Cresa

What Cresa does

Cresa is a private commercial real estate firm headquartered in Minneapolis, founded in 1988. The company operates as a commercial real estate brokerage providing tenant representation and strategic advisory services to business occupiers. Its core offering spans leasing transactions, portfolio optimization, lease administration, and capital strategy advisory, delivered through a professional services revenue model tied to transactions and engagements.

Cresa's positioning is built on an exclusive occupier-representation model, deliberately avoiding the dual-agency conflicts of interest common to traditional brokerages that represent both landlords and tenants. The firm serves a horizontal segment of commercial occupiers in the Twin Cities market, with go-to-market executed through enterprise field sales and direct advisory relationships. Pricing and contract structures are not publicly disclosed. Leadership is headed by CEO Tod Lickerman.

In November 2024, Cresa experienced a significant talent event: a 20-person team, including the firm's research and data analytics staff, departed to join Savills under the Savills Minneapolis brand. This represents a material loss of specialized capability for a firm of 11-50 employees. The company remains in operation, but the data does not disclose a replacement strategy or compensating investment in research, technology, or talent, leaving the forward trajectory of the firm dependent on rebuilding or refocusing the remaining team.

Name

Cresa

Website

https://cresa-msp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cresa is a Minneapolis-based commercial real estate firm founded in 1988 that provides tenant representation and strategic advisory services to commercial occupiers in the Twin Cities market, operating under an exclusive occupier-representation model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Real Estate Brokerage

NAICS

Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (53121)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Real Estate Tenant Representation (FSAEAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Real Estate Capital Markets Advisory (Debt/Equity Placement, Refinancing) (BPAJANAE), Commercial Real Estate Asset Management (BPAJAMAB)

Keywords

• Commercial real estate
• Tenant representation
• Occupier services
• Lease administration
• Portfolio advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

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. Commercial Real Estate Brokerage: Cresa operated as a commercial real estate brokerage firm providing tenant representation and strategic advisory services to occupiers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Core offering

Cresa is a commercial real estate firm providing tenant representation and strategic advisory services to business occupiers. Core services cover leasing transactions, lease administration, portfolio optimization, and capital strategy support. The firm positions itself as a dedicated occupier representative, deliberately avoiding the conflicts of interest inherent in dual-agency commercial real estate brokerages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tenant Representation Commercial real estate advisory focused on securing lease and purchase transactions exclusively on behalf of business occupiers, helping clients navigate site selection and lease negotiations while avoiding dual-agency conflicts of interest.
• Strategic Advisory Higher-level consulting that aligns corporate real estate strategy with business objectives for occupiers, addressing occupancy planning, capital strategies, and broader real estate portfolio decisions.
• Lease Administration Ongoing management and administration of lease portfolios on behalf of occupiers, supporting the day-to-day tracking and handling of commercial real estate commitments.
• Portfolio Optimization Analytical and advisory work to optimize corporate real estate portfolios for occupiers, including footprint, cost, and performance considerations.
• Capital Strategies Strategic guidance on capital-related real estate decisions for occupiers, supporting transactions and financial structuring tied to corporate real estate holdings.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SavillsminorOthersSavills acquired a 20-person team from Cresa Minneapolis in November 2024, expanding its Twin Cities presence. The team, which previously handled research and data analytics at Cresa, transitioned to work under the Savills Minneapolis name.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves2 records

Regional players

• NAI Global: Network of regional CRE brokerage firms with strong Midwest presence and tenant/occupier representation services. Comparable as a regional-platform competitor for occupier mandates in the Twin Cities market.

Direct peers

• Lee & Associates: Mid-market commercial real estate brokerage with strong regional office network and tenant/landlord representation practices. Comparable as a regional brokerage competing for the same occupier mandates as Cresa.
• Transwestern: Commercial real estate services firm emphasizing tenant representation, agency leasing, and occupier services across US markets. Directly comparable service mix to Cresa's strategic advisory and tenant rep focus.
• Avison Young: Commercial real estate services firm that originated with a strong occupier representation ethos and competes directly for tenant rep mandates in the same US regional markets as Cresa. Closely comparable business model emphasis.
• Savills: Global CRE services firm with a Minneapolis office that directly absorbed Cresa's 20-person research/analytics team in November 2024. Directly comparable as a CRE advisor competing for the same Twin Cities occupier mandates.

Broad incumbents

• Newmark Group: Commercial real estate services firm with growing occupier services, tenant rep, and capital markets practices. Competitor for enterprise occupier mandates similar to Cresa's focus.
• Cushman & Wakefield: Global CRE services firm with significant tenant representation and occupier services practices across US markets. Overlaps directly with Cresa's core services in leasing, portfolio, and capital strategy advisory.
• CBRE Group: Largest global commercial real estate services firm offering tenant representation, leasing, capital markets, and advisory across all major US markets. Competes with Cresa on enterprise occupier mandates, particularly for multi-regional clients.
• Colliers International: Global CRE services and investment firm with active occupier services and tenant representation practices in the Midwest. Directly comparable for occupier-side advisory and brokerage services.
• JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle): Global CRE services platform with strong occupier outsourcing, tenant representation, and capital markets capabilities. Highly comparable as a full-service competitor pursuing the same strategic advisory and portfolio optimization mandates Cresa targets.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cresa-minneapolis

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 Cresa