Retail Broker Greg Kirsch Leaves Cushman & Wakefield Chicago

One of Cushman & Wakefield’s top retail brokers is jumping ship to start his own firm.

Greg Kirsch has left the Chicago-based brokerage giant to launch Kirsch Agency, where he will be joined by former Cushman & Wakefield colleague Corey Black, CoStar reported.

Kirsch’s move comes five years after he was hired to spearhead the company’s Midwest retail operations. His decision stems from a desire to return to his roots of leading a small boutique brokerage.

“I like the leanness and being an entrepreneur,” Kirsch told the outlet. “The larger companies are amazing, and they provide incredible resources and connectivity, but I’m going back to the period in my career that I felt the most empowered to serve my clients and innovate the way I want to.”

At 53, Kirsch perceives this venture as an opportunity to leave a lasting imprint on the industry, citing inspirations from renowned figures like David Stone and Robert Futterman who emblazoned their names on their respective firms.

Throughout his 25-year career, Kirsch has orchestrated landmark deals, such as securing Under Armour’s flagship location on Michigan Avenue and advising Washington Mutual on 186 leases in less than two years. His departure from Cushman leaves a void in the company’s Midwest leadership team, with the firm yet to announce a successor.

As a student of existentialism while majoring in philosophy at Loyola University Chicago, Kirsch applies the principles of what he learned to his real estate endeavors and even his latest decision to start his own firm.

“Existentialism is about valuing your worth every day,” he told the outlet. “Being a broker is an exploration of your worth every day. Running a company is the ultimate form of self-sufficiency.”

After graduating from Loyola, Kirch earned a law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law before embarking on a short-lived career as an insurance-industry lawyer. He then served as an office broker for Insignia/ESG, which later merged with CBRE. Prior to joining Cushman, he enjoyed success as a retail broker for Newmark.

—Quinn Donoghue