IRB Real Estate

What IRB Real Estate does

IRB Real Estate is a privately held, boutique commercial real estate and property management firm headquartered at Two Brattle Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1981 as Ingram, Rettig and Beaty and rebranded to its current form in 2017 following the 2016 sale of its residential division, the firm operates two integrated lines of business: full-service property management for commercial investment properties and luxury condominium complexes, and commercial real estate brokerage representing landlords, tenants, sellers, and buyers across Greater Boston.

The firm manages a portfolio of historic and converted Cambridge and Somerville assets — Two Brattle Square (30,000 SF), Brickyard Office Park (60,000 SF), Bulfinch Square (70,000 SF), and Carr Schoolhouse Condominiums (20 units) — providing maintenance, financial reporting, tenant liaison, and capital improvement supervision. Its commercial brokerage practice, led by Senior Vice President Thomas W. Johnson, handles office, retail, and restaurant leasing and sales transactions ranging from 1,000 to 60,000 SF. Revenue is generated through managed-services fees on owned and third-party managed properties and through transaction commissions on brokerage deals.

IRB employs approximately 8 staff across leadership, finance, administration, and maintenance, and pursues a deliberately limited client acquisition model that prioritizes service quality over scale. The firm has no proprietary technology platform and relies on traditional channels (website, regional listing services, direct mailings, professional photography) for customer acquisition. Industry recognition includes repeated leasing honors from the Greater Boston Real Estate Board's commercial division and membership in BOMA and CREW.

Name

IRB Real Estate

Legal name

IRB Real Estate

Website

https://irb-re.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IRB Real Estate is a privately held Cambridge, MA-based boutique firm providing commercial property management and brokerage services to owners, landlords, tenants, and investors across Greater Boston's Cambridge and Somerville markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Real Estate Services

NAICS

Nonresidential Property Managers (531312), Real Estate Property Managers (53131), Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (531210), Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (53121)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Operators Of Nonresidential Buildings (6512)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAJAMAB

Commercial Real Estate Asset Management

Business & Public Services/Real Estate Services (Brokerage, Property Management)/Real Estate Asset & Portfolio Management

SECONDARYFSAEAJAB

Commercial Real Estate Brokerage (Leasing & Sales)

Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/Real Estate Advisory & Brokerage

Keywords

• Commercial property management
• Commercial real estate brokerage
• Commercial leasing services
• Tenant representation
• Condominium property management

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

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, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Property Management Services: Full-service property management for commercial investment properties and luxury condominium complexes. Revenue generated through ongoing management fees for services including maintenance, financial management, tenant liaison, and capital improvements supervision.
2. Commercial Real Estate Brokerage: Exclusive leasing and sales brokerage for commercial properties. Revenue generated through leasing commissions and sales commissions on transactions ranging from 1,000 SF to 60,000 SF. Represents landlords, tenants, sellers, and buyers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IRB Real Estate provides full-service property management for commercial investment properties and luxury condominium complexes in Cambridge and Somerville, handling maintenance, financial management, tenant liaison, and capital improvements. The firm also operates a commercial real estate brokerage division representing landlords, tenants, sellers, and buyers in Greater Boston for office, retail, and restaurant space, with leasing transactions ranging from 1,000 to 60,000 square feet.

Product overview

IRB Real Estate operates as a dual-division company offering property management and commercial real estate services. The property management division handles full-service management of commercial investment properties including luxury condominium complexes and commercial properties in Cambridge and Somerville, covering maintenance, financial management, tenant relations, and capital improvements. The commercial real estate division provides leasing and sales brokerage services, representing landlords, tenants, sellers and buyers in Greater Boston for office, retail, and restaurant spaces, with deals ranging from 1,000 to 60,000 square feet. The company manages a portfolio of distinct commercial and residential properties including Two Brattle Square, Brickyard Office Park, Bulfinch Square, and Carr Schoolhouse Condominiums.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Property Management Services Full-service property management for commercial investment properties and luxury condominium complexes in Cambridge and Somerville, including maintenance, financial management, tenant relations, capital improvements supervision, and 24/7 urgent support. Designed for commercial property owners, landlords, and HOAs seeking to protect and enhance property value.
• Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Exclusive leasing and sales brokerage for commercial properties in Greater Boston, representing landlords, tenants, sellers, and buyers. Transactions range from 1,000 to 60,000 square feet and include office, retail, restaurant, R&D, and biotech space. Services include creative advertising, professional photography, listing sheets, targeted direct mailings, regional listing service inclusion, showings, and detailed leasing proposals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Improved tenant retention through proactive property management
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Greater Boston Real Estate Board (BOMA)minorOthersIRB's property management division is a member of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board's Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), providing networking and professional development opportunities in the commercial real estate community.
• Commercial Real Estate for Women (CREW)minorOthersIRB's property management division is a member of Commercial Real Estate for Women (CREW), a professional organization supporting women in commercial real estate.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• CBRE Group: Global commercial real estate services firm offering property management, leasing, and investment sales across all major asset classes. Comparable to IRB as the dominant broad incumbent serving the same Cambridge/Greater Boston commercial landlord and tenant base, but at vastly greater scale and with proprietary technology platforms.
• Cushman & Wakefield: Global commercial real estate services firm with property management, agency leasing, and investment sales. Overlaps with IRB's commercial brokerage and property management offerings and actively competes for the same office and mixed-use landlord relationships in the Boston market.
• JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle): Global real estate services and investment management firm providing property management, leasing, and capital markets advisory. Competes directly with IRB for institutional landlord mandates in Boston and provides a useful benchmark for scaled full-service commercial real estate operations.

Direct peers

• Lincoln Property Company: National commercial property management and real estate services firm with a strong office and mixed-use portfolio. Comparable to IRB in its property management focus on commercial investment properties, though operating at meaningfully larger scale.
• Marcus & Millichap: Commercial real estate investment sales and financing firm focused on investment property transactions. Comparable to IRB's commercial brokerage in servicing owners and investors seeking to buy or sell commercial and investment properties.
• Colliers International: Commercial real estate services firm with property management, landlord representation, and tenant representation. Most comparable to IRB in business model mix (PM + brokerage), though at significantly larger scale and with broader geographic coverage.
• Newmark Group: Commercial real estate advisory and services firm providing leasing, investment sales, and property management. Directly comparable service mix to IRB and a relevant competitor for office landlord mandates in the Boston region.

Regional players

• NAI Hunneman: Greater Boston commercial real estate firm offering brokerage, property management, and consulting. Closest regional peer to IRB, competing head-to-head for the same Cambridge/Boston landlord and tenant relationships with a similar service-line mix.
• Richards Barry Joyce & Partners: Boston-based commercial real estate brokerage focused on office and investment property leasing and sales. Directly comparable to IRB's commercial brokerage division and competes for similar landlord and tenant mandates in Cambridge and Greater Boston.
• Boston Realty Advisors: Boston-based commercial real estate investment sales and leasing firm. Comparable to IRB's commercial division for office and mixed-use investment property transactions, and competes for the same Greater Boston institutional and private owner relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/irb-real-estate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 IRB Real Estate