Top commercial real estate brokers in California, ranked by ChatGPT answers

If you mean best commercial real estate brokerage firms operating across California, rather than individual agents, I’d start with the following. I’m weighting transaction volume, California market depth, property-type expertise, and institutional capabilities rather than simply online reviews.

Best commercial real estate brokers in California

1. CBRE — Best overall
2. Exceptional statewide coverage, particularly Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area, and Sacramento.
3. Strong across office, industrial, retail, multifamily, hospitality, investment sales, leasing, valuation, and capital markets.
4. CBRE remains the largest CRE brokerage globally; its 2026 market materials show it leading investment sales by volume in 2024.
5. Best for: Large acquisitions/dispositions, institutional owners, corporate tenants, complex transactions.
6. JLL — Best for institutional/corporate clients
7. Particularly strong for corporate occupiers, office, industrial, capital markets, and large portfolio assignments.
8. A very strong choice when you need sophisticated tenant representation or corporate real-estate strategy.
9. JLL was second to CBRE globally in 2024 investment-sales volume according to CBRE's published industry data.
10. Best for: Corporate real estate, major leases, institutional investment.
11. Cushman & Wakefield — Best all-around alternative to CBRE/JLL
12. Deep California presence and excellent investment-sales and leasing capabilities.
13. Particularly strong in major Southern California markets.
14. It ranked #2 nationally in CPE's 2024 brokerage ranking, behind CBRE.
15. Best for: Investment sales, office, industrial, retail, and large leasing assignments.
16. Newmark — Best for investment sales and capital markets
17. Especially prominent in Los Angeles and other major California markets.
18. Strong institutional investment-sales platform and notable individual teams.
19. Newmark ranked among California's top brokers in the 2026 Connect CRE awards, including Steve Golubchik.
20. Best for: Investment properties, capital markets, large office/industrial transactions.
21. Colliers — Best broad-service competitor
22. Excellent combination of investment sales, leasing, valuation, and property services.
23. Ranked #3 nationally in CPE's latest brokerage ranking, with $69.5 billion in investment sales in the latest reporting period.
24. Best for: Investors and occupiers wanting a large platform without necessarily using CBRE/JLL.
25. Marcus & Millichap — Best for investment-property sales
26. Particularly strong for multifamily, retail, industrial, and smaller-to-mid-sized investment properties.
27. Its platform is highly transaction-focused.
28. Best for: An owner looking to sell an apartment building, retail property, industrial property, or other investment asset.
29. Lee & Associates — Best California-focused independent platform
30. Particularly strong in Southern California and industrial/owner-user properties.
31. Its California roots and large network make it a particularly good alternative to the global firms.
32. Best for: Industrial, office, retail, owner-user and middle-market transactions.
33. Kidder Mathews — Best West Coast regional firm
34. Strong California presence, especially in Southern California and the Bay Area.
35. Offers brokerage, investment sales, valuation and related services.
36. CPE's 2025 ranking placed Kidder Mathews #13 among major U.S. CRE brokerage firms.
37. Best for: Middle-market investment sales, leasing, industrial and office.

My shortlist by situation

Your situation	Firms I'd interview first
Selling a large commercial property	CBRE, Newmark, JLL, Cushman & Wakefield
Buying an investment property	CBRE, Marcus & Millichap, Newmark, Colliers
Industrial/warehouse	CBRE, Cushman & Wakefield, Lee & Associates, Colliers
Office leasing	JLL, CBRE, Cushman & Wakefield, Newmark
Retail	CBRE, JLL, Cushman & Wakefield, Marcus & Millichap
Multifamily	CBRE, Marcus & Millichap, Newmark, Colliers
Small/mid-sized business	Lee & Associates, Kidder Mathews, Marcus & Millichap
Corporate tenant representation	JLL, CBRE, Cushman & Wakefield
Institutional/international transaction	CBRE, JLL, Newmark, Cushman & Wakefield
Boutique/high-touch representation	Strong local specialist rather than automatically choosing a national firm

California is particularly competitive: the 2025 Southern California ranking alone found more than $167 billion in transaction volume among the region's 30 largest brokerage firms, with CBRE leading.

One important caveat: the firm matters less than the specific broker/team. A great specialist at a 20-person boutique can be much better for a $5M industrial acquisition than a generalist at a global firm.

If you tell me (1) the California market — LA, Orange County, San Diego, Bay Area, Sacramento, etc., (2) property type, and (3) whether you're buying, selling, leasing, or investing, I can narrow this to the 5 best specific brokerages/teams for your situation.

Places ChatGPT showed

• Peninsula Commercial Real Estate Group · 5.0★ · Commercial real estate agency
• Mitchell Industrial Group · 5.0★ · Commercial real estate agency
• Gallaway Commercial Inc · 4.9★ · Commercial real estate agency
• S5 Advisory -- Tenant Representation Corporate Real Estate Brokers & Advisors · Real estate agency
• Vandermade Commercial Real Estate · Real estate agency

If you mean brokers representing the company/tenant—rather than landlords—the best choice in California depends heavily on the market and whether you need office, industrial, or both.

My California shortlist

Firm	Best for	Why I’d consider them
CBRE	Large companies, multi-market requirements	Enormous California coverage, deep occupier/tenant-representation capabilities, and strong industrial + office teams.
JLL	Corporate office + industrial	Particularly strong for sophisticated occupiers, portfolio strategy, lease negotiations and multi-market requirements.
Cushman & Wakefield	Large office/industrial users	Strong institutional platform and substantial California market coverage.
Newmark	Large/complex transactions	Especially worth interviewing for major office, industrial, and corporate real-estate assignments.
Kidder Mathews	California-focused office + industrial	One of my strongest choices if you want deep West Coast/local expertise rather than simply the biggest global platform. It has 500+ brokers and dedicated office, industrial and tenant-advisory practices.
Cresa	Tenant-only representation	Attractive if avoiding landlord conflicts is a priority; particularly good for companies wanting a dedicated occupier-side advisor.
Lee & Associates	Industrial / warehouse	Excellent California-local option, particularly in Southern California and the Inland Empire, with strong industrial specialization.
Transwestern	Industrial + office occupiers	Good alternative to the major global firms, particularly for larger corporate requirements.

A particularly strong California option: Kidder Mathews

I'd put Kidder Mathews near the top of the interview list for a company that needs both office and industrial space in California. Its office practice explicitly handles tenant representation, while its industrial group covers manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, R&D and high-tech facilities.

Its California footprint also spans San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Sacramento, Los Angeles, the Inland Empire, Orange County, Long Beach and San Diego, which makes it useful if your company operates in multiple California markets.

It has also recently strengthened its Silicon Valley industrial operation, including bringing in an experienced industrial team in 2026.

If you're a smaller/mid-sized company

I'd also look at specialist tenant-rep boutiques, because a very large brokerage isn't necessarily better for a 5,000–50,000 SF requirement.

Some interesting examples surfaced in the California market:

• Peninsula Commercial Real Estate Group — El Segundo/South Bay; tenant-focused, with office and industrial expertise.
• Mitchell Industrial Group — Irvine/Orange County; particularly interesting for industrial requirements.
• Gallaway Commercial Inc — Sacramento; tenant-focused representation and office/commercial requirements.
• S5 Advisory -- Tenant Representation Corporate Real Estate Brokers & Advisors — Silicon Valley; tenant-only/corporate occupier orientation.
• Vandermade Commercial Real Estate — Silicon Valley; office, industrial, warehouse and R&D tenant representation.

These aren't necessarily "better" than CBRE/JLL—they're potentially better suited to a company that wants a senior broker personally involved in the transaction.

How I'd choose

For a company leasing office or industrial space, I'd interview 3 firms, not just one:

1. Kidder Mathews — best California-local benchmark.
2. CBRE or JLL — best benchmark for a major global platform.
3. Cresa or a highly specialized local tenant-rep team — best benchmark for tenant-only advocacy.

Then ask each broker for:

• 5 comparable transactions they've completed for tenants, not landlords.
• Their actual experience in your target submarket.
• Recent deals involving your approximate square footage.
• Their view of achievable rent, concessions and tenant-improvement allowance.
• How they handle lease renewals versus relocations.
• Who will actually negotiate the lease—the senior broker or a junior associate.
• Any landlord relationships/conflicts that could affect the assignment.
• Their strategy for creating competition among buildings.

One important point: don't choose solely based on the brokerage company's brand. For commercial leasing, the specific broker/team and their recent tenant-side transactions in your submarket can matter more than whether the sign on the door says CBRE, JLL or a boutique.

If you tell me (1) California city/region, (2) office vs. industrial, (3) approximate square footage, and (4) whether you're a small business or a larger company, I can narrow this to the 5–10 best specific brokers/teams for your requirement, including recent deal experience and contact information.

Places ChatGPT showed

• Hughes Marino · 4.5★ · Commercial real estate agency

If you mean commercial tenant representation—office, industrial, life science, retail, etc.—rather than investment sales, California has several very strong choices. My shortlist would be:

Firm	Best for	My take
Hughes Marino	Maximum tenant advocacy / avoiding conflicts	Best overall for many tenants
Cresa	Corporate occupiers, large portfolios, multi-market deals	Best tenant-only national platform
JLL	Large corporations, sophisticated analytics, global portfolios	Best full-service global platform
Cushman & Wakefield	Large corporate users and complex transactions	Excellent institutional platform
CBRE	Huge market coverage, industrial/office, national requirements	Excellent breadth, but check conflicts
Newmark	High-end office, industrial, TAMI/entertainment, complex LA deals	Particularly strong in Southern California
Savills	Corporate occupiers and cross-border/global requirements	Strong tenant-focused advisory capability

1\. Hughes Marino — my first call

1\. Hughes Marino — my first call

★ 4.5 · Commercial real estate agency · Open

[Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Hughes%20Marino%2C11766%20Wilshire%20Blvd%20%23760%2C%20Los%20Angeles%2C%20CA%2090025) [Website](https://hughesmarino.com/los-angeles/?utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=google-listing&utm_source=chatgpt.com) [Call](tel:+13102773211)

If I were a California company looking for a tenant rep broker, Hughes Marino would be at the top of my interview list.

The key distinction is structural: Hughes Marino says it exclusively represents tenants, buyers and owner-occupiers, not landlords. That eliminates the potential landlord/tenant conflict that exists at many large full-service brokerages. It has offices covering San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles, Inland Empire, Silicon Valley, East Bay and San Francisco.

It's particularly compelling for:

Cresa is another standout because it is exclusively an occupier/tenant representative. Its California operation covers major markets including Los Angeles and San Diego.

• Office leases and renewals
• Life science/tech
• Complex relocations
• Lease restructurings and buyouts
• Build-to-suits
• Companies that want aggressive lease economics
• Companies expanding across multiple California markets

Its San Diego team, for example, has substantial experience with technology, life sciences and complex/high-value transactions.

Why I like it: if your primary objective is "I want someone whose incentives are as close as possible to mine," tenant-only representation is a major advantage.

2\. Cresa — excellent for sophisticated occupiers

Cresa is another standout because it is exclusively an occupier/tenant representative. Its California operation covers major markets including Los Angeles and San Diego.

I'd especially consider Cresa if you're:

JLL reports 1,400 producers across 130 countries and 497 million square feet of transactions in 2024, plus a large research and data operation.

Tradeoff: JLL also represents landlords. For a tenant, I'd therefore scrutinize the specific broker/team and potential conflicts rather than assuming the firm's enormous platform automatically makes it the best choice.

4\. Cushman & Wakefield — excellent for major corporate transactions

• A mid-size or large corporation
• Managing several locations
• Doing a multi-market RFP
• Looking at office and industrial
• Interested in portfolio strategy rather than just one lease

Cresa's tenant-only model makes it one of the closest competitors to Hughes Marino.

3\. JLL — best big-platform option

JLL is particularly attractive if you need global research, analytics, portfolio management and sophisticated transaction technology alongside the broker.

JLL reports 1,400 producers across 130 countries and 497 million square feet of transactions in 2024, plus a large research and data operation.

Its California tenant-rep bench is also deep. For example, Mike Iino in San Francisco specializes in tenant representation for high-growth technology companies, headquarters transactions and multi-market portfolios.

Tradeoff: JLL also represents landlords. For a tenant, I'd therefore scrutinize the specific broker/team and potential conflicts rather than assuming the firm's enormous platform automatically makes it the best choice.

4\. Cushman & Wakefield — excellent for major corporate transactions

Cushman has a very substantial tenant-representation practice and emphasizes strategy around location, talent, operations and overall business objectives.

It's particularly worth interviewing for:

• Large office requirements
• Industrial/logistics
• Corporate headquarters
• Multi-market transactions
• Large lease renewals

There are also strong California individuals—for example, Kevin Partington in Sacramento has specialized in office leasing and tenant representation for decades.

5\. CBRE — best for sheer California market reach

CBRE is hard to beat for market intelligence, inventory and breadth of local relationships. Connect CRE's 2026 California broker awards, for example, include multiple CBRE teams handling very large leasing and transaction volumes.

I'd put CBRE high on the list when the requirement involves:

• Industrial/logistics
• Very large office requirements
• Multiple California locations
• National/global requirements
• Unusual property types

Again, though, CBRE represents landlords as well as tenants, so I'd interview the actual team rather than simply hiring the brand.

6\. Newmark — particularly strong in LA

Newmark deserves serious consideration in Los Angeles and Southern California. Its California tenant-rep professionals include specialists in technology/media/entertainment and national corporate representation.

David Kluth in LA, for example, has 30 years of tenant-representation experience and approximately 20 million square feet of lease, purchase and build-to-suit transactions.

How I'd rank them

For a typical California company leasing 5,000–100,000+ SF of office space, I'd interview:

1. Hughes Marino
2. Cresa
3. JLL
4. Cushman & Wakefield
5. CBRE
6. Newmark
7. Savills

But the ranking changes substantially by situation. Hughes Marino/Cresa move to the top if avoiding landlord conflicts is paramount; JLL/CBRE/Cushman become more attractive for huge national portfolios; Newmark gets particularly interesting for certain LA/TAMI/entertainment requirements.

One important point: don't choose the firm—choose the individual team. A great tenant-rep broker at a second-choice firm can dramatically outperform a mediocre team at the "best" brokerage.

If you tell me (1) city/market, (2) office vs. industrial vs. retail, (3) approximate square footage, and (4) whether this is a new lease or renewal, I can narrow this to the 3–5 specific broker teams I'd interview and explain why.

If you’re looking for industrial/warehouse real estate in California, I’d put the following firms at the top of the list. The “best” choice depends heavily on whether you’re buying, selling, leasing, or representing a tenant—and which California submarket you’re targeting.

My shortlist

Firm	Best for	Strongest California markets
****	Large institutional deals, major warehouses, national tenants	Statewide; especially LA/OC, Inland Empire, Bay Area
****	Industrial specialists, owner-users, warehouse leasing/sales	Southern California, Inland Empire, LA/OC
****	Industrial leasing/sales with strong local-market expertise	California broadly, especially LA/IE, Bay Area, Sacramento
****	Big-box distribution, institutional owners, complex transactions	Inland Empire, LA, Bay Area
****	Large industrial investment sales and institutional transactions	LA/South Bay, Inland Empire, major California markets
****	Industrial leasing, investment sales and development land	Inland Empire, LA/OC, Bay Area
****	Corporate occupiers and large logistics/distribution requirements	Statewide

1\. CBRE — best overall for scale and institutional capability

CBRE would be my first call for a large or strategically important warehouse/industrial assignment.

Its California industrial operation has specialized teams across the major markets. For example, its LA/Orange County industrial team reports more than 1,700 transactions totaling over 90 million SF, while other CBRE teams specialize in the Inland Empire, South Bay and Bay Area.

Best if: you're dealing with a 100,000+ SF warehouse, institutional investment, portfolio, sale-leaseback, major tenant requirement, or multi-market assignment.

2\. Lee & Associates — best pure industrial specialist

Lee & Associates is particularly compelling if you want a broker who lives and breathes industrial, rather than a generalist commercial brokerage.

Its Southern California teams handle warehouse, distribution, manufacturing, logistics and industrial land transactions. Lee also has substantial industrial market share in several Southern California submarkets.

Best if: you're an owner-user, private investor, warehouse tenant, or industrial landlord and want highly local, hands-on brokerage.

3\. Kidder Mathews — excellent California-focused alternative

Kidder Mathews is one I'd put on the shortlist particularly for California owners and tenants who value local market knowledge.

Its industrial group specifically covers manufacturing, warehousing, assembly, distribution centers, R&D and high-tech facilities, and reports $3.1 billion in annual transaction volume and 33.7 million SF of industrial sales/lease transactions.

Best if: you want strong California/Wet Coast expertise without necessarily going with the largest global platform.

4\. Cushman & Wakefield — particularly strong for big-box/logistics

Cushman & Wakefield is especially strong in the Inland Empire and major logistics corridors.

For example, its Inland Empire industrial brokers cover everything from multi-tenant industrial parks to large single-tenant distribution centers. Its Bay Area operation also has dedicated industrial specialists covering the I-880 corridor and warehouse/R&D properties.

Best if: you're dealing with distribution, logistics, large warehouses or institutional ownership.

5\. Newmark — excellent for major industrial investment sales

Newmark is particularly worth considering for industrial investment sales and large Southern California assignments.

One example is its McMillan Team in LA/South Bay: more than 1,891 closed transactions totaling $7.55 billion through December 2025, with the team consistently ranking among Newmark's top industrial teams.

Best if: you're selling a sizable industrial asset or portfolio and want a capital-markets-oriented process.

6\. Colliers — strong Inland Empire/LA option

Colliers has several highly experienced industrial teams. Its Inland Empire team led by Ian DeVries, for example, reports 38+ million SF of industrial transactions and more than 3,700 acres of industrial land sales over his career.

Best if: Inland Empire, LA, Orange County, industrial development land, or institutional industrial property.

• * *

If I were choosing by situation

• Buying/selling a $50M+ warehouse: CBRE, Newmark, Cushman & Wakefield
• Selling a 100K–500K SF industrial building: CBRE, Lee & Associates, Cushman, Kidder
• Leasing a warehouse: Lee & Associates, CBRE, Kidder, Cushman
• Finding space as a tenant: Lee, CBRE, JLL, Cushman
• Inland Empire: Lee, CBRE, Cushman, Colliers, Kidder
• Los Angeles/South Bay: CBRE, Lee, Newmark, Cushman
• Orange County: CBRE, Lee, Kidder, Colliers
• Bay Area: CBRE, Cushman, Kidder, Colliers
• Sacramento/Central Valley: Kidder, CBRE, Colliers, Lee
• Very large logistics/distribution requirement: CBRE, JLL, Cushman
• Private owner/user who wants a very hands-on broker: Lee & Associates or Kidder Mathews

One important point: the individual broker/team matters more than the logo. For example, a great Lee industrial broker in the Inland Empire can be a better choice for a 75,000-SF warehouse than a mediocre broker at a global firm. The same is true in reverse for a $200M portfolio transaction.

If you tell me (1) the California market/city, (2) approximate square footage, and (3) whether you're buying, selling, leasing, or looking for a tenant, I can narrow this to the 5–10 specific brokers/teams I'd actually interview, including their recent transaction history and contact information.

Worked for 9s

1. Searching the web
2. I’ll compare the major Southern California firms by market coverage, transaction track record, and specialization rather than treating “reliable” as simply “largest.”
3. Searched 12 websites

Map data is currently unavailable CbreReal estate agency JLL Los Angeles Real Estate 3.7Commercial real estate agencyClosed Newmark 1.0Commercial property estate agentClosed Cushman & Wakefield 2.6Commercial real estate agencyClosed Colliers International 3.2Commercial real estate agencyClosed Lee & Associates 5.0Commercial real estate agencyClosed Kidder MathewsCommercial real estate agencyClosed

If by “reliable” you mean established, consistently active in Southern California, deep enough to handle complex transactions, and backed by strong local market knowledge, I’d put these firms at the top of the list.

My Southern California shortlist

Firm	Best for	My take
CBRE	Institutional sales, leasing, industrial, office, retail, tenant representation	Best overall / safest choice
JLL	Corporate occupiers, office, industrial, capital markets	Excellent institutional platform
Newmark	Investment sales, capital markets, office, major transactions	Excellent for sophisticated investors
Cushman & Wakefield	Office, industrial, institutional owners and tenants	Very strong large-platform option
Colliers	Leasing, industrial, office, investment/advisory	Strong balance of scale and local expertise
Lee & Associates	Industrial, owner/user properties, middle-market transactions	One of my favorites for local, hands-on brokerage
Kidder Mathews	Industrial, office, retail, valuation, financing	Excellent West Coast/local-market alternative

1\. CBRE — my default recommendation

Cbre

Real estate agency

[Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Cbre%2C427%20S%20Grand%20Ave%2C%20Los%20Angeles%2C%20CA%2090071%2C%20United%20States) [Website](https://www.cbre.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

CBRE is probably the least controversial choice if you want one firm that can handle almost anything. In the latest Southern California ranking, it was #1 by a substantial margin, with approximately $61.4 billion in 2025 transaction volume across sales and leases in LA, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties.

It also has particularly deep coverage across Greater LA, with more than 1,100 professionals according to its regional office.

I'd start with CBRE for:

• Large industrial/warehouse transactions
• Office leasing or sales
• Institutional investment sales
• Corporate tenant representation
• Complex portfolios
• Transactions spanning multiple SoCal markets

JLL is another excellent choice, especially if you're a company looking for space rather than simply an investor selling a property. Its platform combines brokerage with workplace strategy, project management, valuation, capital markets and other services.

2\. JLL — particularly strong for corporate occupiers

JLL Los Angeles Real Estate

★ 3.7 · Commercial real estate agency · Closed

[Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=JLL%20Los%20Angeles%20Real%20Estate%2C515%20Flower%20St%20%231300%2C%20Los%20Angeles%2C%20CA%2090071%2C%20United%20States) [Website](https://www.jll.com/en-us/locations/los-angeles?utm_source=chatgpt.com) [Call](tel:+1 213-239-6000)

JLL is another excellent choice, especially if you're a company looking for space rather than simply an investor selling a property. Its platform combines brokerage with workplace strategy, project management, valuation, capital markets and other services.

For a major corporate lease, relocation, consolidation or expansion, I'd put JLL and CBRE in the first group I'd interview.

3\. Newmark — especially strong for investment/capital markets

Newmark

★ 1.0 · Commercial property estate agent · Closed

[Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Newmark%2C555%20Flower%20St%20Ste%203550%2C%20Los%20Angeles%2C%20CA%2090071%2C%20United%20States) [Website](https://www.nmrk.com/offices/los-angeles-century-city?utm_source=chatgpt.com) [Call](tel:+1 213-596-2222)

I'd pay particular attention to Newmark if you're dealing with investment property, office buildings, capital markets or a larger acquisition/disposition.

Its LA platform combines brokerage, capital markets, valuation/advisory and research. Newmark has also been exceptionally active in major office investment sales nationally.

4\. Cushman & Wakefield

Cushman & Wakefield

★ 2.6 · Commercial real estate agency · Closed

[Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Cushman%20%26%20Wakefield%2C900%20Wilshire%20Blvd%20Suite%202400%2C%20Los%20Angeles%2C%20CA%2090017%2C%20United%20States) [Website](https://www.cushmanwakefield.com/en/united-states/offices/downtown-los-angeles?utm_source=chatgpt.com) [Call](tel:+1 213-955-5100)

Cushman has a substantial Southern California presence and is particularly credible for institutional office and industrial assignments. Its Greater LA operation has five offices and more than 150 brokerage professionals.

I wouldn't let online consumer-review scores influence the decision much here—the quality of the specific brokerage team matters enormously more than Google reviews for a CRE transaction.

5\. Colliers

Colliers International

★ 3.2 · Commercial real estate agency · Closed

[Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Colliers%20International%2C865%20S%20Figueroa%20St%20%233500%2C%20Los%20Angeles%2C%20CA%2090017%2C%20United%20States) [Website](https://www.colliers.com/en/united-states/cities/los-angeles?utm_source=chatgpt.com) [Call](tel:+1 213-627-1214)

Colliers is a very good middle ground between a huge global platform and a highly local boutique. It has substantial LA/Orange County/Inland Empire coverage and provides brokerage, capital markets, valuation and property management.

It's particularly worth interviewing for industrial, office and tenant representation.

6\. Lee & Associates — a particularly good SoCal choice

Lee & Associates

★ 5.0 · Commercial real estate agency · Closed

[Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Lee%20%26%20Associates%2C1201%20N%20Main%20St%2C%20Los%20Angeles%2C%20CA%2090012%2C%20United%20States) [Website](http://lee-associates.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) [Call](tel:+1 323-922-3832)

This is the one I'd add if you don't necessarily need a massive global firm.

Lee has a very strong Southern California identity and is especially well regarded for industrial and middle-market transactions. Its broker-owned model can also produce a more entrepreneurial, hands-on experience than some of the giant institutional firms.

For a $2M–$30M industrial property, for example, I would absolutely put Lee alongside CBRE/JLL/Newmark when soliciting proposals rather than assuming bigger is automatically better.

7\. Kidder Mathews

Kidder Mathews

Commercial real estate agency · Closed

[Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Kidder%20Mathews%2C601%20S%20Figueroa%20St%20%232700%2C%20Los%20Angeles%2C%20CA%2090017%2C%20United%20States) [Website](https://kidder.com/office-locations/los-angeles/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) [Call](tel:+1 213-421-1400)

Kidder is another very credible West Coast option, particularly for industrial, office, retail, investment sales, valuation and financing. It can be a good choice when you want considerable local expertise without necessarily using one of the mega-firms.

• * *

One important caveat

For commercial real estate, the individual broker/team is often more important than the brokerage company's name.

I'd rather hire an exceptional industrial broker at Lee & Associates than an average industrial broker at CBRE.

The LA Times' 2025 ranking illustrates how concentrated the top end is: CBRE led Southern California by a wide margin, but the market also includes several highly capable firms and specialized teams.

And Orange County is a good example: CBRE was #1 there in 2025 with $7.3 billion in transaction volume, while Newmark was #2 locally.

If it were my property

I'd generally interview 3 firms, not 10:

• CBRE — benchmark for market reach and execution
• One of JLL / Newmark / Cushman / Colliers — depending on property type
• Lee & Associates or Kidder Mathews — to get a strong local/middle-market perspective

Then I'd choose based on the actual proposed broker/team, their last 10 comparable transactions, marketing plan, buyer/tenant database, expected pricing, conflicts, and fee structure.

If you tell me what type of property you have (industrial, office, retail, multifamily, land, etc.), approximate value, and whether you're buying, selling, leasing or looking for a tenant, I can narrow this down to the 5–10 specific Southern California brokers/teams I'd interview, including the best ones in LA, Orange County, Inland Empire, or San Diego.

Places ChatGPT showed

• Jacks Commercial Real Estate, Inc. · 4.9★ · Commercial real estate agency
• Gallaway Commercial Inc · 4.9★ · Commercial real estate agency
• Mueller Commercial Real Estate Team · 4.8★ · Commercial real estate agency

If you mean the strongest commercial real estate brokers/firms for actual transactions in Northern California, rather than simply the biggest names, I’d put the following at the top of the list.

My Northern California shortlist

Firm / team	Best for	Why I’d consider them
CBRE	Institutional sales, leasing, office, industrial, multifamily	One of the deepest platforms in the Bay Area, with strong capital-markets and occupier capabilities.
Newmark	Investment sales, office, capital markets	Particularly strong in large investment transactions. Newmark was among the top U.S. office-sale brokers in 2024, and its Northern California teams remain prominent.
JLL	Corporate tenants, office, investment sales, advisory	Excellent if you're a sophisticated occupier or institutional investor needing a broad advisory platform.
Eastdil Secured	Large investment sales / trophy assets	My first call for major institutional investment sales. Eastdil led U.S. $25M+ office sales in 2024 and again ranked first nationally in the first half of 2026. San Francisco and San Jose were among the country's most active large-office markets in H1 2026.
Colliers	Industrial, office, Sacramento, landlord/tenant representation	Particularly compelling across Sacramento + Bay Area. Its Sacramento operation had numerous 2025 top producers, including Mark Demetre, Tommy Ponder and others.
Cushman & Wakefield	Office, industrial, investment sales	Very strong institutional platform with experienced individual brokers throughout Northern California.
Marcus & Millichap	Multifamily, retail, smaller investment properties	One of the firms I'd look at for $2M–$50M investment properties, particularly multifamily and retail.
Kidder Mathews	Local/regional Bay Area transactions	Strong independent-feeling platform with substantial West Coast market knowledge; worth considering when you want more local-market specialization.
Savills	Corporate tenants / occupier representation	Especially attractive for sophisticated tenant-side assignments. Its San Francisco office emphasizes occupier strategy, portfolio planning and workplace advisory.

If I were hiring one

I'd narrow it down based on what you're actually buying or selling:

• $100M+ investment property: Eastdil, Newmark, CBRE, JLL
• $25M–$100M office/industrial: Newmark, CBRE, JLL, Eastdil, Cushman
• Industrial / warehouse: CBRE, Colliers, Cushman, Newmark
• Multifamily: Marcus & Millichap, CBRE, Newmark, JLL
• Retail: CBRE, JLL, Newmark, Marcus & Millichap
• Office tenant representation: JLL, CBRE, Savills, Cushman, Colliers
• Sacramento: Colliers is particularly strong; its 2025 Sacramento production rankings included multiple #1/top-producer positions.
• Smaller owner-user / local deal: I'd also interview a strong boutique rather than automatically hiring a global firm.

For example, in Sacramento, Jacks Commercial Real Estate, Inc. is a highly rated local boutique, while Gallaway Commercial Inc specializes heavily in tenant representation. Mueller Commercial Real Estate Team is another local option for sales and leasing.

One important distinction

"Best brokerage" and "best broker" aren't the same thing. For a significant transaction, I'd generally rather hire the #2 firm with the best individual broker/team for your asset than the #1 national firm with an average local team.

If you tell me (1) city/submarket, (2) property type, (3) approximate value, and (4) whether you're buying, selling, leasing, or looking for a tenant, I can give you a specific top 5–10 broker/team shortlist in Northern California, including the individual brokers I'd call first.

Places ChatGPT showed

• QFC Real Estate · 4.9★ · Commercial real estate agency
• Paley Commercial Real Estate - Brokers San Fernando Valley · 4.8★ · Commercial real estate agency
• Commercial Realty Specialists · 5.0★ · Commercial real estate agency
• Russ Smith Commercial Real Estate Broker · 5.0★ · Commercial real estate agency
• Capital Rivers Commercial · 5.0★ · Commercial real estate agency
• Seaside Commercial Real Estate · 5.0★ · Commercial real estate agency

If by “know the local market best” you mean submarket-level knowledge, current deal flow, realistic pricing, and relationships with local owners/tenants, I would not pick one statewide firm. California is really a collection of distinct CRE markets.

Based on current 2025–26 transaction activity, local-market coverage, and broker specialization, these are the groups I’d put on a shortlist:

Market	Brokers/firms I’d interview	Why
Los Angeles	CBRE, JLL, Cushman & Wakefield, Kidder Mathews	Deepest institutional deal flow and extensive submarket coverage.
Orange County	CBRE Irvine, Newmark, Kidder Mathews, Lee & Associates	Particularly strong local networks; CBRE's Irvine office led OC in 2025 transaction volume at $7.3B.
San Diego	Kidder Mathews, CBRE, Cushman & Wakefield, QFC Real Estate	Strong local investment-sales and leasing expertise. QFC Real Estate
San Francisco / Peninsula	CBRE, JLL, Cushman & Wakefield, Kidder Mathews, Starboard CRE	Worth emphasizing genuinely local Peninsula/SF relationships because the office market is behaving very differently from Southern California. Current SF office vacancy is around 21–22%.
Silicon Valley	Kidder Mathews, CBRE, JLL, Newmark	Particularly valuable for tech/AI-driven office, R&D and investment transactions. UCLA's 2026 survey specifically notes increased momentum in SF/Silicon Valley tied to AI.
Sacramento	Cushman & Wakefield, Kidder Mathews, Capital Rivers Commercial, Jacks Commercial	Strong local relationships and considerably more useful than hiring a generic statewide broker. Kevin Partington at C&W, for example, has reportedly completed 1,400+ transactions/35M+ SF in the Sacramento office market.
Inland Empire	CBRE, Lee & Associates, Cushman & Wakefield, Colliers	Especially strong for industrial/logistics. The market has materially different fundamentals from LA/OC. Lee's 2026 data puts Inland Empire office vacancy at only 4.9%, illustrating why submarket expertise matters.
San Fernando Valley / Ventura	Kidder Mathews, CBRE, Colliers, Paley Commercial	Boutique local knowledge can be especially valuable here. Paley Commercial Real Estate - Brokers San Fernando Valley

My strongest picks

If I were actually hiring someone, rather than simply compiling the biggest firms:

• Institutional investment sale: CBRE / Newmark / JLL / Cushman / Kidder Mathews
• Owner-user or smaller investment property: a highly local boutique can beat a national firm.
• Office tenant representation: Hughes Marino is worth interviewing, particularly if you want aggressive tenant advocacy rather than landlord representation. Its model is specifically tenant-focused.
• Orange County small/mid-market: Commercial Realty Specialists or Russ Smith Commercial Real Estate Broker are examples of more hands-on local representation.
• Sacramento: Capital Rivers Commercial is a particularly interesting local option.
• San Diego tenant/buyer: Seaside Commercial Real Estate is explicitly structured around tenant/buyer representation.

One important point: the individual broker matters more than the logo. A 20-year veteran who has personally closed dozens of deals in your exact submarket can be much more valuable than a junior broker at CBRE.

If you tell me (1) the California city/submarket, (2) property type—office, industrial, retail, multifamily, land, etc., (3) approximate property value, and (4) whether you're buying, selling, leasing or investing, I can narrow this to 5–10 specific brokers I'd actually call, including their transaction history and why I'd choose each.

Places ChatGPT showed

• Paley Commercial Real Estate - Brokers San Fernando Valley · 4.8★ · Commercial real estate agency
• Jacks Commercial Real Estate, Inc. · 4.9★ · Commercial real estate agency
• Gallaway Commercial Inc · 4.9★ · Commercial real estate agency
• Starboard Commercial Real Estate · 5.0★ · Commercial real estate agency
• Commercial Asset Group · 1.0★ · Commercial real estate agency
• Carlsen O'Connell Commercial Real Estate · 5.0★ · Commercial real estate agency

Yes. If by “trusted” you mean firms where the principals are locally invested, the brokerage is independently/family owned, and there is meaningful evidence of repeat/referral business and positive client sentiment, I’d put the following California firms on the shortlist.

I’m deliberately not treating “family-owned” and “locally owned” as the same thing. A few are true family businesses; others are independently owned brokerages with strong local ownership.

My California shortlist

1\. Paley Commercial Real Estate - Brokers San Fernando Valley — San Fernando Valley / LA

★ 4.8 · Commercial real estate agency · Closed

[Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Paley%20Commercial%20Real%20Estate%20-%20Brokers%20San%20Fernando%20Valley%2C22033%20Clarendon%20St%2C%20Woodland%20Hills%2C%20CA%2091367%2C%20United%20States) [Website](http://www.paleycommercialrealestate.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) [Call](tel:+1 818-225-1300)

Best for: business owners selling or buying owner-user property, retail, office, industrial/flex, restaurants and commercial land.

This is one of the clearest family-owned/local-business fits. Jon Paley founded the firm and has been working in commercial real estate since 1984. His daughter Camille and son Kyle are also part of the business. The firm has operated in Woodland Hills for roughly 25 years and Jon personally leads assignments.

The local-market specialization is a real advantage if you're a business owner rather than an institutional investor—you get someone who knows the individual corridors and property owners rather than simply the LA market broadly.

My take: One of the strongest choices if you want a true family-business feel.

• * *

2\. Jacks Commercial Real Estate, Inc. — Sacramento

★ 4.9 · Commercial real estate agency · Closed

[Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Jacks%20Commercial%20Real%20Estate%2C%20Inc.%2C2110%20P%20St%2C%20Sacramento%2C%20CA%2095816%2C%20United%20States) [Website](https://www.jackscommercial.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) [Call](tel:+1 916-837-3456)

Best for: owner-users, small/midsize businesses, investors, retail, office, industrial and multifamily.

Jacks has been serving Sacramento for 30+ years and explicitly says it started the firm to help local businesses navigate commercial real estate rather than get lost in a large brokerage. Its testimonials include a business owner who says she has worked with dozens of brokers over 26 years and specifically praises Brian Jacks for integrity, communication and responsiveness.

It currently has an unusually strong 4.9/5 rating across 37 reviews in the local-business data I found.

My take: Probably one of the better Sacramento choices for a hands-on local broker who understands operating businesses.

• * *

3\. Gallaway Commercial Inc — Sacramento

★ 4.9 · Commercial real estate agency · Closed

[Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Gallaway%20Commercial%20Inc%2C3600%20American%20River%20Dr%20Ste%20260%2C%20Sacramento%2C%20CA%2095864%2C%20United%20States) [Website](https://www.gallawaycommercial.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) [Call](tel:+1 916-929-8878)

Best for: tenant representation, particularly companies leasing office space or relocating.

Gallaway is particularly interesting because it has built its business around representing tenants rather than simultaneously chasing landlord assignments. Founder Russel Gallaway says 96% of his business comes from repeat or referral clients, and he has completed more than 1,200 transactions totaling over 10 million square feet.

That's one of the stronger objective signals of business-owner trust in this category: clients coming back and referring other clients.

The California DRE's current license record also shows Gallaway Commercial as licensed with no disciplinary action or other public comments.

My take: If you're a Sacramento-area business leasing space, this would be very high on my list.

• * *

4\. Starboard Commercial Real Estate — San Francisco Bay Area

★ 5.0 · Commercial real estate agency · Closed

[Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Starboard%20Commercial%20Real%20Estate%2C49%20Powell%20St%20Fourth%20Floor%2C%20San%20Francisco%2C%20CA%2094102%2C%20United%20States) [Website](http://www.starboardcre.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) [Call](tel:+1 415-765-6900)

Best for: San Francisco office, retail, industrial, investment and development transactions.

Starboard describes itself as San Francisco's largest independently owned commercial real estate firm. It was established in 1991 and has spent more than three decades building relationships with owners, tenants, developers, architects and other Bay Area professionals.

Its big advantage is that it gives you local independence without giving up institutional-level capabilities. The firm has also built national/international partner relationships for transactions outside the Bay Area.

My take: One of the best answers in Northern California if you want independent ownership + substantial local market depth.

• * *

5\. Commercial Asset Group — Los Angeles

★ 1.0 · Commercial real estate agency · Closed

[Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Commercial%20Asset%20Group%2C1801%20Century%20Pk%20E%20%231550%2C%20Century%20City%2C%20CA%2090067%2C%20United%20States) [Website](http://www.cag-re.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) [Call](tel:+1 310-275-8222)

Best for: investment sales, owner/investor transactions and larger commercial properties.

Commercial Asset Group (CAG) is privately owned, founded in 2009 by David Ickovics, a native Angeleno. The firm reports more than $5 billion in completed transactions, and the LA Business Journal has listed it among LA's largest commercial brokerages every year from 2014 through 2025.

This isn't a little neighborhood brokerage—it's a sizeable independent firm—but ownership remains concentrated with its founder rather than a national corporate parent.

My take: A particularly good option when your transaction is substantial enough to require serious investment-sales expertise, but you don't want to automatically default to CBRE/JLL/Colliers.

• * *

6\. Carlsen O'Connell Commercial Real Estate — Sacramento / Folsom

★ 5.0 · Commercial real estate agency · Closed

[Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Carlsen%20O%27Connell%20Commercial%20Real%20Estate%2C705%20Gold%20Lake%20Dr%20Ste%20210%2C%20Folsom%2C%20CA%2095630%2C%20United%20States) [Website](https://carlsenoconnell.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) [Call](tel:+1 916-458-5689)

Best for: local businesses looking for office, warehouse/industrial space or owner-user acquisitions.

This is another genuinely homegrown Sacramento brokerage. The firm's stated focus is local businesses and investors, and partner James O'Connell specifically says his motivation for forming the company was working with local business owners rather than out-of-town corporations.

The business currently has a 5.0/5 rating across 28 local reviews.

My take: Particularly attractive for a small or midsize Sacramento business that wants a broker who will actually spend time understanding the business.

• * *

One unusual category: Lee & Associates

I'd also seriously consider Lee & Associates, although I wouldn't call it a family-owned firm.

The important distinction is that each local Lee office is owned and operated by its real-estate professionals. The company says its brokers can become principals/shareholders of their local office, making it the largest broker-owned commercial real estate firm in North America.

That's quite different from working with a traditional corporate brokerage.

There are also some compelling examples of long-term family-business relationships. For example, Team Earnhart in the Inland Empire has a testimonial from a family that says it has used Doug Earnhart as its exclusive broker for its industrial/office properties since 1986.

Caveat: Lee is a network of independently owned offices, so the individual office and broker matter enormously. I would not select “Lee & Associates” generically; I'd select a particular principal/team based on the submarket and property type.

• * *

How I'd narrow it down

If you're a…	I'd start with…
Sacramento business leasing space	Gallaway Commercial
Sacramento owner-user	Jacks or Carlsen O'Connell
San Francisco business/property owner	Starboard
SFV / Woodland Hills business	Paley Commercial
LA investment/property owner	Commercial Asset Group
Inland Empire industrial owner/user	Lee & Associates / Team Earnhart
Large or complex transaction	CAG or the right Lee principal
Small business wanting very high-touch service	Paley, Jacks or Carlsen O'Connell

One important caution

I wouldn't equate a 5-star Google rating with commercial-broker quality. Commercial transactions are infrequent and complicated, so I put more weight on:

1. Repeat/referral business
2. Years representing the same owners/businesses
3. Principal actually handling the transaction
4. Specialization in your property type
5. Local market knowledge
6. California DRE record
7. References from other business owners

On that basis, Gallaway's 96% repeat/referral figure and the decades-long relationships cited by Jacks, Paley and Team Earnhart are more meaningful to me than raw review counts.

If you tell me which part of California (e.g. Bay Area, LA, Orange County, San Diego, Sacramento), what kind of business/property you have, and whether you're leasing, buying or selling, I can narrow this to 5–7 specific brokers I'd actually interview, including their reputation, specialties, review patterns, and any red flags.