The Lerner Company
The Lerner Company is a privately held Omaha-based commercial real estate firm founded in 1985 that provides retail-focused brokerage, tenant representation, development, property management, and investment sales services to national retailers and property owners across the Upper Midwest.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersOmaha, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Lerner Company does
The Lerner Company is an Omaha, Nebraska-based commercial real estate firm founded in 1985 that operates exclusively in the retail property segment, providing brokerage, tenant representation, investment sales, development, property management, and mapping/demographic research services to national retailers, commercial property owners, and real estate investors across the Upper Midwest (Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin). The firm is privately held with no parent company, no outside investors, and no subsidiaries, and has accumulated over 40 years of retail-specific institutional knowledge that distinguishes it from generalist brokerages operating across retail, office, industrial, and land. Its service portfolio is delivered through an in-house team of brokers and property managers organized around six discrete service lines, with no resellers or third-party intermediaries; the firm runs a direct, sales-led go-to-market motion targeting enterprise-grade retail tenants and institutional and individual property owners.
The company generates revenue through four primary streams: brokerage commissions on leasing and sale transactions (transaction-fee model), professional services fees for tenant representation and development advisory, and managed services fees for ongoing property management acting as landlord-tenant liaison. Notable scale metrics include nearly 3.75 million square feet of retail space developed, brokerage representation of in excess of 5 million square feet, tenant representation for over 50 national retail chains, and 70+ shopping center and mixed-use projects across a six-state area. Named clients span grocery (Baker's), fabric/craft (JoAnn Fabric), pet supply (PetSmart), restaurants (Chipotle, Chick-fil-A, Freddy's, Panera Bread, Panda Express, Wendy's), department stores (Kohl's, Sams Club), sporting goods (Dick's Sporting Goods), discount (TJ Maxx, Five Below), home improvement (Lowe's), and entertainment (Top Golf). The firm has been a ChainLinks Retail Advisors affiliate since 1993, won the CoStar Group Retail Power Broker of the Year award in 2013, 2014, and 2015, and publishes an annual Omaha Retail Market Summary used by industry professionals, lenders, and municipalities. Technology footprint is minimal and conventional, centered on a corporate website with property listings, standard social media channels, and GIS/manual demographic analysis tools supporting the Mapping & Demographics service.
The Lerner Company firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Lerner Company
- Legal name
- The Lerner Company
- Website
- https://lernerco.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Lerner Company is a privately held Omaha-based commercial real estate firm founded in 1985 that provides retail-focused brokerage, tenant representation, development, property management, and investment sales services to national retailers and property owners across the Upper Midwest.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Lerner Company industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Commercial Real Estate Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (5312), Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (531210), Activities Related to Real Estate (5313), Other Activities Related to Real Estate (53139)
- SIC
- Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Real Estate Dealers (For Their Own Account) (6532)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Retail Brokerage (BPAJABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Tenant Representation & Corporate Services Brokerage (BPAJABAJ), Retail Tenant Representation (BPAJALAB), Real Estate Development & Feasibility Advisory (Highest-and-Best-Use, Entitlements Support) (BPAJANAC), Commercial Real Estate Brokerage (Leasing & Sales) (FSAEAJAB), Property Management Advisory & Leasing Administration (FSAEAJAN)
Keywords
Where The Lerner Company is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Omaha
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Lerner Company business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Brokerage Commissions: The company earns commissions on commercial real estate leasing and sales transactions. They represent property owners in leasing retail space or selling commercial properties, and work with buyers and tenants to complete transactions.
- Tenant Representation Services: Comprehensive tenant representation services including demographic analysis, market strategy, negotiations, and transactions for retail businesses looking to lease or develop retail space.
- Development Services: Full-service commercial real estate development from project inception through grand opening, including site selection, land acquisition, design oversight, and construction management.
- Property Management: Property management services acting as liaison between property owners and tenants, managing costs, rent collection, and tenant relationships.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
The Lerner Company product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Lerner Company provides commercial real estate brokerage, leasing, tenant representation, development, investment sales, property management, and mapping/demographic research services exclusively focused on retail properties. They serve property owners and national/regional retail tenants across the Upper Midwest, primarily from their Omaha, Nebraska headquarters, with a portfolio representing over five million square feet of retail space and nearly 3.75 million square feet developed.
Product overview
The Lerner Company offers a unified suite of commercial real estate services focused exclusively on retail properties. The core service portfolio includes six integrated offerings: Leasing & Sales (brokerage for property transactions), Tenant Representation (representation for retail tenants seeking space), Investment Sales (acquisition advisory and portfolio management), Property Management (operational management for property owners), Development (ground-up commercial real estate development), and Mapping & Demographics (market research and site analysis). These services work together to provide end-to-end commercial real estate solutions for retailers and property owners throughout the Omaha metro and Upper Midwest region.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Lerner Brokerage Services: The commercial real estate division of The Lerner Company specializing in retail brokerage, leasing, management and tenant representation.
Products and services
- Leasing & Sales Brokerage services for leasing retail space and selling commercial properties, including market research, prospect identification, negotiation, and transaction management.
- Tenant Representation Comprehensive representation for retail tenants in commercial property leasing and development deals, including demographic analysis, market strategy, negotiations, and transaction coordination.
- Investment Sales Acquisition advisory and investment sales management services for establishing investment portfolios, including asset identification, capital solutions, risk assessment, and market forecasting.
- Property Management Property management services acting as liaison between landlords and tenants, managing tenant relations, rent collection, cost control, vendor coordination, and property maintenance.
- Development Commercial real estate development services from project inception through grand opening, including site selection, land acquisition, design oversight, construction management, and tenant leasing.
- Mapping & Demographics Detailed market mapping and demographic research services for commercial real estate decisions, including site analysis, competitor mapping, traffic counts, parking availability, and customized aerial reports.
Quantifiable outcome
- Developed nearly 3.75 million square feet of retail space
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use The Lerner Company
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Lerner Company technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Lerner Company partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- ChainLinks Retail AdvisorscoreChainLinks affiliation since 1993 provides The Lerner Company with access to a national network of leading retail real estate firms. This partnership enables referrals for national retailers seeking representation in the Upper Midwest and positions the company within a broader ecosystem of commercial real estate professionals.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Lerner Company competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Colliers International: Global commercial real estate services firm with retail services and investment sales capabilities across the U.S. Midwest. Provides scale, technology, and capital markets access that Lerner does not match, representing a key competitor for enterprise mandates.
- CBRE Group: Largest global commercial real estate services and investment firm, with a deep retail practice. Frequently the primary incumbent competitor for enterprise retail tenant and investor mandates in geographies where Lerner operates.
- Cushman & Wakefield: Global commercial real estate services firm with significant retail services practice. Competes for the same national retail tenant representation and investment sales mandates that Lerner pursues at the regional level.
- Newmark Group: Major global commercial real estate services firm offering brokerage, capital markets, and property management across retail and other asset classes. Represents the national-scale incumbent Lerner competes against for enterprise retail mandates.
- JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle): Global real estate services and investment management firm with retail brokerage, capital markets, and property management capabilities. Competes for the largest retail mandates and has the scale to underprice regional firms on bundled engagements.
- Marcus & Millichap: Specialized commercial real estate investment sales firm with a significant retail and net-lease practice. Comparable on the investment sales side of Lerner's business and competes for retail investment mandates in the Midwest.
Direct peers
- Mid-America Real Estate: Retail-specialized commercial real estate services firm covering the Midwest and beyond with brokerage, tenant representation, and investment sales. Closely matches Lerner's retail-exclusive positioning and Midwest geographic footprint.
- ChainLinks Retail Advisors: National network of independent retail real estate firms; Lerner has been a ChainLinks affiliate since 1993. Member firms within the network compete and collaborate on retail mandates, making ChainLinks affiliates the most direct comparable peer set.
- SRS Real Estate Partners: National retail-focused commercial real estate firm offering brokerage, tenant representation, investment sales, and property management. Most directly comparable to Lerner given shared exclusive retail focus and similar service mix, though operating at significantly larger national scale.
- Phillips Edison & Company: Retail real estate investment trust and operator focused on grocery-anchored shopping centers. Comparable in retail-centric focus and the same target customer base of national retailers, though structured as an owner-operator rather than a brokerage.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Lerner Company social profiles
Digital presenceThe Lerner Company financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Lerner Company leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
The Lerner Company funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Lerner Company M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Lerner Company
What does The Lerner Company do?
The Lerner Company provides commercial real estate brokerage, leasing, tenant representation, development, investment sales, property management, and mapping/demographic research services exclusively focused on retail properties. They serve property owners and national/regional retail tenants across the Upper Midwest, primarily from their Omaha, Nebraska headquarters, with a portfolio representing over five million square feet of retail space and nearly 3.75 million square feet developed.
Is The Lerner Company a public or private company?
The Lerner Company is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was The Lerner Company founded?
The Lerner Company was founded in 1985. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Lerner Company based?
The Lerner Company is headquartered in Omaha, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Lerner Company make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Brokerage Commissions are the primary driver. The others are tenant Representation Services, development Services and property Management.
Who are The Lerner Company's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Colliers International, CBRE Group, Cushman & Wakefield, Newmark Group, JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle) and Marcus & Millichap. Direct peers are Mid-America Real Estate, ChainLinks Retail Advisors, SRS Real Estate Partners and Phillips Edison & Company.
Does The Lerner Company have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Lerner Company.
What industry is The Lerner Company in?
The Lerner Company's product category is Commercial Real Estate Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJABAB, Retail Brokerage, with a secondary code of BPAJABAJ, Tenant Representation & Corporate Services Brokerage. Its NAICS code is 5312 and its SIC code is 6531.