Commercial real estate in Boca Raton shows a stark split. Class A offices carry a 13.8 percent vacancy and ask nearly $53 per square foot (Cushman & Wakefield, Q4 2025). Industrial space, by contrast, sits at 7.9 percent vacancy with nets around $13.68 per square foot (C&W, Q4 2025). That spread is why your search for the best real estate brokerage in Boca Raton should start with asset class, not brand. Florida’s 2024 rule now requires a written buyer- or tenant-representation agreement before you tour any MLS listing, raising the transparency bar. Use this guide to compare eight brokerages—by specialty, deal size, and sub-market fit—so you can line up interviews with confidence.
1. SquareFoot Homes at Seawinds Realty: best when your commercial move also means buying a home
SquareFoot Homes answers both business logistics and lifestyle questions in a single call. The West Palm Beach–based team closed 23 residential sales in the past 12 months (136 all time), ranging from $42 k condos to $9 M waterfront estates, and holds a 4.7/5 Zillow rating. Because its agents work under Seawinds Realty, you get full MLS reach, plus advisers who understand lease abstracts, reserve studies, and 1031 timelines—even though SquareFoot doesn’t publish standalone commercial volume.
If club-equity dues matter as much as triple-net rent, study their Whisper Walk primer first. The 1,446-home 55-plus community details nine lakes, multiple clubhouses, and HOA fees that fold in lawn care, pools, and basic cable-numbers many brokers gloss over. That cost clarity is why clients tag SquareFoot Homes as the top real estate agent in Boca Raton.
SquareFoot Homes Whisper Walk Boca Raton community screenshot.
Choose SquareFoot Homes when success means relocating both company and family without hiring separate brokers.
2. CBRE: best when you need the full institutional toolkit
CBRE’s Palm Beach County office at 5100 Town Center Cir., Suite 520, Boca Raton, brings capital-markets, debt, workplace-strategy, and project-management specialists together under one roof. Globally, CBRE has topped MSCI’s investment-sales ranking for 15 straight years, controlling 25 percent of 2025 worldwide deal volume (according to a CBRE press release).
Local proof points:
- December 16, 2024 – $20 M sale of the 93,219 square-foot Boca Corporate Center (seller representation and financing)
- August 8, 2024 – 355,247 square-foot “North 40” office portfolio awarded to CBRE for leasing
CBRE researchers publish quarterly Palm Beach figures, and debt advisers quote live lender spreads, so your underwriting reflects today’s rates rather than stale averages.
Ask Boca leadership for three closings from the past 18 months and name the senior broker who will own your file; with that information in hand, CBRE delivers scale without sacrificing local focus.
3. Cushman & Wakefield: best for office occupiers that want negotiating muscle and capital-markets brains
Cushman & Wakefield’s Boca Raton office (5100 Town Center Cir.) focuses on occupier strategy. Senior Director Ryan Phillips, hired December 12, 2025, has represented more than 3 million square feet of tenant deals nationwide over 17 years (company announcement).
Recent local proof:
- October 2025 – 42,697 square-foot lease for All Star Recruiting Locums LLC at BRiC, Yamato Road (tenant representation, rate undisclosed)
- December 2025 – $83 M sale of Polo Club Shops in Boca Raton to Publix Super Markets (capital-markets team)
Phillips’ team arrives with current sublease comparisons, tenant-improvement escalation tables, and break-even occupancy models that mirror lender underwriting. They also loop in Cushman’s debt and equity desk to test whether a purchase, synthetic sale-leaseback, or straight lease gives you the lowest cost of capital.
During your interview, ask for three Boca tenant deals closed since January 2025, with effective rent and concession details. If those figures match your pro forma, you’ve found real leverage.
4. Colliers: best for tech-centric office leasing and campus redevelopments
Colliers speaks the language of FAU-adjacent landlords and research-driven tenants. On March 12, 2025, its South Florida team won the 282,249 square-foot Research Park at FAU leasing mandate (company news release). Since then the brokers have guided lab and AI start-up tours that rarely appear on mainstream office radars.
Recent Boca evidence:
- January 6, 2026 – Aletto Offices at Sanborn Square: Colliers secured early leases that helped the 140,000 square-foot downtown redevelopment land a $74 M construction loan (local business journal)
- February 2026 – 1200 Corporate Place (137,000 square feet) on North Federal Highway: Colliers tapped as exclusive leasing agent for the renovated mid-rise (company announcement)
The team tracks which suites are wet-lab ready, which circuits handle extra power loads, and how zoning changes when R&D tenants add light manufacturing. Capital-markets colleagues model refinance and exit pricing up front, so owners can underwrite renovations with clear numbers.
Add Colliers to your short list when the brief involves lab build-outs, joint-venture ground leases, or capturing university-driven demand that generic brokers overlook.
5. Avison Young: best for family offices juggling legacy assets and new money
Avison Young’s Boca practice, led by Principal Greg Martin (1875 NW Corporate Blvd., Suite 280), specializes in untangling multigenerational property puzzles. The firm has overseen billions in career transactions, including IBM’s sale of today’s Boca Raton Innovation Campus and portions of Mizner Park (regional magazine profile).
Recent Boca evidence:
- July 2024 – $10.95 M sale of a 52,740 square-foot warehouse and flex building in West Palm Beach; Avison Young represented the Boca Raton–based seller
- August 2026 – Listed a fully entitled retail and office building at 880 East Palmetto Park Road in Boca Raton for $7.5 M
Family-office clients sit with a senior partner—not a junior analyst—while mapping tax triggers, trust structures, and joint-venture terms. Capital-markets colleagues run hold-versus-sell models so heirs see real exit values, not headline cap rates. Long-standing civic ties also smooth city-commission approvals, saving you months of carrying cost.
Short-list Avison Young when the mission blends sentiment and spreadsheet, and when a legacy asset needs fresh strategy without losing the family story.
6. Katz & Associates: best for retailers chasing co-tenants and landlords filling tough shop space
Katz & Associates’ Boca office (1900 NW Corporate Blvd., East Tower, Suite 450) lives and breathes retail. Principal Daniel Solomon has closed more than 750 lease and sale deals totaling over $1 B, while Senior VP Roxanne Register has represented more than 15 million square feet of landlord space (company bios).
Recent Florida proof:
- May 22, 2026 – $7.8 M sale of 4501 66th St. N, St. Petersburg; Solomon represented seller Fuqua Development
- March 11, 2024 – $3.65 M sale of a retail property at 1660 South Congress Avenue, Delray Beach; Solomon represented the seller
Why it matters: Katz tracks co-tenancy and radius clauses before you even tour, flags percentage-rent upside against live sales comps, and can backfill dark big boxes with concepts lenders like. Their early intel on food halls along Federal Highway or grocery-anchored centers on Glades Road often surfaces six months before LoopNet.
Call Katz when the assignment involves multi-tenant centers, restaurant pads, or ground-lease deals where one wrong tenant can break the merchandising plan.
7. Prakas & Co.: best for restaurants, hospitality deals, and 1031-driven swaps
Based in East Boca (1800 NW 1st Ct.), Prakas & Co. has closed more than 600 hospitality-focused transactions since 1999 (company website). The brokerage combines real-estate know-how with operating-business insight, putting food-cost ratios, liquor quotas, and venting constraints on the term sheet before you sign an LOI.
Recent proof:
- September 25, 2024 – sale of Boathouse waterfront restaurant, Stuart, Florida; Prakas represented both parties in a confidential deal
- Confidential listing of an established 40-plus-year Italian restaurant and pizzeria in Palm Beach County for $1.15 M
Why it matters: Many deals bundle real estate, liquor licenses, and 1031 timelines. Prakas surfaces health-department items and license-transfer steps early, preventing six-figure surprises after closing. Its buyer list spans local operators to national groups searching off market, so quiet dispositions stay quiet.
Call Prakas when the assignment hinges on both the real estate and the brand pouring drinks inside, then ask for their latest Boca sale-leaseback or 1031 case study to see the structure in action.
8. Atlantic Commercial Group: best hyper-local boutique for owner-users, land plays, and smaller retail or office deals
Atlantic Commercial Group has operated from 7251 W. Palmetto Park Rd., Suite 207, Boca Raton, since 2000. Founder Gary Broidis has led more than 700,000 square feet of retail leasing and redevelopment deals (firm transaction history).
Recent Boca proof:
- 2026 – $6.2 M sale of a 25,942 square-foot office building at 7251 W. Palmetto Park Rd.
- April 2026 – $9 M sale of a 14,967 square-foot retail property at 14400 Military Trail in nearby Delray Beach
Why call them: The team lives Boca ZIP codes every day. They know which landlords will fund build-to-suit tenant improvements, which architects glide through permitting, and which traffic studies the city favors. That local insight can save you weeks on medical suites, boutique offices, or ground-up mixed-use sites that need zoning nudges rather than full variances.
Short-list Atlantic when you need senior guidance without institutional overhead and when credibility with Boca planners and landlords matters more than a global brand logo.
Brokerage comparison at a glance
Use the matrix that follows to match each firm to three factors:
- Asset class – office, industrial, retail, hospitality, or mixed use.
- Representation role – tenant, landlord, buyer, seller, or 1031 exchange.
- Recent local or Florida proof – only deals closed since January 2024 appear; no career totals or out-of-market volume.
Read across the table, not down. When a check-mark appears under your asset class and role, and the evidence column lists a recent Boca address, you know the brokerage belongs on your short list.
How to choose a Boca Raton brokerage
The best résumé means little if it lacks a deal that looks like yours. Start with asset class—office, industrial, retail, hospitality, or land—because fluency in one can stumble in another.
Confirm recent, Boca-specific experience
Ask each candidate for three transactions closed since January 2024 that match your property type, deal size, and role. Request:
- Address and sub-market
- Close date and value
- Representation side (buyer, seller, tenant, landlord)
Cross-check the answers in CoStar or BeachesMLS. If the broker offers only “South Florida” stats, keep interviewing.
Dig deeper: How many bids or offers? What concessions sealed the deal? Precise replies show they can navigate the obstacles you will face.
Finally, request one reference from each side of the table—landlord and tenant, buyer and seller. Balanced feedback reveals how they negotiate under pressure and whether both parties would hire them again.
Distinguish Boca’s sub-markets
One ZIP code hides many micro-markets:
- Downtown / Mizner Park. Ground-floor rents can run $10 to $12 per square foot higher than suburban averages thanks to evening foot traffic.
- Glades Road corridor. Suburban feel; tenants trade rate for signalized ingress and generous parking.
- Yamato Road / Park at Broken Sound. Tech and life-science cluster near FAU; landlords often offer larger tenant-improvement allowances but seek longer terms.
- West Boca (unincorporated). County zoning and lower taxes, but different impact fees and sheriff policing; some services lag city levels.
Ask your broker which sub-market your property falls in and request the latest comp set they used. If the data lump multiple pockets together without adjustments, keep interviewing.
Understand who the broker represents
Representation drives every negotiation outcome, so pin it down in writing before you tour.
- Listing (seller or landlord) agent. Loyalty flows to the owner.
- Tenant or buyer rep. Fights for concessions, free rent, and due-diligence wiggle room.
- Transaction broker (Florida default). Provides limited confidentiality and neutral assistance but no advocacy.
- Dual agency / single agent for both sides. Rare in Florida; if offered, ask how the firm walls off confidential data.
Florida disclosure forms—“No Brokerage Relationship,” “Single Agent,” and “Transaction Broker Notice”—spell out duties such as confidentiality and full disclosure. Review and sign the correct one before any property tour.
Quick test: request the last LOI the broker negotiated for a client in your role. Even redacted, it should show whether they pushed for free rent, parking, and tenant-improvement dollars or smoothed things to close fast for the other side.
Get the compensation structure in writing
Since August 17, 2024, anyone touring an MLS listing must sign a written representation agreement that spells out services and compensation. Nothing is “standard” now; every dollar is negotiable.
Ask the broker to explain, in plain language:
- Fee type. Percentage of price, flat retainer, or success fee tied to lease term
- Who pays marketing, administrative, or tech charges
- Funding split. Buyer vs. seller or tenant vs. landlord; record the split in the engagement letter
- Dual-side scenarios. If the broker may seek payment from the other party, see those numbers up front.
Put the answers in the agreement before the first showing; transparency now prevents escrow disputes later.
Verify the license and the responsible broker
Spend five minutes on Florida’s DBPR license portal (myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp) before you let marketing sizzle sway you.
Florida DBPR real estate license search portal screenshot.
Check:
- Status. Active and unexpired
- License number and type (broker or sales associate)
- Qualifying broker. The person legally responsible for every deal under the firm’s banner
- Trade names. Confirm the name on the listing matches the licensed entity
- Discipline tab. Review any citations or final orders and ask the broker to explain them.
If the pitch person is not the qualifying broker, ask who signs escrow instructions and how oversight works. Transparent answers build trust; evasive ones are a red flag.
Evaluate the complete deal team
Ask your lead broker to name every specialist who will touch your file:
- Analyst / financial modeler
- Marketing manager
- Construction or tenant-improvement coordinator
- Debt and equity adviser
- Property manager (if post-closing services are offered)
Run a quick stress test:
- Who revises the rent roll when a lender emails at 9 p.m.?
- Who pulls zoning confirmations if title flags a setback issue?
If you hear “our back office,” press for real names, response times, and any extra fees for third-party help.
Finally, confirm senior involvement. Deals often wobble when negotiations stall; a partner who still answers the phone can rescue terms that would die in committee. Verify that lifeline before signing the representation agreement.
Compare total carrying costs for condo, club, and gated-community deals
Sticker price is only the down payment on Boca living. Build a total occupancy sheet that captures:
- Property taxes and insurance quotes
- HOA or condo dues
- Master-association fees
- Mandatory club initiation (often $90 k to $200 k) and annual dues
- Food-and-beverage minimums (typically $2 k to $4 k per year)
- Dock or marina charges
- Reserve contributions and any pending special assessments
- Utilities not covered by the association
For condos, add the latest Structural Integrity Reserve Study and milestone-inspection reports; Florida law now requires full funding of reserves for critical components by 2025 to 2026, and shortfalls can trigger six-figure assessments.
Expect your broker to supply these numbers without prompting. If they shrug or promise to “find out later,” you are staring at a budget black box. Make the worksheet non-negotiable before you underwrite debt coverage or future resale value.
Do not rely on company-wide production claims
A $1 billion headline means little if 90 percent closed in another county or asset class. Demand Boca-filtered data:
- Transactions, leases, or closings inside city limits (or your ZIP) since January 2024
- Break out commercial vs. residential, sales vs. leases, buyer vs. seller sides
- Show true dollar volume once double-counted sides are removed
- Provide average deal size—useful to see if your $4 million owner-user building will get attention from a firm that averages $20 million trades
Company-wide clout can open doors, but only local, recent, like-kind closings prove competence. Keep the spotlight on numbers that mirror your transaction and the marketing smoke clears fast.
Ask how interest rates affect your deal
Debt costs swing weekly in Boca. Ask the broker to run a three-case model:
| Scenario | Rate | DSCR | Break-even occupancy |
| Base | 6.25 percent fixed | 1.35× | 82 percent |
| +50 bps | 6.75 percent | 1.21× | 87 percent |
| +100 bps | 7.25 percent | 1.09× | 91 percent |
Press for details:
- Treasury, SOFR, or prime
- “Local banks are at plus 240 bps on offices this week; do you have a quote?”
- Floating-rate hedge. What does the cap or swap add to all-in cost?
If the broker cites a dated “rule of thumb,” the underwriting is already stale. The goal is not to predict rates; it is to prove the deal survives the swings we know are coming and to avoid eleventh-hour lender pullbacks.
Frequently asked questions
Which brokerages handle eight- or nine-figure Boca deals?
CBRE, Cushman & Wakefield, Colliers, and Avison Young each closed $100 M-plus Boca or South Florida transactions between 2024 and 2026. Ask the specific Boca team for a dated deal sheet; brand power alone is not enough.
Who should I call for a restaurant or hospitality property?
Prakas & Co. leads when liquor licenses, venting, or 1031 timing matter. Katz & Associates is a runner-up for shopping-center pads and drive-thrus.
I’m relocating my company and buying a home. One broker or two?
SquareFoot Homes at Seawinds Realty coordinates commercial space and a residential search, giving you a single point of contact.
Are brokerage fees negotiable?
Yes. Since August 17, 2024, MLS tours require a written representation agreement outlining services and compensation. Negotiate percentage, flat, or hybrid fees before the first showing.
How do I verify a Florida broker’s license?
Visit the DBPR portal (myfloridalicense.com), confirm Active status, expiration date, and review any disciplinary PDFs.
What should I review before buying a Boca condo?
Structural Integrity Reserve Study, milestone-inspection reports, budget, reserve funding, special assessments, master insurance, and leasing rules.
Is West Boca part of the City of Boca Raton?
No. Much of West Boca is unincorporated Palm Beach County, with different zoning, taxes, and some services.
Do I need my own tenant-representation broker?
Yes, if you want someone negotiating rent, tenant-improvement dollars, and expansion options solely for you. A listing agent owes first loyalty to the landlord.
Who pays the commercial broker’s commission?
Traditionally the owner funds the pool, but today any split is negotiable. Confirm the arrangement in your representation agreement.
Conclusion
Choose a Boca Raton brokerage by matching your asset class and deal goals to a firm’s recent, local track record. Verify representation roles, fee structures, and licensing up front, and insist on transparent data before you tour. With those steps, you can shortlist the right partner and close with confidence.
