Why We Believe in CRE Brokers

At Enaia, there's one core conviction we believe more than any other company: commercial real estate brokers are the most important stakeholder within the industry. In a world obsessed with disintermediation and automation, it’s easy to forget just how central brokers are to how the industry actually works.

Here’s why we believe in them - fully, unequivocally, and for the long haul.

1. Brokers are the industry’s only data distribution channel

Brokers represent the overwhelming majority of commercial real estate transactions (it's estimated to be about ~90% throughout all major MSA's). But even more than that, they are the industry’s data and service distribution channel, facilitating end-to-end service across the entire transaction process. Every lease comp, sale, market whisper, or active requirement flows through them. If you want to understand the market, you don’t just need data - you need a great, connected, experienced broker. Once you've retained one, 80% of the complexity is eliminated. Their network effect, connections and experience is essential.

2. Brokers orchestrate complexity across fragmented stakeholders

A single CRE transaction can involve landlords, tenants, lenders, attorneys, asset managers, contractors, architects, zoning boards, and internal real estate teams. Brokers don’t just make deals happen; they hold the entire process together. They're the ones who translate competing agendas into mutually beneficial outcomes.

3. Brokers drive the majority of EBITDA at their firms

Most people don’t realize this, but in nearly every major CRE services firm, brokers are the primary EBITDA driver. The enterprise is built around them. Even when large companies pitch to global companies, the key sales point is often "Our brokers around the world are the best in the industry and in every market." Brokers drive revenue, profit, data, business development and customer retention - often with very little support or overhead.

4. Brokers bring "translation" services to a disconnected, hyper-local world

Finance is federally regulated. CRE isn’t. That means everything when contrasting the two industries. Zoning laws, permitting timelines, market norms - there are always local market peculiarities that cannot responsibly be neglected. Complete standardization is a fantasy in real estate so boots on the ground matter. Brokers aren't just selling space - they’re navigating a web of local nuance that cannot be managed from a distance without the role of local brokers.

5. Brokers are entrepreneurs within their enterprise

Most brokers are responsible for nearly everything - their own business development, marketing, execution, relationship management, invoicing, and collections. In many ways, they’re the full-stack within larger companies. That entrepreneurial spirit drives the industry forward, one relationship at a time. I recently spoke with a Head of Product at one of the largest CRE brokerage companies who said "I don't think brokers want to use technology."  Wrong. They use technology efficiently but are allergic to time-wasting solutions that deliver little value. As entrepeneurs, brokers intimately understand resource allocation, one reason they are primed to capitalize on the emergence of AI and the efficiences it is already bringing to our world.

6. Brokers are the “last mile” of market intelligence

Everyone wants better CRE data. But raw data isn’t insight. Brokers are the ones closest to the ground. They know what deals are falling apart and why. They know what tenants are quietly expanding. They know what landlords are willing to do behind closed doors. They don’t just have information - they have context. And context is everything.

7. Broker commission economics make more sense than people think

To many’s surprise, the commission model isn’t broken - it’s brilliant. Brokers are full-time experts for moment-in-time decisions. For corporate tenants, the alternative is to hire in-house professionals, the cost of which would be much greater than a commission when spread out over time. Even when companies do retain in-house real estate leaders, it’s nearly impossible for these real estate leaders to keep up with fast-moving, local market dynamics so what do they do?  Manage their broker relationships. This is why even the largest occupiers still lean heavily on brokers for real-time intelligence and flawless execution. The economics reflect true value creation.

In short: Brokers are not a relic. They are the infrastructure.

We believe in empowering them—not replacing them.

When brokers win, the industry works better for everyone.

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