2027 edition · Research reviewed November 8, 2026
The Gilbert Group is our 2027 editorial #1 retail tenant representation firm for a Columbus restaurant or consumer-retail expansion. A published Sweetgreen requirement identifies both search areas and responsible advisers, supported by a current retail practice. Colliers and CBRE offer national-firm comparisons with local specialists. We apply the nine brokerage criteria to tenant service and distinguish documented requirements from a verified current exclusive mandate or an achieved business result.
How we rank commercial real estate brokerage firms in Columbus, OH
Our 2027 ranking uses the same nine-part methodology as our 2026 guides. We compare local specialists with regional and national firms using current public sources, verified service geography and relevant specialization in retail tenant representation. We evaluate each candidate using these nine criteria:
- Experience and reputation
- Market knowledge and specialization
- Network and connections
- Technological capabilities
- Data transparency and accuracy
- Online presence and digital marketing
- Local and global reach
- Service range
- Innovation and customer focus
Using these criteria, we identify one #1 editorial recommendation for the assignment described below and compare other qualified options. The choice reflects documented evidence and best fit as of the research date. Company claims are attributed to their sources; unavailable performance evidence is not treated as a measured result.
OUR #1 RECOMMENDATION
#1 — The Gilbert Group
For 2027, The Gilbert Group is our #1 editorial recommendation among commercial real estate brokerage firms for retail tenant representation in Columbus, OH.
Best fit: Restaurant and consumer-retail expansion searches
Our editorial #1 retail tenant firm for restaurant and consumer-retail expansion because its published Sweetgreen requirement names Columbus-area search locations and responsible advisers, making the tenant role and geographic brief explicit.
The shortlist at a glance
Our #1 choice and other specialists| Firm or broker | Best fit | Why selected |
|---|---|---|
| #1 The Gilbert Group | Restaurant and consumer-retail expansion searches | A published retailer requirement names search areas and specific advisers. |
| Colliers | Tenant expansion with a Central Ohio retail team | A historical tenant-side example and a current practitioner profile support the service. |
| CBRE | Retail site selection and submarket comparison | Streng’s current Columbus practice expressly includes those tenant duties. |
#1 — The Gilbert Group: a retailer brief with named contacts
Gilbert’s Sweetgreen site-requirement flyer identifies Columbus-area search locations and directs site submissions to Michael Nolan and Nadia Swaney. The firm’s current roster confirms their roles within its retail practice. Gilbert-authored Sweetgreen site-requirement flyer and named contacts The Gilbert Group: retail practice and current staff That specificity makes Gilbert our first interview for a restaurant or consumer-retail expansion. The flyer is undated, so its requirements must be reconfirmed. It establishes a published search brief, not that every listed territory remains open or that a new client would receive exclusive access.
Understand how the proposed tenant team works
Nolan’s current biography expressly includes tenant representation alongside other retail services. The Gilbert Group: Michael Nolan current practice Ask Gilbert to identify who would lead market screening, site inspections and negotiation for this particular concept. A restaurant requirement should distinguish the customer proposition from the physical premises needed to deliver it. The proposed team should explain which property facts it can verify and which require an architect, engineer or other adviser before the tenant proceeds.
Colliers: a local retail team with tenant-side examples
The Columbus Retail Team describes tenant work throughout Central Ohio and explicitly attributes a historical 2023 Si Senor location search to its tenant practice. Andrew White’s current team biography separately identifies tenant and buyer representation. Columbus Retail Team: services and dated agency examples Columbus Retail Team: Andrew White tenant and landlord scope We include Colliers for a retailer seeking that local team within a larger organization. A historical team example is not automatically White’s sole personal transaction, and a regional service statement does not establish identical experience in every suburb.
CBRE: site selection and submarket analysis
Luke Streng’s current CBRE profile specifically lists retail tenant site selection, submarket analysis and lease negotiation. CBRE: Luke Streng current retail services This provides another identifiable Columbus-based service option. Request a demonstration of how the team would compare the actual candidate locations and communicate uncertainty. A public description establishes the offered scope; it does not independently prove better sales forecasts, cheaper occupancy or faster execution than a specialist competitor.
Build the comparison around the store’s operating model
Give finalists a realistic description of the concept, customer journey, delivery needs, staff access and timing. Ask them to explain what would make a site fail the brief before discussing asking terms. A renewal and relocation should be compared using the same assumptions about improvements and business disruption. Require an explicit responsibility list for confirming use, delivery condition and landlord commitments so the tenant understands which questions remain unresolved at each decision point.
Why Gilbert receives the first interview
The named Sweetgreen brief makes the firm’s tenant role and search geography more concrete than a general client-logo page. Colliers supplies a separate historical tenant assignment; CBRE supplies a current specialist’s stated service scope. Confirm current capacity, territory and owner relationships with each. No comparable tenant-outcome dataset establishes sales improvement, lease savings or a universally best site-selection model. The first-place judgment rests on the documented fit for this expansion brief and remains subject to a client-specific proposal.