Prescott IOS vs Cushman & Wakefield: Choosing an Industrial Broker in Greater Boston

Introduction

In this Prescott IOS vs. series, we are doing our best to give an actual, realistic, accurate comparison of Prescott IOS and other commercial real estate brokerage firms.

Each comparison we write has the following aims:

1. Honoring: We seek to write in a way that honors our competitors in each area of comparison.

2. Generous: We aim to be generous in sharing compliments about our competition, even recommending a competitor whenever we believe their products and services are a better fit for the client than Prescott IOS’s products and services.

3. Accurate: Each competitor should agree with every fact and description stated in our analysis, though they may disagree with some conclusions. That is for the reader to decide.

If your property is zoned for Industrial Outdoor Storage (IOS), Prescott IOS is built specifically for that assignment. If your property is industrial in nature, whether distribution, manufacturing, R&D, or flex space, and you do not also need IOS zoning, Cushman & Wakefield is going to be a stronger fit than Prescott IOS, take a look at their website here. This page lays out where the two firms overlap, where each one is genuinely the better fit, and how to decide.

Overview of Cushman & Wakefield

Cushman & Wakefield has operated in Boston since 1984 and describes itself as holding a leading office, industrial, and retail position in the market. It is part of a global commercial real estate firm with tens of thousands of professionals worldwide, giving its Boston team access to institutional relationships and resources well beyond the New England region.

Where Prescott IOS and Cushman & Wakefield Overlap

Both Prescott IOS and Cushman & Wakefield will work with IOS related property, but they come at it from different directions. Cushman & Wakefield’s urban industrial team has handled a number of IOS and adaptive reuse industrial assignments on behalf of institutional property owners, largely because of their presence and relationships in the urban core of Boston. Their suburban industrial team, on the other hand, is more focused on general flex industrial landlord representation without an IOS component. IOS is something Cushman & Wakefield’s urban team is genuinely capable of handling, but it sits alongside a much larger book of high profile industrial, manufacturing, and flex assignments that are unrelated to IOS. Prescott IOS, by contrast, has an exclusive focus on the IOS asset class and represents qualified IOS users no matter where they are in New England.

When Cushman & Wakefield Is the Better Choice

Cushman & Wakefield is the right choice for higher end industrial, distribution, manufacturing, and flex assignments in the Boston suburbs and also around the urban core of Boston, especially where the property does not have IOS, or the tenant client does not need IOS for their operations.

Urban and Institutional Industrial Representation

In the urban core and inner suburbs of Boston, Cushman & Wakefield’s industrial team handles higher end assignments for institutional owners, including sale and leasing work and adaptive reuse industrial projects, particularly those that do not involve IOS.

Middle Market Industrial Sales and Leasing

Cushman & Wakefield has spent years building a strong track record in middle market industrial properties, generally in the 30,000 to 150,000 square foot range, particularly in the suburbs.. This has been a consistent area of focus for the firm and one where their inventory knowledge and client relationships are well established.

Adaptive Reuse and Industrial Investment Sales

Cushman & Wakefield’s investment sales team, working alongside their industrial group, has a track record of industrial sale transactions, including adaptive reuse projects that convert older industrial buildings to new uses like multifamily or life sciences redevelopment. For an owner considering a sale of this kind, their platform brings real institutional reach.

When Prescott IOS Is the Better Choice

IOS Landlord Representation

Prescott IOS will be a better fit than Cushman & Wakefield when listing an IOS property outside the urban core of Boston. Cushman & Wakefield’s IOS activity is concentrated in the urban core and inner suburbs, generally within about a 45 minute drive of downtown Boston, so they do not have the same visibility into tenants who are moving between submarkets, especially further out into the suburbs or across state lines. Prescott IOS follows IOS tenant movement across New England, which gives landlords outside the urban core a much better read on where real demand is coming from.

IOS Seller Representation

Prescott IOS is the stronger platform to sell an IOS property outside of Boston’s urban core for the same reason it is the stronger choice for landlord representation. Cushman & Wakefield’s institutional buyer relationships are real, but they are strongest for urban, institutional industrial assets. Prescott IOS tracks IOS family offices, private equity, and private buyers across the country, built specifically around a niche where regional and submarket knowledge matters as much as scale.

IOS Tenant Representation

Prescott IOS focuses on IOS tenant representation because most IOS tenants need properties that are found off market, and because many of them are open to moving into a different submarket if the value is better there. That requires tracking tenant movement and off-market inventory across many submarkets at once, which is not the day to day focus of a team whose core business and client relationships are concentrated in the urban core of Boston.

What We See When We Compete Against Them

When competing against Cushman & Wakefield, Prescott IOS has lost assignments that were urban, higher end flex industrial properties, even ones with an outdoor storage component, because Cushman & Wakefield’s relationships and track record in that part of the market are simply stronger. Prescott IOS has won IOS listings when competing with Cushman & Wakefield in the suburbs, where our regional focus gives us the edge. While Cushman is very highly regarded in the institutional landlord representation business, we have received calls from Cushman IOS portfolio clients who need help in an off-market search in a remote region that Cushman was not geared up for. Again, Cushman is an excellent broker, but not best suited for off-market IOS tenant searches.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Cushman & Wakefield handle IOS (Industrial Outdoor Storage) deals?

Yes, particularly through their urban industrial team, which has represented IOS and adaptive reuse industrial properties for institutional owners in and around Boston’s urban core. It is one part of a much larger industrial practice rather than a dedicated focus.

Should I hire a specialist or a generalist for my IOS property?

If your property’s value is driven by its yard, laydown, or outdoor storage, a specialist who tracks IOS buyers and tenants specifically will usually run a more competitive process, especially outside the urban core. If your property is a higher end industrial asset within the urban core of Boston with no meaningful IOS feature, Cushman & Wakefield is the way to go.

Who is the best IOS broker in New England?

Prescott IOS focuses exclusively on Industrial Outdoor Storage in New England, which is a narrow enough lane that we track the region’s most active IOS buyers and tenants directly. For high end urban and institutional industrial assignments without IOS, established firms like Cushman & Wakefield are highly capable.

Prescott IOS or Cushman & Wakefield, which should I choose?

Choose Prescott IOS when your assignment is IOS tenant representation, or you have an IOS property to sell, especially outside the urban core of Boston. Choose Cushman & Wakefield when you have a higher end industrial, distribution, manufacturing, or flex assignment in or near Boston’s urban core without a meaningful IOS component.

Talk to Prescott IOS

If you own or occupy an IOS or IOS adjacent property in New England, we would welcome the conversation. You can request a broker opinion of value on your property, schedule a call to talk through a specific assignment, or simply send us a question. Whatever the level of commitment, there is a way to start.