailed review of AdvisoryHQ’s selection methodologies for ranking top-rated credit cards, financial accounts, firms, products, and services.
Detailed Review – Top Ranking Best Commercial Real Estate Companies
Below, please find a detailed review of each firm on our list of biggest commercial real estate companies. We have highlighted some of the factors that allowed these top commercial real estate companies to score so highly in our selection ranking.
CBRE Review
One of the biggest commercial real estate companies is CBRE. The company traces its roots back to 1906 San Francisco where a company, later known as CB Commercial, started and grew into one of the largest commercial real estate companies in the western U.S. by the 1960s and 70s.
Today, CBRE is a global firm providing commercial real estate services and had revenues in 2015 of $10.9 billion. The company has been included in the Fortune 500 since 2008, ranking #259 in 2016, and its shares trade on the NYSE under symbol CBG.
Company Highlights That Led to Our Ranking of CBRE as One of the Biggest Commercial Real Estate Companies
CBRE has an excellent reputation among clients and the top commercial property agents. The firm has been named one of Fortune’s “Most Admired Companies” in the commercial real estate services sector for four years in a row.
Global Research Gateway
If you’re looking to research the commercial realty market to see what factors are influencing commercial real estate listings today, you can use their robust Global Research Gateway.
You’ll find a number of reports, such as a 2017 U.S. Real Estate Market Outlook, and the ability to look for reports by market sector. Some of their global research tools are:
- Global Office Occupier Guide
- Understanding Retail Destinations Guide
- Outlook: Forecasting Platform
- ERIX: Real Estate Data Platform
Case Studies
Another indication that CBRE is one of the biggest commercial real estate companies in the world is their impressive list of case studies. They include commercial real estate listings clients such as Alibaba, Citigroup, and Sprint.
Some of the properties that their commercial estate agents have handled include the Shibuya Flag Building in Tokyo and the Shanghai Tower, a large skyscraper.
You can search their global commercial real estate listings by region here.
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Colliers International Review
Colliers International is a Canadian-based firm from Toronto and is another one of the top commercial real estate companies in the world. Their commercial property agents operate in 66 countries assisting clients with strategic advice and execution of property sales, leasing, and financing.
This is one of the commercial real estate companies that is listed on two stock exchanges, the NASDAQ, CIGI and the TSX, CIGI. They have a long history that began way back in 1898, as a commercial real estate agent and insurance firm under the name Macaulay Nicolls.
Company Highlights That Led to Our Ranking of Colliers International as One of the Best Commercial Real Estate Companies
Colliers International is one of the only commercial real estate companies honored for 11 consecutive years among the Global Outsourcing 100, a list of the top service providers from the International Association of Oursourcing Pofessionals (IAOP).
Project Management Services
The company prides themselves on a range of excellent commercial real estate services, including property management. Their commercial property agents help at each stage of any property undertaking from initial planning to ongoing tenant management.
Their property management services include:
- Planning and advisory
- Development management
- Project and program management
- Comissioning and energy services
Image Source: Colliers International Commercial Estate Agents
Advisors in Multiple Sectors
Their expert advisors in multiple sectors and specializations is another reason we chose Colliers International for our top commercial real estate companies list.
You can use their search tool to find one of their advisory commercial estate agents by name or expertise, with 23 different sectors listed, such as government solutions, hotels, student housing, and law firm services.
Cushman & Wakefield Review
Another global player that is one of the biggest commercial real estate companies is Cushman & Wakefield. The company, which was first incorporated in 1917, has commercial estate agents in over 250 cities worldwide.
The company recently merged with DTZ, creating one of the largest commercial real estate companies, with 43,000 employees and more than 4.3 billion square feet of commercial real estate listings under its management.
Company Highlights That Led to Our Ranking of Cushman & Wakefield as One of the Top Commercial Real Estate Companies
Sustainability is a key value of Cushman & Wakefield, and in 2016 they were recognized with the Social Star Award for ENERGY STAR Promotion and Innovation on Social Media. If you care about corporate responsibility, they’re one of the best commercial real estate companies to work with. Read their Corporate Responsibility Report online.
Research & Insights
Their Research & Insights page is an outstanding resource if you want to check into the commercial realty in major cities around the world.
You can review key trends and market data in sectors like the Denver industrial market or Finland office and retail markets. It’s like having your own personal commercial real estate agent do tons of market analysis for you.
Work with Non-Profits
An impressive area that they work in is non-profits. They have a special Cushman & Wakefield Nonprofit Group that helps these organizations ease the cost pressures of working with the best commercial real estate companies to find properties to rent or lease.
They also understand the nuances of board-oriented decision-making processes, and their commercial property agents for non-profits work to make the whole process as easy as possible.
Eastdil Secured Review
The next company on our list of the biggest commercial real estate companies is Eastdil Secured. This firm proudly displays that they are a Real Estate Investment Banking Company. They were one of the commercial real estate services and investment banking industry pioneers, starting in 1967.
This is one of the top commercial real estate companies that is based in New York City. They have 10 other offices throughout the U.S., plus offices in Hong Kong and London. They’re not as internationally diversified as some of the other largest commercial real estae companies.
Company Highlights That Led to Our Ranking of Eastdil Secured as One of the Best Commercial Real Estate Companies
They have a payment structure for their commercial property agents, which helps to ensure a team atmosphere. They do not pay based upon commission, to help foster a environment where the commercial estate agents work together to help the customer.
Mortgage Loan Sales
They are experts in the loan sale and structured finance of commercial realty mortgage loans, having closed $77 billion in loan sales since 1990.
This is one of the top commercial real estate companies that is known for being the largest and most active mortgage loan sale advisor, working with commercial banks, life companies, the RTC, and the FDIC.
Industrial and R&D
If you’re a manufacturer or need space for a research and development lab, Eastdil is one of the best commercial real estate companies to go to for assistance. They’ve had over $30 billion in industrial property transactions executed just in the past three years.
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JLL® Review
JLL® is well known as a leader among commercial real estate companies. They have over 280 corporate offices around the world and 70,000 employees, including commercial estate agents and other team members.
The company has an impressive history of more than 200 years. They began in 1783 as a London auctioneer and grew to one of the biggest commercial real estate companies in the world.
Company Highlights That Led to Our Ranking of JLL® as One of the Top Commercial Real Estate Companies
Along with their rich history, the company has received a number of recognitions, including Fortune World’s Most Admired Companies 2015 and Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality 2017.
Sustainability
This is another of the biggest commercial real estate companies for whom sustainability is important. They incorporate sustainability into all aspects of their commercial realty business.
Two main drivers in their global operations are:
- Minimizing the environmental impact of real estate
- Enhancing the economic and social benefits of real estate development, investment, and occupation
Image Source: JLL Top Commercial Real Estate Companies
Commercial Real Estate Technology
You can find just about every helpful commercial real estate listings tool you need on their technology page. You can even find an awesome Mobile VR Experience software to help a commercial real estate agent show off properties.
The main categories include:
- Tools for market analysis and location selection (3)
- Tools to optimize your portfolio strategy and building performance (4)
- Tools to help you make the most of your investments (3)
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Newmark Knight Frank Review
The sixth company in our list of the best commercial real estate companies is Newmark Knight Frank. The firm, together with their London-based partner Knight Frank and independently-owned offices, has commercial property agents in over 400 offices on six continents.
Some of the organizations on the representative client list for this maverick in commercial real estate listings include AARP, CBS Corporation, Motorola, Inc., and McDonalds.
Company Highlights That Led to Our Ranking of Newmark Knight Frank as One of the Biggest Commercial Real Estate Companies
This is one of the largest commercial real estate companies that is only getting bigger. Just in the first two months of 2017, they’ve acquired the assets of Regency Capital Partners and Walchle Lear.
Research Thought Leader
Newmark Knight Frank is known as a thought leader in the field of commercial realty research. They constantly monitor leading and lagging indicators to track and analyze patterns and industry trends.
You will definitely want to check out their 2017 Global Cities Report with skyscraper index.
Computerized Facility Integration
One of of the exciting commercial real estate services offered by this company is computerized facility integration. This is one of the best commercial real estate companies to work with if you are looking to take advantage of all the integrations that new technology can offer to increase productivity for facility and property management.
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Conclusion – Top 6 Best Commercial Real Estate Companies
When it comes to commercial real estate listings and investment, these six top commercial real estate companies offer a whole lot more than just buying, selling, and leasing.
Their commercial real estate services cover all aspects of development, transactions, loans, and running a commercial property. And many of the biggest commercial real estate companies have vast research on global real estate trends and markets available.
While all of these firms are considered some of the biggest commercial real estate companies around the world, they do have various specialties, which we’ve worked to highlight above, that make one stand out over another in a particular area.
We hope you’ve found our 2017 ranking and review of the best commercial real estate companies informative and that you’ve learned a little more about each of these impressive firms.
AdvisoryHQ (AHQ) Disclaimer:
Reasonable efforts have been made by AdvisoryHQ to present accurate information, however all info is presented without warranty. Review AdvisoryHQ’s Terms for details. Also review each firm’s site for the most updated data, rates and info.
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