Similar to any industry, the commercial real estate (CRE) sector is a complex ecosystem with several players and has historically been hesitant to adopt new technology.

However, things are changing, and a digital transition has begun in the commercial real estate sector.

The tenant experience, in this situation, is one of the essential components and drivers of the innovations going place, particularly in commercial buildings.

An overview of the main changes in the commercial real estate industry and why realizing smart buildings and green buildings becomes more important for investors, property developers, corporate occupiers, building and facility services providers, and other stakeholders.

Despite the downtick we saw in 2020 sales, 2021 numbers quickly saw an increase and by this year we are back in full swing. Based on multiple sources found online, we have rounded up the top 3 commercial real estate brands and what we have learned from them this year.

CBRE

CBRE retained its long-standing position at the top of this year’s overall ranking and additionally placed first in our leasing and sales rankings. Even though the firm’s investment sales volume dropped 31 percent from 2019, it reported $182 billion across asset types—the highest among our respondents. CBRE’s investment volume was spread across asset classes, with the largest volume occurring in the office and industrial sectors. The brokerage’s leasing volume was down as well, with 1.2 billion leased in 2020, a 25 percent decline from the previous year.

What makes them stand out?

Beside the fact that they have excellent company culture and benefits, they are constantly investing in their employees. Working at CBRE ensures you have access to continued education and certifications that can get brokers ahead of the competition.

Cushman and Wakefield provide deal structuring, investor intelligence, strategic marketing, and access to international capital for the sale, purchase, or lease of property.

They partner with on-the-ground brokerage, valuation, and corporate services professionals in order to provide a comprehensive knowledge of local and national market conditions.

They also maintain a large database of assets, buyers, sellers, and pricing information.

Cushman & Wakefield

Rounding out the top three are Cushman & Wakefield and Newmark, with $88 billion and $73 billion in sales volume for 2020, respectively. Both firms saw a decline in sales volume in 2020, with Cushman & Wakefield’s volume declining by 22 percent and Newmark’s decreasing by 12 percent. Out of all companies surveyed, the largest percentage of investment sales volume occurred in the multifamily sector, followed closely by industrial and office.

What makes Cushman & Wakefield stand out?

According to Reonomy.com, CBRE’s clients include domestic and foreign-based real estate investors, REITs, opportunity funds, and entities with tax-sensitive exit strategies.

They are a world leader in the acquisition and disposition of income-producing properties for third-party owners and corporate occupiers across all commercial real estate asset classes.

CBRE integrates property sales with lending capabilities, while the CBRE Deal Flow dashboard connects investors to an extremely large and diverse for-sale inventory.

CBRE also actively leverages the latest technology, such as virtual and augmented reality, to differentiate assets in the marketplace.

With regards to financing, Cushman and Wakefield cultivates and maintains relationships with more than 1,500 capital sources, and their corporate capital markets professionals provide traditional investment banking services as well.

Newmark

Newmark is a commercial real estate brokerage and advisory firm founded in 1929. It entered into a transatlantic partnership with London-based Frank Knight in 2006 to become Newmark Knight Frank and from 2011 to 2018, it operated as a subsidiary of BGC Partners, a financial services company.

BGC acquired Grubb & Ellis in 2012 and merged it with Newmark Knight Frank to form Newmark Grubb Knight Frank. In 2017, the firm changed the name back to Newmark Knight Frank. In 2018, it was spun off from BGC, and in 2020 dropped "Knight Frank."

The services it provides include brokerage of leasing and investment sales deals as well as property management. Its clients have included investment bank Morgan Stanley and advertising firm Havas.

What do they do well?

All three of these top brokerage firms are innovators, invest in their brokers, and have strategic marketing. FocusedCRE has not only served as a complimentary marketing resource for CBRE and Cushman & Wakefield, but we have also worked with national name brands such as Lee and Associates and Colliers. The years and experience working alongside these brokerage firms marketing department have strengthened our offerings and continue to make us more strategic and well-rounded marketers. Lets connect to see how we can be a complement to your marketing department!