What Principal Real Estate Partners does

Principal Real Estate Partners, LLC is a privately held commercial real estate advisory firm founded in 2009 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Operating with 1–10 employees, the firm offers a consultative, advisory-led service suite spanning tenant representation, acquisition advisory, asset disposition, site development, leasing, and commercial brokerage for corporations, investors, developers, and individual clients. Its Acquisition Advisory Division has completed over $155 million in transactions, and the firm differentiates from traditional brokers by leading transactions from strategy through close rather than simply presenting deals.

The firm has built a niche specialization in digital infrastructure real estate, providing data center site selection, lease and colocation negotiation, RFP development, and dedicated advisory for data centers, controlled environment agriculture, EV charging, selected manufacturing, and crypto/blockchain solutions. Founder Michael Shaw brings over 20 years of CRE experience, including prior operating roles at NextEra Energy Resources, GIGA Data Centers, T5 Data Centers, and DuPont Fabros Technology, and concurrently leads Cielo Digital Infrastructure and sits on the SETC Board of Advisors. Current engagements include a Solar Energy Project and Data Center Land Development work.

Revenue is generated through transaction commissions on completed deals and negotiated advisory fees on a per-engagement basis; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is direct, consultative field sales to enterprise clients, supported by a national network of tenants, brokers, equity clients, and construction partners. The firm has no disclosed proprietary technology platform, operates as a traditional advisory practice, and has no disclosed subsidiaries, funding rounds, or institutional ownership.

Name

Principal Real Estate Partners

Legal name

Principal Real Estate Partners, LLC

Website

https://principalrep.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Principal Real Estate Partners is a privately held Atlanta-based commercial real estate advisory firm offering tenant representation, acquisition, disposition, site development, and leasing services to corporations, investors, and developers, with a specialized digital infrastructure and data center real estate practice.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Real Estate Advisory Services

NAICS

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 industries

Investment Sales Brokerage (BPAJABAI), Real Estate Capital Markets Advisory (Debt/Equity Placement, Refinancing) (BPAJANAE), Commercial Real Estate Brokerage (Leasing & Sales) (FSAEAJAB)

Keywords

• Commercial real estate advisory
• Tenant representation services
• CRE brokerage leasing
• Data center site selection
• Acquisition disposition advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

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. Commercial Real Estate Brokerage: Acting as intermediaries between buyers and sellers or landlords and tenants to identify suitable properties, negotiate contracts, and close commercial real estate deals. Revenue is generated through commissions on completed transactions.
2. Advisory Services: Consultative advisory services including tenant representation, acquisition and disposition advisory, site development advisory, and leasing services. Provided on a fee or commission basis tailored to client engagements.
3. Digital Infrastructure Advisory: Specialized advisory services for data centers, CEA, EV charging, selected manufacturing, crypto and blockchain solutions. Revenue generated through advisory fees for complex digital infrastructure transactions.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Principal Real Estate Partners is a commercial real estate advisory firm that provides tenant representation, acquisition and disposition advisory, site development advisory, leasing, commercial property listing services, and specialized data center / digital infrastructure real estate services. Revenue is generated primarily through brokerage commissions on closed transactions and advisory fees on consulting engagements, delivered through a consultative, relationship-driven approach led by its founder and executive team.

Product overview

Principal Real Estate Partners is a commercial real estate advisory firm offering a comprehensive suite of services organized into core advisory offerings (Tenant Representation, Acquisition Advisory, Disposition Advisory, Site Development Advisory, Leasing Services, Property Listing Services) and specialized offerings (Data Center Services, Digital Infrastructure Advisory). The firm also undertakes specific projects including Solar Energy Projects and Data Center Land Development. All services are delivered through a consultative approach from initial strategy through transaction execution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tenant Representation Advisory services for tenants with office, retail, and industrial leases and lease renewals, including strategic planning, market surveys, site selection, lease negotiations, and ongoing support aimed at lowering real estate costs and improving occupancy control.
• Acquisition Advisory Consultative advisory services for acquiring commercial real estate, including property valuation, investment return analysis, due diligence (lease abstraction, operating expense auditing, environmental investigation), and transaction negotiation.
• Disposition Advisory Proactive marketing and disposition services for commercial assets, including sale-leaseback transactions and off-balance-sheet financing structures, leveraging existing relationships while maintaining confidentiality.
• Site Development Advisory Comprehensive development advisory from initial concept through construction and lease-up, specializing in site location analysis, highest and best use analysis, development strategy, market feasibility, and due diligence services.
• Leasing Services Customized leasing programs focused on optimizing cash flows, increasing asset values, and minimizing risks, using a proactive marketing approach with selective engagement acceptance.
• Data Center Services Specialized data center real estate services including site selection, lease/colocation agreement negotiation, RFP development, and strategic optimization, grounded in over 12 years of tenant representation experience.
• Digital Infrastructure Advisory Advisory services for digital infrastructure including data centers, controlled environment agriculture (CEA), EV charging, selected manufacturing, and crypto and blockchain solutions.
• Property Listing Services Commercial property listing services providing exposure for properties available for rent or purchase, including price, location, size, features, and zoning information.

Quantifiable outcome

• $155+ million in completed transactions through Acquisition Advisory Services Division
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• ArcominorOthersPartner logo displayed on company website. Nature of partnership not explicitly described in available source material.
• Arroyo InvestorsminorOthersPartner logo displayed on company website. Nature of partnership not explicitly described in available source material.
• EdgeCoreminorOthersPartner logo displayed on company website. Nature of partnership not explicitly described in available source material.
• EnercominorOthersPartner logo displayed on company website. Nature of partnership not explicitly described in available source material.
• McCalla (MRLP)minorOthersPartner logo displayed on company website. Nature of partnership not explicitly described in available source material.
• SNGminorOthersPartner logo displayed on company website. Nature of partnership not explicitly described in available source material.
• BMminorOthersPartner logo displayed on company website. Nature of partnership not explicitly described in available source material.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Cushman & Wakefield: Global commercial real estate services firm offering brokerage, valuation, asset services, and data center advisory. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping tenant representation and acquisition/disposition capabilities.
• JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle): Global real estate services firm with a strong data center advisory practice and full-service tenant representation, capital markets, and project management offerings. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing in the same CRE advisory space.
• CBRE Group: The largest global commercial real estate services platform with dedicated advisory, brokerage, and data center solutions practices. Serves as the dominant incumbent that boutique CRE advisors like Principal Real Estate Partners compete against for enterprise mandates.

Direct peers

• Newmark Group: Commercial real estate services firm specializing in tenant representation, capital markets, and advisory for office, industrial, and data center properties. Directly comparable in CRE advisory service mix and target client segments.
• NAI Global: Global commercial real estate brokerage network offering tenant representation, landlord representation, investment sales, and property management. Comparable as a peer CRE advisory platform serving corporate, investor, and developer clients.
• Avison Young: Commercial real estate services company focused on advisory, brokerage, and property management with strong tenant and owner representation capabilities. Comparable as a competing advisory platform serving similar corporate and investor clients.
• Colliers International: Global commercial real estate advisory and brokerage firm providing tenant representation, capital markets, and project management services. Closely comparable on advisory-led CRE services for corporate, investor, and developer clients.
• Lee & Associates: Commercial real estate brokerage and advisory firm serving owners, investors, and tenants across office, industrial, retail, and specialty property types. Comparable as a competing advisory-led brokerage with similar service lines.

Emerging players

• T5 Data Centers: Data center developer and operator where the firm's founder previously held a senior role. Adjacent rather than directly competing, but highly relevant in the digital infrastructure space the firm specializes in advising.
• EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure: Wholesale data center developer and operator listed as a partner on the firm's website. Not a direct competitor, but represents the kind of digital infrastructure operator ecosystem the firm's advisory practice is built around.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/principal-real-estate-partners

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 Principal Real Estate Partners