Most of the top commercial real estate brokerage firms grew their businesses in 2012, in comparison with 2011 volumes. When looking further back, total transaction volumes—which include the total value of all leasing and investment sales transactions each firm completed globally—are up dramatically from 2010.
But the pecking order remains the same. The top 10 shuffled a bit with the completion of last year’s merger of Newmark Knight Frank and Grubb & Ellis to create Newmark Grubb Knight Frank. That enabled the company to jump from sixth on last year’s list to fifth on this year’s. In fact, most firms’ positions in the top 25 were about the same as they were a year ago.
In that vein, CBRE Group leads the pack again. The firm reported a total volume of $189.50 billion in 2012, a 19.2 percent increase over 2011’s number of $159.00 billion. As a result, CBRE’s volume is nearly equal to the combined transaction volume of the next two firms on the list.
Jones Lang LaSalle retained the second position on the list. Its deal volume rose by just over $10 billion from 2011 to $108.91 billion, a 10.4 percent increase. The total value of its investment sales and leasing transactions was 62 percent higher than in 2010. Cushman & Wakefield remained third on our list, but its transaction level did not rise year over year. The firm brokered $88.40 billion in transactions in 2012 and $88.60 billion in 2011.
Colliers International again took the fourth slot with total investment sales and leasing transactions worth $71.20 billion in 2012, compared with $68.21 billion in 2011. The integrated Newmark Grubb Knight Frank finished fifth. The firm had $69.84 billion in deals in 2012, compared with the combined $64.35 billion that Newmark Knight Frank and Grubb & Ellis posted last year.
Studley also rose one spot in this year’s rankings based on its deal volume of $57.35 billion in 2012, compared with $48.91 billion in 2011, a 17.2 percent increase. Eastdil Secured also moved up based on $56.00 billion in volume, up from $46 billion in 2011. NAI Global, meanwhile, fell from fifth to eighth after posting $55.00 billion in deals in 2012—the same volume it posted in 2011. TCN Worldwide at $31.89 billion and DTZ (which did not participate last year) at $25.84 billion rounded out this year’s top 10. The addition of DTZ bumped Cassidy Turley out of its top 10 slot.
This ranking is based on responses to NREI’s Top Brokerage survey, which was conducted via email in February and March 2013. Brokers were asked to provide the total dollar value of leasing transactions and investment sales globally in 2012. The totals were combined to determine the company’s ranking.
To be ranked, firms filled out an online form that was distributed via email and publicized on our site and through our e-newsletters. Firms are ranked based on the total dollar value of leasing transactions and investment sales transactions globally in 2012.
If you have issues regarding the ranking or additions to it, please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected].
Click on a company name to view more details.
| 1 | CBRE Group | Los Angeles | $189,800,000,000 |
| 2 | Jones Lang LaSalle | Chicago | $108,912,000,000 |
| 3 | Cushman & Wakefield | New York | $88,400,000,000 |
| 4 | Colliers International | Seattle | $71,200,000,000 |
| 5 | Newmark Grubb Knight Frank | New York | $69,844,878,637 |
| 6 | Studley Inc. | New York | $57,000,000,000 |
| 7 | Eastdil Secured | New York | $56,000,000,000 |
| 8 | NAI Global | Princeton | $55,000,000,000 |
| 9 | TCN Worldwide | Plano | $31,891,963,267 |
| 10 | DTZ | Los Angeles | $25,842,431,724 |
| 11 | Cassidy Turley | Washington | $24,000,000,000 |
| 12 | Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services | Calabasas | $22,000,000,000 |
| 13 | CORE Network | Virginia Beach | $21,884,850,000 |
| 14 | HFF | Houston | $15,100,000,000 |
| 15 | ARA | Atlanta | $9,500,000,000 |
| 16 | Cresa | Boston | $7,800,000,000 |
| 17 | Lee & Associates | Irvine | $7,118,337,118 |
| 18 | RE/MAX Commercial | Denver | $7,050,000,000 |
| 19 | Avison Young | Chicago | $6,830,758,702 |
| 20 | Coldwell Banker Commercial | Parsippany | $6,778,399,911 |
| 21 | Sperry Van Ness International | Irvine | $6,740,511,079 |
| 22 | Transwestern | Houston | $6,224,129,854 |
| 23 | Corporate Facility Advisors (CORFAC International) | Falls Church | $5,517,184,034 |
| 24 | KW Commercial | Austin | $3,451,000,000 |
| 25 | Kidder Mathews | Seattle | $2,516,946,577 |
| 26 | Massey Knakal Realty Services | New York | $2,492,561,299 |
| 27 | SRS Real Estate Partners | Dallas | $1,354,943,268 |
| 28 | MB Real Estate | Chicago | $441,457,956 |
| 29 | Metro Commercial Real Estate | Mount Laurel | $438,368,699 |
| 30 | Henry S. Miller Brokerage | DALLAS | $320,000,000 |
| 31 | Senior Living Investment Brokerage | Glen Ellyn | $303,945,000 |
| 32 | Sunstone Manufactured Housing Consultants | Grapevine | $157,686,915 |
| 33 | Kalmon Dolgin Affilialtes | Brooklyn | $156,500,000 |
| 34 | Thornton Oliver Keller Commercial Real Estate | Boise | $148,600,000 |
| 35 | CORE Partners | Birmingham | $49,955,612 |
| 36 | MG Commercial Real Estate | Providence | $44,900,000 |
| 37 | Jameson & Co. | Downers Grove | $14,080,000 |
| 38 | Marques Properties LLC | Elizabeth | $2,300,000 |
| 39 | Hunter Hotel Advisors | Atlanta | |
| 40 | Miller Realty Associates | Tyler | |
| 41 | Ryan Hill Realty | Naperville |