OPEN Impact Real Estate

What OPEN Impact Real Estate does

OPEN Impact Real Estate is a New York-based, woman-owned (WBE-certified) commercial real estate brokerage and advisory firm founded in July 2021 by Lindsay Ornstein and Stephen Powers, both former Transwestern executives. The firm delivers tenant advisory, agency leasing, investment sales, strategic planning, workplace strategy, portfolio management, and transaction services exclusively to nonprofits, charter schools, social service agencies, mission-driven corporations, and government clients. OPEN positions itself as the largest nonprofit real estate practice in New York City, with leadership collectively completing approximately 20 million square feet of transactions, including a notable $52.6 million campus sale for Rising Ground. The firm's differentiation rests on deep nonprofit-specific expertise (tax-exempt financing, below-market deal structures, purpose-built school facilities), WBE certifications that qualify it for supplier diversity mandates, and a salary-plus-bonus compensation model unusual for the commission-driven CRE industry.

The business operates on a transaction-fee model, earning brokerage commissions on lease and sale transactions plus advisory fees on strategic engagements. Pricing is negotiated per deal and is not publicly disclosed. GTM is exclusively direct enterprise field sales — senior advisors engage nonprofit boards, executive leadership, and funders directly, with no resellers or intermediaries. OPEN's distribution scale is augmented by two strategic partnerships: an exclusive affiliation with Transwestern Real Estate Services at founding (2021), and a national WBE alliance with JLL signed in April 2024, which extends OPEN's reach to JLL's 106,000+ team members and global research, technology, and project management resources. The firm has grown from two co-founders to approximately 20 team members by 2023 and is actively expanding beyond NYC into Washington D.C., Boston, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

Name

OPEN Impact Real Estate

Legal name

OPEN Impact Real Estate LLC

Website

https://openregroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

OPEN Impact Real Estate is a New York-based, WBE-certified commercial real estate brokerage and advisory firm founded in 2021 by Lindsay Ornstein and Stephen Powers. It delivers tenant advisory, leasing, investment sales, and strategic real estate services primarily to nonprofits, charter schools, and mission-driven organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Real Estate Brokerage

NAICS

Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (5312)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Office Brokerage (BPAJABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Real Estate Development & Feasibility Advisory (Highest-and-Best-Use, Entitlements Support) (BPAJANAC), Real Estate Capital Markets Advisory (Debt/Equity Placement, Refinancing) (BPAJANAE)

Keywords

• Commercial real estate brokerage
• Tenant advisory services
• Nonprofit real estate
• Agency leasing representation
• Investment sales services

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Commercial Real Estate Brokerage and Advisory Fees: Revenue is generated through brokerage commissions on lease transactions and advisory fees for strategic real estate consulting services. The firm structures deals including tenant advisory, agency leasing, investment sales, strategic planning, workplace strategy, and data analytics.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

OPEN Impact Real Estate is a woman-owned commercial real estate firm that delivers brokerage and advisory services including tenant advisory, agency leasing, investment sales, strategic planning, workplace strategy, and portfolio management. The firm specializes in serving nonprofit organizations, charter and private schools, social service agencies, government bodies, and mission-driven corporations, structuring deals such as tax-exempt financing, sale-leasebacks, leasehold condominiums, and phased rent to align real estate outcomes with client missions.

Product overview

OPEN Impact Real Estate is a woman-owned commercial real estate services company that provides a comprehensive suite of advisory and brokerage services. The company operates as a single integrated service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Their core services include Nonprofit Advisory, Education, Social Services, Portfolio Management, Government, Tenant Advisory, Landlord/Agency Leasing Representation, Strategic Planning, Workplace Strategy, Data Analytics, Development & Construction, Investment Sales, and Customized Team Assembly—all delivered through their WBE partnership with JLL. The firm specializes in serving nonprofits, educational organizations, social services agencies, and mission-driven corporations, offering both tenant representation and landlord/agency leasing services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nonprofit Advisory
• Education
• Social Services
• Portfolio Management Services
• Government
• Tenant Advisory
• Landlord/Agency Leasing Representation
• Strategic Planning
• Workplace Strategy
• Data Analytics
• Development & Construction
• Investment Sales

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 20 million square feet of mission-driven transactions completed by leadership team
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 April 2024National WBE partnership providing OPEN clients with access to JLL's global resources, research, technology, and market intelligence. Through this partnership, OPEN offers digital portfolio platforms, AI-enabled analytics, best-in-class financial modeling, location and demographic analysis, and project management services. The partnership combines boutique mission-driven service with global platform capabilities.
• Transwestern Real Estate ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 July 2021Exclusive affiliation where OPEN and Transwestern clients can access services from both firms. OPEN operates as an affiliate of Transwestern Real Estate Services. Transwestern's East Region President Bruce Ford stated support for OPEN as both a WBE/MWBE and industry leader. The partnership enables joint transaction execution on major deals.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle): JLL is the largest global commercial real estate services firm with $20B+ in revenue and 106,000+ team members. OPEN has a formal national WBE partnership with JLL, making it both a strategic ally and a competitor for the same nonprofit and mission-driven clients.
• CBRE Group: CBRE is the world's largest commercial real estate services and investment firm, providing brokerage, advisory, and property management across all major property types and verticals. It competes with OPEN on tenant advisory, investment sales, and increasingly on nonprofit-sector mandates.
• Cushman & Wakefield: Cushman & Wakefield is a major global commercial real estate services firm offering tenant representation, agency leasing, capital markets, and valuation services. It competes directly with OPEN on NYC tenant advisory and advisory mandates for institutional clients.
• Newmark Group: Newmark is a full-service commercial real estate advisory and services firm with strong NYC presence and growing nonprofit and occupier services practices. It competes with OPEN on tenant advisory and investment sales across NYC and major U.S. markets.
• Colliers International: Colliers is a global commercial real estate services firm offering brokerage, advisory, and project management services. Its occupier services and consulting practices compete with OPEN's tenant advisory and strategic planning offerings.
• Transwestern Real Estate Services: Transwestern is a national commercial real estate firm and OPEN's exclusive affiliate partner; both founders were former Transwestern partners. The firms offer overlapping services including tenant representation and agency leasing, and serve many of the same NYC and institutional clients.
• Avison Young: Avison Young is a global commercial real estate services firm with strong NYC operations offering tenant representation, capital markets, and project management. It competes with OPEN on occupier services mandates for mission-driven and institutional clients.
• Savills: Savills is a global real estate services firm with a strong NYC footprint offering tenant advisory, capital markets, and consulting. Its occupier-focused practice competes with OPEN for nonprofit and charter school headquarters mandates.
• Lee & Associates: Lee & Associates is a national commercial real estate brokerage firm with offices in major U.S. markets. It offers tenant representation and agency leasing services comparable to OPEN's core offerings and competes on similar mid-market occupier mandates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/OpenImpactRE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/open-impact-real-estate
• Instagraminstagram.com/openimpactre
• Xx.com/openimpactre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about OPEN Impact Real Estate