Gillham, Golbeck & Associates

What Gillham, Golbeck & Associates does

Gillham, Golbeck & Associates, Inc. is a privately held retained executive search firm founded in 1982 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The firm is focused exclusively on the commercial real estate industry, placing C-level executives and senior-level professionals at REITs, brokerage firms, private equity groups, national and international financial institutions, development companies, lending and mortgage banking firms, architectural and engineering firms, and general contractors. The company operates with a deliberately small team of five principals plus an advisor, delivering a high-touch, relationship-driven service rather than scaling volume.

The firm's core technology is the proprietary "VIP List," a computerised candidate database containing over 50,000 individuals across every functional area of commercial real estate (accounting, acquisitions, asset management, brokerage, construction, development, engineering, finance, property management, etc.). This database is combined with extensive industry networking and active participation in commercial real estate organisations (CCIM, BOMA, CRE, CREW, IREM, NAIOP, ULI, REFEA, etc.) to identify passive candidates for each engagement. There is no public-facing technology product, AI tooling, or API; the database functions as an internal sourcing platform.

The business model is retained executive search conducted on a fee basis: one-third of the fee is paid at engagement inception, and the remaining two-thirds is paid when the chosen candidate commences employment. Engagements are multi-year contracts with built-in placement guarantees and post-placement support including transition assistance and counter-offer handling. Over 90% of the firm's engagements come from repeat clients, and go-to-market is exclusively direct B2B enterprise field sales with on-site client consultations, supported by referrals, industry-organisation networking, and community/charitable involvement rather than paid marketing channels.

Name

Gillham, Golbeck & Associates

Legal name

Gillham, Golbeck & Associates, Inc.

Website

https://ggasearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gillham, Golbeck & Associates is a Dallas-based retained executive search firm founded in 1982 that exclusively places C-level and senior-level professionals into commercial real estate companies, including REITs, brokerage firms, private equity groups, and financial institutions, leveraging a proprietary 50,000-name candidate database.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search Services

NAICS

Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Confidential/Replacement & Succession Search (BPACAAAK), Financial Services Leadership Search (Banking/Insurance/PE/Asset Mgmt) (BPACAAAF)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Commercial real estate recruiting
• Retained search
• Real estate talent placement
• C-level executive recruiting

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retained Executive Search Fees: The firm conducts retained executive searches where fees are structured as follows: one-third of the fee is paid when the search is started, with the remaining two-thirds due when the chosen candidate starts work. The retained agreement ensures replacement of a candidate or adjustment of fee when necessary. Over 90% of searches are repeat business.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Gillham, Golbeck & Associates is a retained executive search firm that places C-level executives and senior-level professionals exclusively within the commercial real estate industry. The firm partners with clients such as REITs, brokerage firms, financial institutions, private equity groups, development companies, lenders, and architectural/engineering firms through on-site consultations, customized search strategies, candidate assessment, reference checks, offer negotiation, and post-placement follow-up. Searches are supported by a proprietary VIP List database containing over 50,000 commercial real estate professionals.

Product overview

Gillham, Golbeck & Associates operates as a retained executive search firm providing a single, unified service offering focused exclusively on the commercial real estate industry. The firm's core service is executive search and placement of C-level executives and senior-level professionals. They utilize their proprietary VIP List candidate database (containing over 50,000 individuals) as the primary sourcing tool to identify and match candidates with client requirements. The Executive Search Services represent the primary product, while the VIP List database serves as an internal tool supporting the search process. The firm also offers flexible, performance-driven search alternatives alongside their standard retained search model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Search Services Retained executive search services placing C-level executives and senior-level professionals exclusively within the commercial real estate industry, including clients such as financial institutions, REITs, brokerage firms, private equity groups, development companies, lenders, and architectural/engineering firms.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90% repeat business rate from existing clients
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• CEL & Associates, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA nationally recognized leader in providing consulting services to the real estate industry in multiple areas. Listed as a strategic alliance offering full-service solutions and comprehensive industry information.
• The Real Estate Council (TREC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn organization committed to professional development by networking with peers in the real estate industry. Listed as a strategic alliance with Gillham, Golbeck participating as a Friend of IREM member organization.
• Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe nation's source of educational and professional recognition for all types of income-producing property managers. The Friends of IREM program provides opportunity for members to become acquainted with products and services. Gillham, Golbeck was designated Friend of the Year.
• realestatejobs.comminorOthersStrategic partner offering free career opportunity access for IREM group members.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: The largest global organizational consulting and executive search firm, with a real estate-focused practice. Highly comparable in delivering C-level search for CRE clients, but with substantially broader industry coverage and proprietary assessment tools.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with deep real estate and financial services practices. Comparable to GG&A in providing C-suite and board advisory, though broader in industry and geography.
• Spencer Stuart: Global executive search firm with an established real estate practice serving REITs, developers, and financial institutions. Comparable to GG&A in serving senior-level CRE mandates but operating at much larger global scale.
• DHR International: Global executive search firm with established practices across real estate, financial services, and private equity. Comparable in providing retained C-level search for CRE-adjacent clients, though not exclusively CRE-focused.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a dedicated real estate practice. Comparable to GG&A in providing C-suite search, but serves a much broader set of industries and geographies with significantly larger scale.
• Robert Half International: Large global staffing and talent solutions firm with an executive search division (Robert Half Executive Search). Comparable in providing senior-level search, though with broader industry coverage and a much larger recruiter base.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm serving board, CEO, and senior-level functional searches, including within real estate and financial services. Comparable in target roles and retained-search model, though multi-industry.

Direct peers

• The Stevenson Group: Boutique executive search firm focused on the real estate industry, including REITs, developers, and capital markets. Comparable to GG&A in CRE vertical specialization and senior-level mandate focus.
• Ackerman-Page (real estate executive search): Specialized real estate executive search firm focused on C-suite and senior-level placements within the CRE industry. Directly comparable to GG&A in vertical focus, target roles, and retained-search model.

Others

• CEL & Associates, Inc. Real estate industry consulting firm already partnered with GG&A. Comparable in serving the CRE market, though primarily consulting rather than executive search; together they offer combined advisory + talent services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 Gillham, Golbeck & Associates