Commercial Real Estate Brokers
Guide to Understanding CRE Brokers
In buying, selling, or leasing, it’s likely that you’ll encounter a commercial real estate broker at some point, as they’re a key party involved in the negotiation process. In this article, we’ll answer common questions about CRE brokers:
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What do CRE brokers do?
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Why are CRE brokers needed in a transaction?
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What are the advantages of connecting with CRE brokers, and how can Biscred help?
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Who are some of the top CRE brokers?
Brokers can be either individual agents or firms that are usually positioned between the buyer and seller (or lessor and lessee) of a piece of commercial property. CRE brokers not only help arrange the terms of a transaction, but also assist with connecting buyers and sellers, have knowledge of tax and zoning laws, and handle leasing arrangements. Successful CRE brokers tend to have a large network of connections, as their revenue is driven by commissions from the transactions they broker.
What Do CRE Brokers Do?
7 Types of Real Estate Brokers
A “broker” in any business relationship acts as a matchmaker between buyers and sellers. In the CRE space, the 7 types of CRE brokers include:
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Investment sales brokers
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Tenant representation brokers
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Landlord representation brokers
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CRE debt brokers
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CRE equity brokers
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CRE agency brokers
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CRE property insurance brokers
With Biscred, you’ll have access to everything from small brokerage firms to the largest commercial real estate brokers in the country:
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49,000+ CRE brokerage companies*
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522,859+ CRE brokerage professionals
4 Functions of CRE Brokers
1. Investment Sales
CRE investment sales brokers are firms (and individuals) that specialize in buying and selling commercial properties. They serve as intermediaries between property owners who want to sell and investors who want to buy. Investment brokers can provide support services throughout the transaction, such as due diligence, contract negotiations and marketing for properties.
Biscred’s database can connect you with 37,355 companies and 394,044 people whose CRE brokerage services include investment sales.
2. Tenant and Landlord Representation
Tenant brokers in CRE represent the renters’ or lessees’ best interests, while landlord brokers, as you may have guessed, represent the property owners’ best interests. Brokers who offer tenant representation help their clients (tenants and lessees) find commercial space, secure favorable lease terms, and navigate the leasing process. On the other side, landlord representation helps their clients (property owners) market their properties, find and vet prospective tenants, and negotiate leases.
Biscred’s database includes contact information for 25,830 companies and 317,853 people whose CRE brokerage firms offer tenant and/or landlord representation.
3. Debt Financing
Brokerage firms and individuals that arrange and facilitate debt financing for CRE transactions help property owners, developers, and investors secure loans or other forms of debt capital to fund real estate projects. The debt brokers' roles involve understanding the financial needs of their clients, connecting them with potential lenders, negotiating terms, and assisting in the structuring of financing arrangements.
Biscred’s database contains 2,482 firms and 66,603 people who offer debt brokerage services in commercial real estate.
4. Equity Financing
Equity brokers play a role in funding commercial real estate developments and acquisitions. Unlike debt brokers who arrange loans, equity brokers assist property owners, developers, and investors in securing equity capital, which involves selling ownership shares in the venture. Equity brokers connect CRE developers or property owners with potential investors, which can be individual investors, institutional investors, or private equity funds. The broker’s role involves understanding the financial requirements of the project, identifying suitable equity partners, negotiating terms, and structuring equity investment deals.
Biscred’s database contains 660 firms and 44,204 people who offer CRE equity investment brokerage services.
Data About CRE Brokers
Where Are CRE Brokers Concentrated?
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Midwest: 8,186 companies are headquartered in Midwest states
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Northeast: 9,371 companies are headquartered here
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Southeast: 14,344 companies are headquartered here
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Southwest: 6,388 companies are headquartered here
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West: 10,625 companies are headquartered here
What Asset Classes Are CRE Brokers In?
Biscred uses 24 asset classes for commercial real estate. The following asset classes have the highest concentration of CRE brokerage companies, listed from most to least:
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Multifamily: 31,212 companies
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Land: 25,868 companies
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Office: 19,482 companies
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Retail: 19,918 companies
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Industrial: 17,051 companies
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Hospitality: 12,949 companies
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Mixed use: 8,643 companies
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Healthcare: 7,052 companies
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Entertainment facilities: 2,764 companies
Examples of CRE Brokers in Biscred’s Database
Verity Commercial: Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Verity Commercial is a real estate investment firm, developer, and broker that offers brokerage services in five areas: tenant representation, landlord representation, investment sales, consulting and colocation (data centers). With Biscred, you’ll be able to connect with 50 professionals at Verity Commercial. Verity Commercial has asset experience in 11 Biscred categories: data centers, life sciences, mixed use, healthcare, industrial, multifamily, retail, hospitality, senior living, office and land.
ERES Companies: ERES Companies is a great example of how a brokerage firm’s services often overlap with other CRE services, including property management and general contracting. Biscred’s database includes 52 people contacts at 7 locations (including Florida, Texas and Colorado) for ERES brokers, who offer brokerage services in residential representation, tenant representation, debt and equity, and investment sales.
Tri State Commercial Realty: This New York-based commercial real estate firm offers broker services in investment sales, landlord and tenant representation, and debt financing. They’ve got 85 contacts in Biscred’s database, and they’ve got experience in several asset classes, including multifamily, land, industrial, healthcare, office, retail, education and hospitality.
FAQs About Commercial Real Estate Brokers
What’s the difference between a real estate broker and agent?
The difference between a commercial real estate broker and a commercial real estate agent mostly comes down to responsibilities and seniority. A real estate agent is the individual who organizes a real estate transaction between a buyer and a seller (or owner and lessee), drafting contracts and passing offers and counteroffers between the parties.
Most states require a real estate agent to work under a licensed real estate broker. A broker has obtained a license to operate independently, hiring real estate agents to handle multiple transactions and negotiations. A broker’s responsibilities may differ from state to state, but they may assess the value of a property, manage listed properties, or connect buyers and sellers to close sales.
In short, the difference between a CRE broker and a CRE agent is the broker has completed more education and training and passed a broker’s licensing exam, which allows them to employ agents; and agent must work under a licensed broker.
What's the difference between a commercial real estate broker and a residential real estate broker?
The difference between commercial real estate brokers and residential real estate brokers has to do with the asset classes they transact. A commercial real estate broker will handle the sale and leasing of commercial properties in the retail, industrial, or office asset class, for example. Residential real estate brokers handle properties like single-family homes or condos.
Multifamily is where the line blurs. While individual units are people’s homes, multifamily buildings — typically with five or more units — fall within commercial real estate classifications. Brokers would handle the sale of these multifamily properties, such as with the sale of an apartment complex to a real estate investment trust (REIT).
How can we identify brokers who specialize in specific asset classes?
Brokers may specialize in asset classes because of the nuanced laws and regulations surrounding that type of property, or because they simply chose to specialize in a certain type (life sciences, industrial, entertainment facilities, etc.). Biscred’s CRE-specific filters include 24 asset classes, so you can narrow your search to just brokers that handle a specific type of asset.
How do we track which brokers are active in our target markets?
To track the brokers active in a target market, you’ll need to access the transaction history of assets in a region or city. Biscred can help with this, as our platform is actively updated with new contacts and CRE companies in targeted regions and cities of the U.S.
Are CRE brokers typically involved in vendor selection for development projects?
CRE brokers don’t usually select the vendors for development projects; that responsibility is usually delegated to a general contractor or project manager on-site. These managers will likely have an established network of vendors that they work with, but it never hurts to introduce your business as an alternative. What a CRE broker can help with is site selection, land acquisition, and the early stages as a project begins.
See our guide on connecting with real estate developers, general contractors, and builders.
Can CRE brokers introduce us to developers or property owners?
Yes, CRE brokers can establish connections between you and a developer or property owner. Brokers who are experts in an asset class will have a history of successful transactions and with developers and property owners. A broker may also work with a property owner to understand their investment goals and be interested in connecting them with developers or other third parties that meet those goals.
How do CRE debt and equity brokers interact with lenders or capital providers?
CRE debt brokers work on behalf of borrowers to source financing and negotiate terms with lenders, comparing loan structures, rates, and terms to find the best fit for a deal. Equity brokers help clients raise capital from investors such as institutional funds, family offices, or high-net-worth individuals, drawing on market relationships to identify active capital sources and structure deals that attract them. Both require deep familiarity with CRE capital markets but operate on opposite sides of the capital stack.
Do debt brokers help coordinate financing or just make introductions?
Yes, debt brokers help coordinate financing for projects. A CRE debt broker is usually involved in comparing interest rates and loan terms of different lenders. Brokers also help find financing through their established networks.
Are brokers usually involved after the deal closes?
Sometimes a broker may stay involved with either the buyer or seller after a deal is closed as an advisor to either party, sometimes conducting research or evaluating a development plan for a flat fee, for example. A broker may also approach past clients in their network with new investment opportunities.
How do real estate brokers make money?
Real estate brokers are typically compensated through a commission on a completed sale, a fee based on leased square footage, or an agreed-upon flat fee. This structure aligns the broker's interests with the client's — brokers succeed when deals close, which motivates them to work efficiently and bring the right parties together. Like any professional working on commission, brokers are incentivized toward higher-value transactions, which is simply worth keeping in mind when discussing scope and priorities. Building long-term client relationships is also central to how brokers grow their business, meaning a good broker is invested in outcomes that lead to repeat work and referrals.
*Numbers reported here represent a snapshot in time. The Biscred database is updated regularly, which means we are adding, removing and changing contact information for firms continuously.
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