R.W. Holmes
R.W. Holmes is a privately held, family-led commercial real estate brokerage and advisory firm founded in 1976, serving owners, occupiers, and investors across Greater Boston's suburban office, industrial, flex, and lab markets through transaction-fee-based representation and advisory services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1976
- HeadquartersWayland, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What R.W. Holmes does
R.W. Holmes (legal entity: R. W. Holmes Realty Co.) is a privately held, family-led commercial real estate brokerage and advisory firm founded in 1976 and headquartered at 321 Commonwealth Road, Suite 202, Wayland, Massachusetts. The firm serves the Greater Boston suburban market across four property types — office, industrial, flex, and lab — and delivers its services through five integrated offerings: Tenant Representation, Landlord Representation, Investment Sales & Acquisitions, Advisory Services, and Asset & Property Management. Its disclosed client base spans Fortune 500 corporates (MathWorks, Coca-Cola, Boston Dynamics, Met Life, Pella Windows), mid-market and local businesses (Visper Retirement Solutions, AKJ Trading, Agape Mental Health), and institutional owners and investors (Lincoln Property Company, Atlantic Management, Marcus Partners, Berkeley Partners), indicating a diversified enterprise-grade book.
The firm operates a traditional direct-sales brokerage model with no proprietary technology platform: the core technology is characterized as "Not applicable — Commercial real estate brokerage firm," and there is no API, SDK, or AI/ML capability disclosed. Distribution runs through a property listings website, social channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X), SIOR and NAIOP professional affiliations, and face-to-face senior-broker advisory relationships. The firm monetizes exclusively on a transaction-fee basis, earning commissions on lease and sale deals and fees for investment sales and acquisitions; pricing is negotiated per-deal and not publicly disclosed.
R.W. Holmes is led by President Garry Holmes, SIOR, and counts multiple SIOR-designated senior vice presidents (notably David Gilkie, with 8.5M+ SF and $450M+ in cumulative transaction volume) on its team of 11-50 employees. The firm differentiates on near-50-year brand continuity, hyper-local submarket expertise (Rt. 128 Central, Rt. 128 North/Rt. 3 North, Natick/Framingham, I-495 West, and industrial markets), and proprietary quarterly Greater Boston market reports used as both a thought-leadership and lead-generation asset. No private equity, venture capital, or institutional investor involvement is evidenced, and there have been no M&A, funding, or restructuring events in the input data.
R.W. Holmes firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- R.W. Holmes
- Legal name
- R. W. Holmes Realty Co.
- Website
- https://rwholmes.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1976
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- R.W. Holmes is a privately held, family-led commercial real estate brokerage and advisory firm founded in 1976, serving owners, occupiers, and investors across Greater Boston's suburban office, industrial, flex, and lab markets through transaction-fee-based representation and advisory services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
R.W. Holmes industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Commercial Real Estate Brokerage
- NAICS
- Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (53121), Real Estate Property Managers (53131)
- SIC
- Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Tenant Representation & Corporate Services Brokerage (BPAJABAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Commercial Real Estate Brokerage (Leasing & Sales) (FSAEAJAB), Office Tenant Representation (BPAJALAA), Industrial & Logistics Tenant Representation (BPAJALAC)
Keywords
Where R.W. Holmes is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wayland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
R.W. Holmes business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Commercial Real Estate Brokerage: R.W. Holmes generates revenue through commercial real estate brokerage services including tenant representation, landlord representation, investment sales and acquisitions, and advisory services. The firm earns commissions on lease and sale transactions for both property owners (landlords) and occupiers (tenants), as well as fees for investment sales and acquisitions.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
R.W. Holmes product offering
Product offeringCore offering
R.W. Holmes is a commercial real estate brokerage firm providing tenant representation, landlord representation, investment sales and acquisitions, advisory services, and asset and property management. The firm serves property owners, investors, and occupiers across Greater Boston's suburban office, industrial, flex, and lab markets, earning commissions on lease and sale transactions along with advisory fees. Founded in 1976, the firm operates as a family-led, independent brokerage focused on long-term client partnerships rather than transactional volume.
Product overview
R.W. Holmes is a commercial real estate brokerage firm offering a unified suite of advisory and transactional services for the Greater Boston market. The firm's core service portfolio consists of five integrated offerings: Tenant Representation (helping businesses find and negotiate space), Landlord Representation (maximizing value for property owners), Investment Sales & Acquisitions (guiding investors through property transactions), Advisory Services (providing market intelligence), and Asset & Property Management (ongoing property stewardship). These services are delivered as consultative offerings rather than software products, supporting clients across office, industrial, flex, and lab property types.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Tenant Representation
- Landlord Representation
- Investment Sales & Acquisitions
- Advisory Services
- Asset & Property Management
Companies that use R.W. Holmes
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
R.W. Holmes technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
R.W. Holmes partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SIOR New EnglandcoreActive membership in the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR) New England Chapter. Firm advisors including David Gilkie serve on the SIOR NE board. Provides professional credibility, networking, and industry thought leadership opportunities.
- NAIOPcoreActive membership in NAIOP, a leading organization for commercial real estate development and investment. Provides access to industry resources, networking, and professional development.
- Lincoln Property CompanyminorCommercial real estate brokerage representing tenant AKJ Trading in the 20,000 SF industrial lease at 5 Norfolk Drive in Easton, MA. R.W. Holmes represented landlord Atlantic Management.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
R.W. Holmes competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lincoln Property Company: National CRE services firm with significant property management and brokerage activity including in Greater Boston, shown as an active partner in R.W. Holmes transactions. Comparable in suburban office and industrial landlord and tenant rep mandates.
- Boston Realty Advisors: Mid-sized Boston-focused CRE investment sales and advisory firm. Closely comparable as a similarly scaled regional brokerage targeting the same Greater Boston investor and occupier base as R.W. Holmes.
Broad incumbents
- Cushman & Wakefield: Global CRE services firm with significant Boston presence offering brokerage, valuation, and property management. Competes with R.W. Holmes in office, industrial, and life sciences/lab transactions across Greater Boston.
- CBRE Group: Largest global commercial real estate services firm offering brokerage, advisory, and property management across all asset types and geographies. Compares to R.W. Holmes in the Greater Boston office, industrial, and lab markets where both transact, though CBRE serves enterprise-scale clients and integrated mandates far beyond R.W. Holmes' suburban focus.
- Newmark Group: Global CRE services firm with active Boston operations following acquisitions such as Hunneman. Competes directly in suburban Boston office, industrial, and investment sales brokerage.
- Avison Young: Global CRE services firm with Boston operations across brokerage, project management, and advisory. Direct comparison in suburban Boston landlord and tenant representation.
- JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle): Global CRE services firm with full-service brokerage, capital markets, and property management in Boston. Directly comparable in tenant representation, landlord representation, and investment sales activity for office and industrial product in the Greater Boston metro.
- Colliers International: Global CRE services and investment management firm with a Boston office covering office, industrial, and life sciences brokerage. Comparable in service mix and tenant/landlord representation offerings.
- NAI Global: Global CRE brokerage network of independent owner-operated firms, organizationally aligned with NAIOP affiliations held by R.W. Holmes. Comparable in commercial brokerage delivery model and suburban industrial/office focus.
Regional players
- The Bulfinch Companies: Boston-area real estate investment, development, and management firm active in suburban office, lab, and mixed-use product. Comparable as a regional peer operating in many of the same Greater Boston submarkets where R.W. Holmes brokers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
R.W. Holmes social profiles
Digital presenceR.W. Holmes financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
R.W. Holmes leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
R.W. Holmes funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
R.W. Holmes 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 R.W. Holmes
What does R.W. Holmes do?
R.W. Holmes is a commercial real estate brokerage firm providing tenant representation, landlord representation, investment sales and acquisitions, advisory services, and asset and property management. The firm serves property owners, investors, and occupiers across Greater Boston's suburban office, industrial, flex, and lab markets, earning commissions on lease and sale transactions along with advisory fees. Founded in 1976, the firm operates as a family-led, independent brokerage focused on long-term client partnerships rather than transactional volume.
Is R.W. Holmes a public or private company?
R.W. Holmes is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was R.W. Holmes founded?
R.W. Holmes was founded in 1976. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is R.W. Holmes based?
R.W. Holmes is headquartered in Wayland, United States, in the North America region.
How does R.W. Holmes make money?
One revenue line is on record: commercial Real Estate Brokerage.
Who are R.W. Holmes's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lincoln Property Company and Boston Realty Advisors. Broad incumbents are Cushman & Wakefield, CBRE Group, Newmark Group, Avison Young, JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle), Colliers International and NAI Global. The Bulfinch Companies is listed as a regional player.
Does R.W. Holmes have an API?
No public API is recorded for R.W. Holmes.
What industry is R.W. Holmes in?
R.W. Holmes's product category is Commercial Real Estate Brokerage. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJABAJ, Tenant Representation & Corporate Services Brokerage, with a secondary code of FSAEAJAB, Commercial Real Estate Brokerage (Leasing & Sales). Its NAICS code is 53121 and its SIC code is 6531.