MAP Real Estate - Commercial Tenant Advisory in Chicago Area (Certified B)

Helping Chicago area nonprofits and businesses find the perfect space.

Have you ever wondered how some organizations get just the right space?

You know the ones… Every team member has the correct kind and amount of space to flourish, the location is prime for their needs, and the lease terms seem too good to be true. Who are these savvy organizations?

You might think they invested a fortune in time and resources, right?

Well, what if I told you that the optimal space can be found without overstretching your budget or staff resources – and with 10% of our landlord-paid commission from the transaction going to a cause you care about, too?

I have crafted a process that delivers the best space for your needs at the most favorable economics. Since 1985, over 1,100 times, I’ve helped Chicago tenants save time and money on their commercial leases by creating solutions that help organizations like yours thrive.

Pleased to meet you.

Hello, I’m Michael Pink, the founder of MAP Real Estate. You’re navigating the world of Chicago real estate for that spot-on office space. You’ve seen others succeed,and you’re aiming for that too, right?

You might believe getting space that aligns perfectly with your agenda means a complex, time-consuming, and costly process.

It should involve a surprisingly complex, but tightly controlled process. And, it should require very little of your time. I’m eager to guide you through this process to objectively identify the best alternatives, empowering you to make a fully informed choice of the optimal space. This is possible to do with zero hassle for you, all the while maximizing your negotiating leverage.

Michael A. Pink

Chicago Area Commercial Broker Services

I provide the following services (typically at no cost to you or your organization). MAP Real Estate typically earns a commission paid by the landlord or the seller, even though we are your fiduciary.

1. Personalized Consultation

When you work with MAP, you work directly with me. I dive deep into understanding your specific needs, or as I like to call them, your "desirements and requirements." This ensures our search and strategy align perfectly with your organizational goals.

2. Carefully Crafted Process

Everything we do on your behalf is designed to fully inform and provide you with the best options, maximizing your negotiating leverage, whether you want to renew or relocate. This also gives you the strongest defensive position.

3. Space Planning

The first task is to define your program of requirements. Your “program” is the roadmap for the whole project. It enables an architect or designer who specializes in commercial interiors to create a layout to show you how well each space that you want to consider satisfies your needs. We can usually negotiate that those architectural fees are paid for by each building that you want to consider, with no obligation to you.

4. Expert Negotiation

With decades of experience and a commitment to integrity, we ensure that you not only identify your ideal space but secure it on the best possible terms. We generate a financial analysis comparing your best alternatives, illustrating the change in all expense line items from year to year. And these analyses, in both total dollars and present value, make it easy to track progress during negotiations. Our thorough process gives you the strongest negotiating leverage and timeline management, ensuring to the best of our ability that you never feel rushed and are always fully informed.

5. Our Job Ends

…..only after any punch-list items have been completed and you have nothing else that needs our assistance.

MAP Real Estate is a Certified B

Doing Business, Doing Good℠ isn’t just our motto – we’ve been giving at least 10% of our commissions to nonprofits for decades. More than $650,000 has gone to nonprofits chosen by our clients. To our knowledge, MAP is the first and only commercial tenant rep brokerage to become Certified B in the world.

Companies who want to achieve Certified B status undergo a rigorous evaluation process conducted by B Lab, the independent certifying organization. Among the many requisite practices and procedures to which we have committed as part of our own certification is the commitment that at least 75% of our clients are local and independently owned. For us that is nothing new. We’ve blown that figure out of the water for the past 35 years.

As a Certified B Corporation and a B-Lab 2022 Best for the World honoree, we proudly donate a portion of every commission through our non-profit arm, Investing In Communities®. This unique model allows you to direct at least 10% of our commission to a cause of your choice, enhancing the social impact of your real estate decisions.

Client Testimonials

Since its humble beginnings, IIC has given more than $725,000 to over 140 charities. Here are just a few highlights from the journey.

The Editor-in-Chief of Chicago-based Associated Publications, has served on the PAWS Chicago board for years. So, PAWS was the natural choice to receive the IIC distributions from their Chicago office lease transactions at the John Hancock Building. That’s one of the beneficiaries, over on the right. Associated Publications chose MAP Real Estate 20+ years ago and we are so proud to have been their tenant rep, us ever since.

As a result of a new office lease and, when it ended, a renewal office lease, Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (CLCCRUL), which works to secure racial equity and economic opportunity for all, selected itself to receive $14,320 through Investing In Communities. We are so proud that of all commercial real estate agencies, CLCCRUL chooses MAP to be its office tenant rep! CLCCRUL is an IIC Social Justice charity.

TPAN chose MAP as its office tenant rep. We couldn’t be prouder that because they did, when they signed their lease for larger, newer space, TPAN received $13,536 from IIC to help them to empower people affected by HIV/AIDS.

The Woodstock Institute helps people and communities of color or low wealth to achieve economic prosperity. Because they choose MAP Real Estate as their commercial real estate broker to handle a lease renewal negotiation, they were able to generate $2,239 to support their mission. Most recently, they signed a new office lease and generated an additional $2,159 of funding from IIC. We love Woodstock and we love doing business, doing good^sm!

When Housing Action Illinois wanted a tenant rep to negotiate their office lease renewal, they chose MAP and received $1,736 of unrestricted funding from IIC. Years later, MAP negotiated their lease for new Chicago office space, and that IIC distribution was $2,219. We are proud that our work supports the mission of expanding affordable housing availability across Illinois!

PrimeCare wanted to open a primary care family health clinic in Belmont-Cragin and chose MAP as their office tenant rep. We are proud to have been a partner in the creation of their gleaming state-of-the-art 16,000sf clinic and even prouder to have provided $30,000 of unrestricted funding for their mission!

As a result of its new office sublease, Domestic Violence Legal Clinic, an IIC Social Justice charity, was able to receive $1,877 through Investing In Communities to help them serve more survivors of domestic violence. We love to represent organizations that are making our world better and are humbled to be able to contribute to their well being.

We were honored to be chosen as the tenant rep to negotiate another Chicago office lease for Metropolitan Group when they needed to expand their Chicago office space. As a result of that transaction, Circle of Parents was chosen by our client to receive $2,313 through Investing In Communities®. We call that doing business doing good^sm. And it’s our pleasure!

Delta Institute had learned of MAP and our sister organization, Investing In Communities, when we negotiated a couple office leases for ShoreBank, where Delta’s CEO has been a senior executive. We were so pleased to have been chosen as tenant rep to handle Delta’s relocation and the expansion of its Chicago office space. We were thrilled to provide the unrestricted funding for its $10,924 IIC distribution, and, in our small way, help sustain its mission of sustainability.

Frequently Asked Questions

What areas do you serve?

MAP Real Estate serves the entire Chicago metro area, including (but not limited to) Arlington Heights, Bannockburn, Barrington, Buffalo Grove, Burr Ridge, Deerfield, Des Plaines, Downers Grove, Elgin, Elk Grove Village, Elmhurst, Evanston, Flossmoor, Glencoe, Glenview, Highland Park, Highwood, Hillcrest, Hinsdale, Hoffman Estates, Itasca, Kenilworth, La Grange, Lake Forest, Libertyville, Lincolnshire, Lisle, Lombard, Matteson, Morton Grove, Mount Prospect, Naperville, Niles, Northbrook, Northfield, Oak Brook, Oakbrook Terrace, Orland Park, Palatine, Park Ridge, Rosemont, Schaumburg, Skokie, St Charles, Warrenville, Waukegan, Westmont, Wheaton, Wilmette, and Winnetka.

Why should we use a commercial tenant rep?

A tenant rep brings expertise in market research, lease analysis, negotiation, and experience managing the whole process, as well as intimate familiarity with market norms, to ensure you’re getting the best deal. They have a legal obligation to advocate for your interest above all others, can identify pitfalls, and typically have access to more intel on available spaces for lease or purchase, much of which is not easily available to the public.

How does MAP Real Estate get compensated?

MAP Real Estate typically earns a commission paid by the landlord or seller, which means no direct cost to you. In commercial leasing, that fee is built into the leasing structure, so clients don’t pay extra for our services. It is increasingly uncommon for the rental rate to factor into the commission calculation used by building owners. MAP Real Estate acts as the fiduciary only of the commercial tenant or buyer. According to the Illinois License Act, there is no relationship whatsoever between the party to whom fiduciary duty is owed and the party who pays the commission.

Do we really have the time for a tenant rep?

Yes! A tenant rep will immediately save you time and resources, starting with the programming meeting, until after you sign the lease or buy the building. A tenant/buyer rep streamlines every part of the project.

We already have a space in mind. Can a tenant rep still help?

Yes, a tenant rep can provide critical market info, help you to ensure the space truly meets your needs, and handle negotiations, improving lease terms and economics. It’s a misconception that the most important role of a tenant rep is to “find” space.

Will working with MAP Real Estate limit our options?

No, it will increase them. MAP has comprehensive access to the market and can provide more options than you will find on your own. In fact, building owners are typically more comfortable if you are represented by a tenant rep, because they know your project will be handled in the most expeditious and professional way.

Can we negotiate lease terms on our own?

Of course. But why would you? A tenant rep has specialized knowledge of market rates, lease terms, and negotiation strategies to secure the most favorable terms. The biggest problem is caused by negotiating on your own with only a single alternative. Have you lined-up the best alternatives, with which to negotiate simultaneously? That’s how to maximize your negotiating leverage.

How does MAP Real Estate ensure our data and strategic plans remain confidential?

MAP honors its fiduciary duty and professional ethics 24/7/365 ensuring that all information which is of a confidential nature remains confidential.

What if we are a new organization without a commercial leasing track record?

Using a tenant rep is exactly what you should do, because landlords prefer to work with an experienced broker.

How involved do we need to be in the process?

MAP Real Estate handles the vast majority of the process, but your input is crucial for the programming discussion, to tour spaces, to speak with the architect to revise space plans, and in final decision-making. Every part of our process is designed to minimize your time involved.

Ready to partner with a true expert in tenant representation?

Let’s start a conversation that could change the way you think about your space. Contact me today, and together, we'll explore how we can transform your organization’s future.