2027 edition · Research reviewed November 7, 2026
Philadelphia office tenants need to distinguish a market with available space from a building that meets their actual requirements. CBRE’s October 6 Q3 2026 report describes soft occupancy alongside stronger leasing activity and demand for prime buildings. CBRE: Philadelphia office Q3 2026, October 6 Our 2027 shortlist compares Savills, NAI Mertz and CBRE. Their documented practices offer different starting points for workplace strategy, suburban searches and corporate or professional-service occupancy.
How we rank commercial real estate brokerage firms in Philadelphia–Camden–Vineland, PA–NJ–DE–MD
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 — Savills
For 2027, Savills is our #1 editorial recommendation among commercial real estate brokerage firms for office tenant representation in Philadelphia–Camden–Vineland, PA–NJ–DE–MD.
Best fit: Workplace and occupancy financial strategy
Our #1 editorial recommendation is based on soffian and the local office describe analysis and project-related services.
The shortlist at a glance
Our #1 choice and other specialists| Firm or broker | Best fit | Why selected |
|---|---|---|
| #1 Savills | Workplace and occupancy financial strategy | Soffian and the local office describe analysis and project-related services. |
| NAI Mertz | Office searches in South Jersey and Bucks County | The practice explicitly identifies those locations and user representation. |
| CBRE | Corporate and professional-service office decisions | LiVecchi documents relevant occupier sectors and lease advisory scope. |
Savills — workplace and financial strategy
Gregory Soffian’s current Philadelphia biography identifies strategic research, financial analysis, workplace strategy and lease negotiations. Savills: Gregory Soffian The local office also lists project management among its occupier services. Savills: Philadelphia occupier services We select Savills for a tenant whose location decision is connected to how people work. Ask the proposed team to show how attendance, client access and space planning become assumptions in the financial comparison, and who is responsible for validating them.
NAI Mertz — South Jersey and Bucks County office requirements
NAI Mertz’s office practice explicitly names Southern New Jersey and Bucks County, with user representation, expansion/consolidation and financial analysis. NAI Mertz: office services and territory We include it as a regional comparison for tenants considering those locations. Require a clear explanation of the search boundaries and the local personnel involved. Its additional northeastern Pennsylvania coverage is outside much of this guide’s metro and should not be confused with evidence for the intended search area.
CBRE — corporate and law-firm occupancy work
Anthony LiVecchi’s current biography documents Philadelphia corporate and law-firm representation, including renewals, lease auditing and multi-market relocations. CBRE: Anthony LiVecchi We would compare CBRE when the transaction needs to fit a broader organization’s decision process. Ask the proposed team to identify the business approvals, timing constraints and information it needs before recommending a route. His owner-side work also makes a building-specific conflict review necessary.
Compare renewal with relocation honestly
Give finalists a common brief covering staff, attendance, clients, specialized rooms and budget limits. Ask them to show the existing-space option alongside relocation with the same treatment of fit-out, furniture, moving and overlap. Separate known landlord terms from estimates. A well-presented rent comparison can still be misleading if the alternatives assume different delivery conditions or omit work needed for the tenant to operate.
Use evidence from the proposed people
The nine-criterion review supports these as interview candidates rather than verified savings champions. Request a recent comparable client reference, an example of the decision model and a clear communication schedule. The regional report informs the questions but cannot establish the negotiating position at a specific building. For Delaware or Maryland locations, ask for the appropriate local lead and current property evidence instead of extending a Philadelphia or South Jersey biography beyond what it says.