2027 edition · Research reviewed November 7, 2026
Colliers is our 2027 editorial #1 office tenant-representation firm for a Cincinnati business planning a significant workplace change. Its documented work for Divisions Maintenance Group provides both a historical cross-river search and a dated expansion assignment. Cresa, JLL, CBRE and NAI Bergman complete this five-firm review. The nine criteria are applied to office occupier advice; company descriptions of results are not treated as independently audited savings or forecasts of future performance.
How we rank commercial real estate brokerage firms in Cincinnati, OH–KY–IN
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 office 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 — Colliers
For 2027, Colliers is our #1 editorial recommendation among commercial real estate brokerage firms for office tenant representation in Cincinnati, OH–KY–IN.
Best fit: Complex office relocation and expansion planning
Our editorial #1 office tenant firm because its documented DMG search considered both sides of the river and its August 2026 expansion announcement names the tenant team, supporting complex workplace coordination with identifiable execution.
The shortlist at a glance
Our #1 choice and other specialists| Firm or broker | Best fit | Why selected |
|---|---|---|
| #1 Colliers | Complex office relocation and expansion planning | A cross-river search case and a dated DMG tenant assignment support the recommendation. |
| Cresa | Occupier-led renewal and relocation decisions | Its current Cincinnati practice explicitly follows an occupier-only model. |
| JLL | Office tenant decisions within a corporate plan | Mangialardo is a current Cincinnati/Dayton office occupier specialist. |
| CBRE | Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky office choices | Lehmkuhl-Welch expressly documents that office geography and tenant scope. |
| NAI Bergman | Office needs within a broader local property brief | Its current team describes office tenant leasing and site selection. |
#1 — Colliers: a workplace decision beyond an address
Colliers describes DMG’s earlier search across Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, including coordination of architectural and workplace services. Its August 3, 2026 announcement separately names John Schenk and Matt Smyth as tenant representatives for DMG’s Huntington Center expansion. Colliers: office team and historical cross-river tenant search Colliers: August 3, 2026 DMG office tenant assignment The sequence supports our choice for a complex office requirement. The expansion announcement includes future plans; this guide does not report planned 2027 occupancy or hiring as completed events.
Cresa: an explicitly occupier-oriented practice
Cresa’s Cincinnati location identifies its occupier-only approach and names Alan Piker among the current principals. Cresa: current Cincinnati occupier practice It is a useful comparison for a tenant that wants its operating requirements to drive the search. Ask the team to compare staying, resizing and moving before setting a tour schedule. An occupier-focused business model is relevant to the selection, but compensation, relationships and engagement terms still need written confirmation for the actual transaction.
JLL: an identifiable office tenant lead
Sean Mangialardo’s current JLL biography identifies office occupier work in Cincinnati and Dayton, including renewals and relocations. JLL: Sean Mangialardo office occupier services We would interview JLL when a company needs a local office decision connected with a broader corporate plan. Require the proposal to identify the Cincinnati execution lead and distinguish an established service territory from a specific nearby assignment. Dayton experience can inform an interview but should not be relabeled as Northern Kentucky experience.
CBRE: office representation on both sides of the river
Maggie Lehmkuhl-Welch’s current CBRE profile explicitly covers office tenants and landlords in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. CBRE: Maggie Lehmkuhl-Welch office practice CBRE provides a geographically relevant alternative for a business comparing those locations. Ask for the current competing-building set and a consistent occupancy-cost model. Because both agency sides are part of the practice, clarify any owner relationships before providing confidential expansion plans, budget limits or negotiation deadlines.
NAI Bergman: an office decision within a broader local brief
NAI’s team page expressly includes office tenant leasing, subleasing and site selection. NAI Bergman: current brokerage and operating team We include the firm for a business that may also need advice on another property or operating facility. Ask it to keep the office decision distinct, with office-specific comparisons and an accountable lead. General regional coverage should support the work, not replace a clear explanation of the people and evidence behind the office recommendation.
What should decide the appointment
Give each finalist the same staffing assumptions, access needs, fit-out constraints, decision authority and target date. Ask for a schedule that shows when design and delivery uncertainties must be resolved. Colliers leads because the documented tenant work shows coordination across a complex workplace decision and a later expansion. For Southeast Indiana offices, request relevant local tenant assignments from every finalist. The evidence does not justify an invented score for responsiveness, negotiating success or technological superiority; use proposal demonstrations and client references to test those questions.