Crain’s Chicago Business provided a good report yesterday on the emancipation (as it should be described) of exclusive tenant representation firm Howard Ecker + Company.  Mr. Ecker has been around the block, as they say.  He first established his own brokerage firm in 1975, after punching his ticket at Studley, Cushman & Wakefield, and Rubloff (residential brokerage).  In 1995 he merged with Jupiter Realty Corp, and led their tenant rep division until a year ago.  But these days Ecker has been busy reconstituting his own firm, hiring 20 employees, and planting flags in New York, Miami, Detroit and Charleston, S.C.

In a future article, we hope to provide a more personal look inside the new Howard Ecker + Company.  For now this highlight certainly reinforces the theme of new business opportunities in the tenant rep space, as discussed by CRE Insights earlier regarding CresaPartners’ accelerating growth.  Chicago-based Ecker, however, will be running up against UGL Equis in his hometown, which may serve as catalyst for the immediate national push.  Detroit, one major city that is notoriously short on strong tenant reps, should be fertile ground.

Clearly the Ecker team is off to a strong start.  Real Estate Weekly reported on August 20, 2008 that the firm represented BDO Seidman LLP in recently-signed 15-year, 121,000 SF lease at 100 Park Avenue in New York – a deal that is likely valued over $150 million.  According to its website, Ecker’s New York office is led by Michele Brown, who joined in 2008 from the investment management and commerial banking arenas.

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