Outside the Region: Purpura and team join CBRE New England

Los Angeles, CA According to CBRE, a large group of top commercial real estate professionals, led by Steve Purpura has joined CBRE’s New England operations. The team includes partners John Lashar, Jon Varholak, John Barry, Ron Friedman, Eric Smith, John Wilson, Brian McKenzie, Chris McCauley, Chris Skeffington, Brian Cohen and Vicki Keenan—along with many talented professionals and support staff.

The 48-person team provides services across multiple disciplines including tenant advisory, agency leasing, and capital markets—serving both investors and occupiers throughout the region and across the country.

“These individuals are among the Northeast’s most talented real estate professionals and their passion for producing exceptional client outcomes is a perfect fit with our market-leading CBRE/New England team,” said Jack Durburg, group president and CEO of the Americas, CBRE.

This team completed more than 9.1 million sq. ft. in leasing transactions in Massachusetts during 2017, making it the region’s third-largest commercial real estate operations, according to a ranking by the Boston Business Journal. The team’s culture and client focus fits extremely well with CBRE/New England’s existing operations, which was ranked number one by the Boston Business Journal.

“Our partnership with Transwestern was rewarding on many levels and we are pleased to be able to depart the firm on such good terms,” said Purpura. “Our decision to join CBRE reflects the strong synergies we have with the firm, both locally and with their tremendous national and international platform, which bolsters our view of the increasing importance of labor-centric and data-driven real estate consulting services.”

CBRE/New England will continue to be led by Andy Hoar and Kevin Doyle, co-managing partners. The firm completed more than $6.5 billion in transaction value in New England in 2017 and manages 28 million s/f.

“We are very excited that these market-making professionals have elected to join CBRE,” said Hoar. “They are a great fit culturally and will enhance the services and outcomes we deliver to our occupier and investor clients. We have admired them as competitors and greatly value the contributions they will make to our team and to our clients.”

Purpura, Varholak, Barry and Lashar have consistently been recognized among the market’s top brokerage professionals. The four along with Brian McKenzie and John Wilson were founding partners of Richards Barry Joyce & Partners in 2001. The group has advised many of the world’s most advanced organizations, from start-ups to multinational corporations in a wide spectrum of industries.