Lead generation
Ken is our productLead Generation for Commercial Real Estate
Ken's database lists 174,850 companies that fit the buyer profile for commercial real estate brokers, as of Oct 17, 2026. With a typical deal of $9,000-$75,000 (estimate) and that many buyers, volume outbound in Campaigns fits best.
Buyer counts come from Ken's company database. Ken is our product.
Search These Buyers in Ken
In short 174,850 companies in Ken's database match this buyer filter, as of Oct 17, 2026.
Ken Search
Query
US companies with 20-1,000 employees that lease office, industrial or warehouse space: software, IT services, financial services, consulting, legal, accounting, manufacturing, wholesale and logistics.
- Companies in Ken's database
- 174,850
- 20-50 employees
- 100,993
- 51-200 employees
- 56,881
- 201-500 employees
- 12,687
Snapshot of Oct 17, 2026, refreshed weekly. Counts only, no company records.
Who Buys From Commercial Real Estate Brokers?
In short Companies that are outgrowing, shrinking or renewing office, industrial or retail space hire tenant rep brokers, owners with vacant space hire leasing brokers, and on the tenant side the CEO, COO or CFO signs.
| Buyer trait | Typical buyer |
|---|---|
| Industries | Software development, Financial services, Law practice, Medical practices, Warehousing and storage, Retail, Real estate |
| Company size | 11-50, 51-200, 201-500, 501-1,000 employees |
| Titles to contact | Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Director of Real Estate, Head of People, Asset Manager |
How Many Buyers Can You Reach?
In short 174,850 companies in Ken's database, as of Oct 17, 2026.
174,850 companies in Ken's database match the buyer filter for commercial real estate brokers as of Oct 17, 2026. The filter: US companies with 20-1,000 employees that lease office, industrial or warehouse space: software, IT services, financial services, consulting, legal, accounting, manufacturing, wholesale and logistics.
These are companies in Ken's database (250M people and 24M companies), not every company that exists. The count refreshes weekly.
| Employees | Companies | Share of buyers |
|---|---|---|
| 20-50 | 100,993 | 57.8% |
| 51-200 | 56,881 | 32.5% |
| 201-500 | 12,687 | 7.3% |
| 501-1,000 | 4,289 | 2.5% |
Companies in Ken's database. Bands come from each company's listed employee count.
Plays That Work
In short 5 outbound plays for commercial real estate brokers, each tied to a trigger you can spot.
| Play | Channel | Trigger | Angle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lease in its last two years | The company's lease ends within 12-24 months, based on when local business press reported its move-in or lease signing. | Write to the CFO or COO about testing the renewal offer against comparable space before the landlord sets the terms. | |
| Example first lineBy my count [Company]'s lease ends within two years, which is when a few competing offers do the most to lower the renewal price. | |||
| Raised money and hiring | The company announced a funding round and has 10 or more open roles in one city. | Write to the CEO or COO about space for the hiring plan before the team outgrows the current office. | |
| Example first lineWith [Company] hiring after the raise, the current office may run out of desks before a new lease can be signed and built out. | |||
| Downsizing or going hybrid | The company announced layoffs, a hybrid policy or an office consolidation, or listed space for sublease. | Write to the CFO about subleasing surplus space or cutting square footage at renewal. | |
| Example first lineIf [Company] has more office than people after the reorganization, a sublease or an early restructure with the landlord can take cost off the books this year. | |||
| Hiring in a new city | Email and LinkedIn | Job postings list a new city, or the company announces a regional hub. | Write to the VP of Operations or Head of People when a company starts hiring in a city where it has no office. |
| Example first lineI saw [Company]'s job posts in a market where you don't have an office yet, and I can show you short-term and long-term space options there. | |||
| Owner with vacant space | A space has been listed for six months or more, or the building changed hands. | Write to the owner or asset manager of a building with space that has sat on the market about a new leasing plan for it. | |
| Example first lineThe suite in [Company]'s building has been listed for a while, and I'd like to show you how we would market it to tenants searching that submarket. | |||
Campaigns or 1:1 Accounts?
In short With 174,850 buyers and a typical deal of $9,000-$75,000 (estimate), volume outbound in Campaigns fits best.
| Check | Commercial Real Estate Brokers | Points to Accounts (Coming) when |
|---|---|---|
| Typical deal (estimate) | $9,000-$75,000 (commission on one office lease), midpoint $42,000 | Over $15,000 |
| Buyer companies in Ken's database | 174,850 | Fewer than 25,000 |
| Suggested lane | Campaigns | Both checks pass |
Ken's estimate: an assumed 4% tenant rep fee on 2,000-10,000 sq ft leased for 3-5 years at the $37.58 per sq ft average asking rent in CBRE's Q2 2026 U.S. office report. Fee rates vary by market and deal.
Ken's view: when one deal is worth more than $15,000 and there are fewer than 25,000 buyers, each account is worth researching and writing to one by one. Otherwise volume wins: a Campaign of short email and LinkedIn sequences reaches more of the market for the same effort.
Objections
In short What buyers tend to say back to commercial real estate brokers, and how to answer.
| Objection | How to answer |
|---|---|
| We're not moving. | Plenty of tenant rep work is renewals. I benchmark your landlord's offer against comparable space so you negotiate with numbers, and I'll put in writing how my fee is paid before we start. |
| We'll call the listing broker when we're ready. | The listing broker works for the landlord and is paid to get the landlord's terms. A tenant rep works only for your side of the deal. |
| Our lease isn't up for years. | Then this costs you nothing now. I'll note your expiration date and send a short market update 18-24 months out so you can plan the decision. |
FAQ
How do commercial real estate brokers get clients?
In Ken's view, tenant rep brokers win most mandates through relationships, referrals from attorneys and accountants, and repeat clients at each renewal. Outbound adds companies whose lease timing, hiring or downsizing shows a space decision is coming, often before they think to call a broker.
How early should I contact a tenant before its lease ends?
Reach out 18-24 months before the expiration date. That leaves time to tour, negotiate the renewal against real alternatives and build out new space if the company moves.
Is cold email allowed for licensed brokers?
Brokers follow the same federal email rules as any business; the CAN-SPAM answer below lists them. State real estate commissions can also set advertising rules for licensees, so check yours before you send. This is general information, not legal advice.
Which tenants are worth the time?
Size the deal before you chase it. At the $37.58 per sq ft national average asking rent in CBRE's Q2 2026 report, a 2,000 sq ft office on a 3-year lease is about $225,000 of rent, and your fee grows with the space and the term.
What does the CAN-SPAM Act require of a cold email?
In the US, the CAN-SPAM Act covers commercial email, and the FTC says it makes no exception for business-to-business email. Its requirements: no false or misleading header information, no deceptive subject lines, identify the message as an ad, include your valid physical postal address, tell recipients how to opt out, honor opt-outs within 10 business days, and monitor anyone who sends email on your behalf. Other countries have their own rules. This is general information, not legal advice.
Do This in Ken
Find These Buyers in Ken
Open Ken Search with the buyer filter for commercial real estate brokers, narrow it to your territory and best-fit size, then send the plays above as a Campaign over email and LinkedIn.
- Search companies with this filter: US companies with 20-1,000 employees that lease office, industrial or warehouse space: software, IT services, financial services, consulting, legal, accounting, manufacturing, wholesale and logistics. Searching is free.
- Narrow the list to your territory and size band, then pick the titles to contact: Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer.
- Find valid emails at 1 credit ($0.02) each and add the list to a Campaign.
- Module
- Ken Search
- Open in Ken
- /waitlist
- API
POST /v1/search/companies- MCP tool
search_search_companies- Cost
- Free to search, 1 credit ($0.02) per valid email
The new Ken opens to the waiting list in batches.
Related
Sources
| Source | Checked |
|---|---|
| CBRE, Q2 2026 U.S. Office Market Report | |
| FTC, CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business | |
| Ken pricing (credit costs) |
Changelog
- Page published.