What Compass Commercial does

Compass Commercial, LLC is a privately held, woman-owned commercial real estate brokerage founded in 2010 and headquartered at 880 W. Long Lake, Suite 225, Troy, Michigan. The firm exclusively represents tenants and buyers of commercial real estate, deliberately declining to take landlord listings in order to eliminate conflicts of interest. Service lines span office, industrial, medical office, and retail space, with the largest disclosed accounts being the Federal Government (largest customer as of 2021), the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (second-largest, 100 US/Canada locations, $13M in rent reductions over six years), and the State of Michigan (contract won 2013 in a competitive bid against national firms).

The firm's product surface is intentionally lean and human-capital-driven rather than technology-driven. Core deliverables are tenant representation, buyer/purchase representation, lease renewals and relocations, market analysis, lease administration (abstracts, tax and operating audits), and surplus property analysis. The only proprietary technology disclosed is a Space Calculator web tool for space-needs assessment, supported by two Amazon-published reference books ('Do You Speak Lease?' and 'Do You Speak Purchase?'). International reach is provided through the ITRA Global affiliate network.

Commercially, Compass operates a sales-led, relationship-driven go-to-market: clients are acquired through referrals, Troy Chamber of Commerce networking, thought-leadership content (59+ blog pages, podcast appearances, press in Crain's Detroit Business and Corp! Magazine), and direct outreach. Revenue is generated primarily through transaction commissions paid by landlords or sellers upon lease or sale execution, with a secondary stream of consulting and site selection fees billed as separate engagements. The firm reports no external funding, no institutional investors, and full founder control by Lynn Drake, who has completed 1,400+ (updated to 1,500+ as of 2026) real estate transactions over a 35+ year career.

Name

Compass Commercial

Legal name

Compass Commercial, LLC

Website

https://compass-commercial.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Compass Commercial is a woman-owned, Troy, Michigan-based commercial real estate brokerage founded in 2010 that exclusively represents tenants and buyers (never landlords) in office, industrial, medical, and retail transactions across Metro Detroit and nationally via the ITRA Global network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Services

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)

akta.pro primary industry

Tenant Representation & Corporate Services Brokerage (BPAJABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Commercial Real Estate Brokerage (Leasing & Sales) (FSAEAJAB)

Keywords

• Tenant representation services
• Commercial real estate brokerage
• Buyer representation services
• Commercial lease negotiation
• Corporate real estate advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Troy

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

Revenue model

1. Commission-based Tenant Representation (Landlord/Seller Paid): In most transactions, Compass Commercial's fees are paid by the landlord or seller. This is a standard commercial real estate brokerage model where the representing broker earns a commission from the property owner/landlord upon lease execution or transaction closing.
2. Consulting and Site Selection Services: The firm also offers consulting and site selection services for clients who want expert guidance before committing to a lease or purchase. These are separate fee arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Compass Commercial exclusively represents tenants and buyers of commercial real estate, providing conflict-free representation in leasing, purchasing, lease renewals, and relocations of office, industrial, medical, retail, and flex space. The firm combines transaction representation with structured market research, multiple-property tours, competitive cash flow analysis, lease administration, and international reach via the ITRA Global network. A proprietary Space Calculator helps clients size requirements before initiating a search.

Product overview

Compass Commercial offers a unified suite of commercial real estate services focused exclusively on representing tenants and buyers. The core offering centers on Tenant Representation Services combined with specialized property-type services (Corporate Office, Industrial Space, and Medical Office). Supporting services include Real Estate Market Analysis, Lease Management (lease abstracts, audits, administration), Surplus Property Analysis, and International Services via ITRA Global partnership. The company also provides proprietary tools including the Space Calculator for space needs assessment and publishes educational books ('Do You Speak Lease?' and 'Do You Speak Purchase?'). Their service model emphasizes conflict-free representation exclusively for tenants/buyers rather than landlords.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tenant Representation Services Exclusive conflict-free representation of tenants and buyers in commercial real estate transactions, including leasing, purchasing, renewals, and relocations of office, industrial, medical, and retail space in Metro Detroit and through the ITRA Global network.
• Corporate Office Space Services Specialized tenant and buyer representation for organizations seeking corporate office space sized to their headcount, amenity needs, and budget across Metro Detroit and nationally.
• Industrial Space Services Tenant and buyer representation for industrial properties including warehouses, distribution centers, manufacturing plants, and flex buildings, with expertise in zoning, ceiling heights, power requirements, and contractor-yard use.
• Medical Office Space Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 50% savings on real estate costs for clients
• +19 more outcomes

Named customers23 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 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.

• ITRA GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerITRA Global (International Tenant Representation Alliance) is a network of independent tenant representation firms operating in multiple countries. Compass Commercial is the Detroit/ITRA Global member, providing international reach for clients needing commercial real estate representation outside the US. The partnership enables access to off-market properties and local market expertise globally through affiliate relationships in Australia, Singapore, UK, and other markets. Compass uses the ITRA network to find properties and leverage affiliate contacts for transactions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• CRESA: CRESA is one of the largest pure-play tenant representation firms in North America, occupying the same conflict-free tenant-rep niche as Compass Commercial but at significantly greater scale.
• The Ekstrom Group / Equis (tenant representation): Lynn Drake worked at Equis before founding Compass Commercial. Equis (and successor firms) operates the same exclusive tenant/buyer representation model nationally, making them the closest direct peer in business model and positioning.
• ITRA Global Affiliates: ITRA Global member firms operate the same exclusive tenant/buyer representation model in markets like Australia, Singapore, and the UK. They are the firm's network peers delivering international tenant representation under a shared affiliation.

Regional players

• Friedman Real Estate: Friedman Real Estate is a Michigan-headquartered commercial real estate services firm with offices across the Midwest. They offer tenant representation services in the same Metro Detroit geography as Compass Commercial.
• Signature Associates: Signature Associates is a Michigan-based commercial real estate firm serving the same Metro Detroit market. They offer tenant representation alongside landlord services and represent a regional competitor with overlapping geography.

Broad incumbents

• NAI Global Member Firms: NAI Global is a large commercial real estate brokerage network with strong Detroit presence. They offer tenant representation alongside landlord representation, making them a broader incumbent rather than a pure-play peer.
• CBRE Group: CBRE is the largest global commercial real estate services firm and competes for the largest enterprise tenant representation mandates. They are the dominant incumbent that Compass Commercial beats selectively (e.g., State of Michigan 2013) but cannot displace at scale.
• Cushman & Wakefield: Cushman & Wakefield is a top-tier global commercial real estate services firm that competes for the same large enterprise tenant mandates (including government and healthcare) that Compass Commercial targets, though with much broader landlord-side and capital markets offerings.
• Colliers International: Colliers is a major global commercial real estate services firm offering tenant representation as part of a broader services portfolio. They are a competing incumbent for mid-market and enterprise tenant mandates in the same client segments Compass Commercial serves.
• JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle): JLL is a global commercial real estate services giant with a large tenant representation practice. They compete for enterprise-level mandates that Compass Commercial targets through ITRA Global, though with vastly greater resources and geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/compass-commercial-llc
• Xx.com/compasscomml
• Facebookfacebook.com/compasscommercialCRE

Compliance3 records

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 Compass Commercial