Cogent Realty Advisors

What Cogent Realty Advisors does

Cogent Realty Advisors, Inc. is a New York City commercial real estate brokerage founded in 2002 by Mitchell Waldman, specializing exclusively in tenant representation. Unlike dual-agency brokerages, the firm works solely on behalf of tenants (business owners leasing office, loft, and retail space), eliminating conflicts of interest inherent in representing both landlords and tenants. The firm operates on a no-fee-to-tenant model; commissions are paid by the landlord as is standard in commercial real estate, so the service is free at point of use for the client.

The service offering spans the full tenant-rep workflow: requirement analysis, market research and rent benchmarking, building shortlisting, inspection tour scheduling, lease negotiation, renewal renegotiation, sublease/assignment marketing, and acquisition/disposition of commercial properties. Supporting tools include an Office Space Calculator (web-based footprint estimator) and a content library (market reports, neighborhood guides, blog posts) on rentnyoffice.com that drives inbound lead generation. The firm uses CoStar as its market data backbone and holds membership in the Tenant Rep Channel (TRC), the largest independent global network of tenant representatives, enabling referral-based international coverage.

Revenue mechanics are entirely commission-based on closed lease and sale transactions; there is no disclosed subscription, retainer, or technology licensing revenue. Customer mix is horizontal across NYC mid-market and SMB tenants, with named logos spanning law firms (Garson & Jakub, Joseph & Norinsberg), financial services (Higher Bridge Capital, B Americas P&I), VC (Full In Venture Partners), green energy (RIC Energy), fintech (BitInstant), and architecture practices. The firm is founder-owned, privately held, bootstrapped with no external funding, and operates from a single Midtown Manhattan office at 260 Madison Avenue with a headcount of 1-10.

Name

Cogent Realty Advisors

Legal name

Cogent Realty Advisors, Inc.

Website

https://rentnyoffice.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cogent Realty Advisors is a New York City tenant-representation commercial real estate brokerage founded in 2002 by Mitchell Waldman, exclusively serving businesses leasing office space on a no-fee-to-tenant basis with landlord-paid commissions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Real Estate Brokerage (Tenant Representation)

NAICS

Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (5312), Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (53121)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Real Estate (6500)

akta.pro primary industry

Tenant Representation & Corporate Services Brokerage (BPAJABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Real Estate Tenant Representation (FSAEAJAF), Capital Markets Advisory (Equity Placement, JV & Recapitalization) (BPAJABAL)

Keywords

• Commercial tenant representation
• NYC office leasing
• Lease renewal negotiation
• Office sublease marketing
• Commercial real estate brokerage

Headquarters

HQ city

New City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tenant Representation Brokerage Commissions: Commission-based brokerage for commercial office leasing. In commercial leases, the landlord pays the broker fee which is already built into the rent structure. Tenants pay no fees when using the service. The company represents only tenants (not building owners), avoiding conflicts of interest present in dual-agency arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cogent Realty Advisors is an independent, licensed commercial real estate brokerage that represents business tenants exclusively in the New York City office market. Core services include leasing offices, lofts, and retail spaces; negotiating lease renewals and renegotiating lease terms; marketing surplus space via sublease or assignment; and buying and selling commercial properties. The firm is a no-fee tenant representative, with the landlord paying the standard broker commission that is already built into lease economics.

Product overview

Cogent Realty Advisors operates as a tenant-exclusive commercial real estate broker offering a unified suite of services centered on NYC office leasing. The core offering is Tenant Representation Services, through which they represent business tenants exclusively (not building owners) to find and negotiate office leases. Supporting this are tools including an Office Space Calculator for space needs assessment, Property Guides providing market intelligence and leasing guidance, and a Global Offices Network for international tenant representation. All services are positioned as 'no fee' to tenants, with landlord fees covering broker compensation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tenant Representation Services
• Global Offices Network (TRC Referrals)

Quantifiable outcome

• Managed four relocations for a law firm over 19 years, including negotiated long-term lease at 29 Broadway at favorable pricing

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Tenant Rep Channel (TRC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTRC is the largest independent group of tenant representatives in the world. Cogent Realty is a member in good standing, providing access to a global network of qualified tenant representation professionals across North America, Europe, and Australia. Clients needing office space in other cities can be referred to trusted partners worldwide.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Cresa: Cresa is the largest purely tenant-representation commercial real estate firm in the world, advising corporate occupiers exclusively. It mirrors Cogent's conflict-free tenant-only model and serves overlapping client segments (law firms, financial services, tech companies) across major metros.
• SquareFoot: SquareFoot is a tech-enabled NYC-focused commercial office leasing platform that connects tenants with available space and brokers. It overlaps with Cogent in NYC office leasing for SMEs and startups, but differentiates through a digital marketplace layer rather than pure boutique brokerage.

Broad incumbents

• CBRE Group: CBRE is the world's largest commercial real estate services firm with a substantial NYC tenant-representation practice. While much broader in scope (capital markets, valuation, property management), CBRE competes for the same enterprise tenant-rep mandates that Cogent targets.
• JLL: JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle) is a global commercial real estate services firm offering tenant representation, capital markets, and property management. Its NYC tenant-rep team directly competes for corporate occupier mandates alongside Cogent.
• Cushman & Wakefield: Cushman & Wakefield provides global commercial real estate services including tenant representation, agency leasing, and capital markets. Its NYC occupier services compete directly with Cogent for mid-market and enterprise office leasing engagements.
• Newmark Group: Newmark is a global CRE services firm with a strong NYC presence and dedicated tenant-representation practice. It competes with Cogent for office leasing mandates, particularly from financial services and law firm clients.
• Colliers International: Colliers is a global commercial real estate services and investment firm with tenant-representation services across major US markets. Its NYC occupier services overlap with Cogent's target client base.
• Savills: Savills is a global real estate services firm offering tenant representation, advisory, and management services. Its NYC office-leasing practice competes with Cogent for cross-border corporate occupier mandates.

Regional players

• Transwestern Commercial Services: Transwestern is a privately held commercial real estate firm with regional offices and tenant-representation services. While US-focused with NYC presence, its geographic concentration differs from global incumbents and overlaps with boutique tenant-rep firms like Cogent.

Emerging players

• VTS: VTS is a CRE technology platform that provides leasing management, tenant experience, and broker workflow tools used by landlord- and tenant-side brokerage firms. It is an ecosystem-adjacent player whose platforms increasingly shape how tenant-rep brokers source and manage deals.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cogent-realty-advisors-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Cogent Realty Advisors