What The McGarey Group does

The McGarey Group is a private, boutique real estate advisory and consulting firm founded in 1993 by F. Denver McGarey and Chris Jennings McGarey, operating as a division of Divaris Group Company. The firm specializes in mixed-use retail development, leasing, and advisory services for institutional owners and major developers across the United States, with prior international work in Japan. Its service catalog spans more than 20 capabilities including fee development, acquisition and disposition, planning and entitlement, design and architectural direction, construction oversight, debt and equity capital sourcing, asset management, property management, leasing oversight, lease negotiation, merchandising direction, market analysis, branding, marketing and PR synchronization, and expert witness advisory. The firm is anchored by a 40-year industry veteran and a core leadership team that includes multiple McGarey family members across senior leasing, operations, and research roles.

The firm's client base is composed of high-caliber institutional and enterprise counterparties including AIG/Jacoby Development, The Carlyle Group, Vestar, University of Southern California, International Speedway Corporation, Williams Jackson Ewing/JLL, The Ellman Companies, DeBartolo Development, O'Neill Properties Group, and Hendricks Commercial Properties. Project engagements have ranged from $25M to $3B in capital expenditure, with an aggregate portfolio exceeding $10B across landmark properties such as Atlantic Station ($3B), USC Village ($800M), Westgate ($325M), Gallery Place ($275M), and One Daytona ($200M). The firm deliberately operates with a small core team (7-10 members) plus national leasing associates across offices in Coronado, CA, Pinehurst, NC, and Raleigh, NC, with services delivered through direct principal-led engagement.

The business model is project-based fee and commission advisory work, with revenue streams across Development Consulting & Advisory Services, Leasing Advisory & Representation, and Asset Management Services. Pricing is bespoke and quote-based per engagement rather than standardized; go-to-market is driven by referrals, decades-long industry relationships, ICSC event participation, and principal-led business development rather than active outbound sales or marketing campaigns. The firm is founder- and family-controlled with no external institutional investors, no public listing, and operates as a privately held professional services boutique under the Divaris Group umbrella.

Name

The McGarey Group

Legal name

The McGarey Group

Website

https://themcgareygroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The McGarey Group is a private, boutique real estate advisory firm founded in 1993 that provides mixed-use retail development, leasing, and asset management services to institutional owners, major developers, universities, and entertainment venue operators across the United States, operating as a division of Divaris Group Company.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

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

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Property Management Advisory & Leasing Administration (FSAEAJAN)

Keywords

• Mixed-use retail leasing
• Real estate advisory
• Retail development consulting
• Leasing strategy
• Asset management

Headquarters

HQ city

Pinehurst

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Development Consulting & Advisory Services: Fee-based consulting services for developers and institutional owners of mixed-use retail projects, including planning, merchandising, leasing direction, and project execution support.
2. Leasing Advisory & Representation: National leasing advisor and exclusive retail consultant services for major developments, working on commission or fee basis to secure tenants and execute lease plans for retail, entertainment, and mixed-use properties.
3. Asset Management Services: Asset management and maximization services for institutional owners, including property management, leasing oversight, marketing, and operations direction.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The McGarey Group is a fee-based real estate advisory and consulting firm specializing in mixed-use retail development, leasing, and asset management. The firm supports institutional owners, developers, and university clients across the full project lifecycle, including site evaluation, market analysis, leasing strategy, tenant representation, merchandising direction, and ongoing asset management. Its work spans town centers, downtown districts, sports and entertainment venues, and university-affiliated retail projects.

Product overview

The McGarey Group is a real estate advisory and consulting firm specializing in mixed-use retail development, leasing, and management services. The company offers a comprehensive suite of professional services including fee development, acquisition and disposition, planning and entitlement, design direction, construction oversight, capital sourcing, asset management, property management, leasing oversight, lease negotiation, merchandising direction, market analysis, branding, marketing, and expert witness advisory. Rather than a software product with modules, the company operates as a service-based consultancy where these individual service offerings are deployed in combination to serve institutional owners and developers across major projects throughout the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully executed projects with aggregate capital expenditures exceeding $10 billion
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Divaris GroupcoreOthersThe McGarey Group is identified as 'a Divaris Group Company' on their website, indicating a parent-subsidiary or affiliated company relationship within the Divaris organization.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle): Global commercial real estate services platform with a major retail leasing practice that has co-leased properties McGarey has worked on (e.g., Grand Central Terminal, Union Station). Comparable as a competing advisor on institutional mixed-use leasing mandates, though vastly broader in scope, headcount, and geographies.
• CBRE Group: Largest global CRE services firm with a deep retail occupier and investor services practice. Competes with McGarey for institutional mixed-use leasing and tenant representation mandates, offering much broader capital markets and advisory capabilities at scale.
• Cushman & Wakefield: Global CRE services firm with a sizable retail leasing practice serving institutional owners and developers. Direct overlap with McGarey on trophy mixed-use advisory and tenant representation engagements, with broader geographic and service-line reach.
• Colliers International: Global CRE services and investment management firm with active retail occupier and owner representation practices. Competes on similar institutional mixed-use leasing mandates with broader service-line scale than McGarey's boutique model.
• Newmark Group: Public CRE services firm with national retail leasing and capital markets capabilities. Competes for institutional mixed-use advisory assignments similar to McGarey's, with additional investment sales and structured finance services.

Direct peers

• KLNB Retail: Mid-Atlantic-based retail real estate services firm specializing in tenant and landlord representation, leasing, and advisory for shopping centers and mixed-use destinations. Direct competitor on regional trophy mixed-use mandates analogous to McGarey's portfolio.
• Mid-America Real Estate Corporation: Specialty retail investment and leasing firm focused on shopping centers and mixed-use retail in the Midwest and nationally. Direct competitor for institutional retail leasing and tenant advisory mandates of similar scope to McGarey's projects.
• SRS Real Estate Partners: Specialty retail-only CRE services firm providing leasing, investment sales, and advisory to institutional and private retail property owners. Closest direct peer to McGarey given the exclusive focus on retail and mixed-use owner representation.
• The Shopping Center Group: Boutique retail-specialized CRE firm providing leasing, management, and advisory for institutional and private retail landlords across the Sunbelt. Closely comparable niche focus and scale to McGarey's mixed-use retail leasing practice.

Others

• Divaris Real Estate (Divaris Group): Parent company of The McGarey Group; a diversified Mid-Atlantic CRE services firm offering brokerage, property management, and project services. Comparable as a related entity but serves as McGarey's corporate parent rather than a direct external competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-mcgarey-group-incorporated

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 The McGarey Group