201 Main Street office tower in downtown Lafayette, Indiana
Consulting

Strategy from operators, not theorists.

Commercial real estate consulting on site selection, portfolio strategy, lease-vs-buy analysis, disposition planning, and outsourced corporate real estate work. We advise from operating data and 110 years of Indiana real estate experience, not pro forma assumptions.

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Why clients hire us for consulting

Three reasons to bring us in early.

01

We advise from operating reality

Most CRE consultants model. We operate. When we underwrite a site, build a portfolio strategy, or run a lease-vs-buy analysis, we use real comps from properties we manage and real concession data from leases we negotiate. The numbers reflect what's actually happening in the market this month, not what's supposed to happen.

02

We've sat in your seat

We own and manage commercial property. We've made the lease-vs-buy call ourselves. We've absorbed the surprise on a CAM reconciliation. We've sold assets we wished we'd held. That perspective changes how we advise — and what we tell you to worry about.

03

Our advice doesn't depend on a transaction

We are not trying to talk you into a deal. Sometimes the right answer is to stay put, to renegotiate, to wait for a better window, or to walk away. We get paid for the work, not the closing. That keeps the advice honest.

Our consulting practice areas

Five practices, one playbook.

Most of our consulting work falls into one of five buckets. Each one starts the same way: a free scoping conversation to figure out what you're trying to figure out, followed by a written proposal with deliverables, timeline, and fees. No surprises.

01

Site Selection & Market Entry

Where to locate matters as much as how to build. We run site selection studies for retail, office, industrial, and owner/user clients across Central Indiana. Traffic patterns, demographics, competitive positioning, lease and purchase economics, build-out timing, and long-term hold considerations — all worked through with real local market intelligence.

Representative engagements
  • Multi-site retailer evaluating Central Indiana expansion
  • Owner/user industrial business locating a new headquarters
  • Out-of-state investor evaluating the Indianapolis market
  • Healthcare practice selecting between three medical office sites
02

Portfolio Strategy

A review of an existing portfolio's performance, positioning, and forward-look. We assess each asset against operating benchmarks, identify hold-sell-redevelop opportunities, and build a multi-year plan with prioritization, financing implications, and execution timing. The kind of work that surfaces the asset you've been carrying too long and the one you should never sell.

Representative engagements
  • Family office reviewing a mixed CRE portfolio
  • Owner planning a generational ownership transition
  • Investor refining hold-period strategy on a multi-asset portfolio
  • Property owner planning capital reinvestment vs disposition
03

Lease vs Buy Analysis

When a company is deciding whether to lease or buy their next space, we model both scenarios honestly. Full lease economics including TI allowances, escalators, and renewal options. Full purchase economics including SBA 504 and 7(a) financing, depreciation treatment, capital reserves, and exit considerations. With a clear recommendation and the reasoning behind it.

Representative engagements
  • Growing business deciding lease renewal vs purchase of current building
  • Multi-site operator standardizing lease-vs-buy criteria across locations
  • Owner/user buyer comparing two specific acquisition candidates
04

Disposition Planning

Selling an asset is a transaction. Planning a disposition is strategy. We help owners think through timing, market readiness, capital improvement priorities, tenant repositioning, and tax-deferred exchange logistics before a property hits the market — so when you do sell, you sell at the right price to the right buyer.

Representative engagements
  • Owner preparing a retail center for sale 18 months out
  • Investor structuring a 1031 exchange across multiple assets
  • Family ownership planning a generational disposition strategy
  • Owner deciding between disposition and recapitalization
05

Outsourced Corporate Real Estate

Some companies have a global or multi-site real estate portfolio but no in-house CRE team. We become that team, on retainer. Annual portfolio reviews, lease tracking, market intelligence, capital planning, and the steady stream of 'what-if' and 'how would you' questions that come up between transactions. When action is needed, we execute. When it isn't, we stay ready.

Representative engagements
  • Global corporate portfolio of owned and leased commercial properties (active engagement)
  • Multi-location operator with rotating lease expirations
  • Out-of-state owner needing local market eyes year-round
  • Growing business with CRE needs that don't yet justify a full-time hire
How a consulting engagement works

No surprises. Not in the proposal, not in the deliverable.

  1. 01
    Step 1

    Scoping conversation

    A free 30-60 minute conversation. You tell us what you're trying to figure out, where you are in the decision, who else is involved, and what 'success' looks like. We tell you honestly whether we can help and how we'd approach it. No commitment, no pitch.

  2. 02
    Step 2

    Engagement proposal

    If there's a fit, we send a written proposal: deliverables, timeline, team, and fee structure. Fees are scope-based for project work, retainer-based for outsourced CRE engagements. You see the price before you commit to anything.

  3. 03
    Step 3

    The work

    We do the work. Site visits, market research, financial modeling, stakeholder interviews, comparable sales analysis — whatever the scope requires. Progress check-ins happen at the milestones we set in the proposal, plus any time you want them in between.

  4. 04
    Step 4

    Delivery and follow-through

    Final deliverable — report, model, presentation, or recommendation memo, depending on the engagement. We walk you through it in person or by video, answer questions, and stay available for 60 days after delivery for follow-up clarifications without additional fees. Retainer engagements have their own ongoing cadence.

Featured engagements

A few engagements worth telling.

Outsourced CRE Department

Global corporate real estate portfolio

SRG serves as the outsourced CRE department for a corporate client managing a global portfolio of owned and leased commercial properties. The engagement includes annual portfolio review, ad-hoc availability for the 'what-ifs' and 'how would yous' that come up between transactions, and execution support when action is needed. The client has a full-spectrum CRE function without hiring one.

Multi-Year Portfolio Strategy

8-asset hold/sell/redevelop plan

SRG built a multi-year strategic plan for a client holding eight commercial assets across Indianapolis. Each asset was evaluated through a hold/sell/redevelop framework with prioritization, capital implications, and timing. Now in year five of the plan, we re-evaluate annually and tweak quarterly as market conditions and asset performance evolve.

Specialty Advisory · NMTC

New Markets Tax Credits valuation support

SRG provides broker opinion letters and site and market location evaluation for New Markets Tax Credits consultants. Local market expertise and operating-side knowledge support the valuations that drive incentives decisions on community development projects across the region.

Frequently asked questions

Questions clients ask before they engage us.

How much does a consulting engagement cost?

Fees are scope-based for project engagements (site selection, lease-vs-buy, disposition planning, portfolio strategy) and retainer-based for outsourced CRE work. We assess what you're trying to accomplish, propose a scope, and quote a fixed fee or monthly retainer before you sign anything. The scoping conversation is free, and you see the price before you commit.

How long do engagements take?

Varies by scope. A single site selection study typically runs 4 to 6 weeks. A lease-vs-buy analysis: 2 to 4 weeks. A multi-property portfolio strategy: 8 to 16 weeks. Complex dispositions or multi-asset planning: longer. Outsourced CRE engagements run on rolling 6-12 month terms with annual review cycles. Timeline is in the written proposal.

Do you also handle the transaction at the end?

Sometimes. If our consulting work concludes with a recommended transaction, we're often the natural firm to execute it — under a separate brokerage engagement with its own fee structure. But we do not condition our consulting fee on a transaction happening. Sometimes the right answer is to stay put, renegotiate, or walk away, and that is a fine outcome.

What's the deliverable I actually receive?

Depends on the engagement. Site selection: a written report with site comparison matrix, recommendations, and decision framework. Portfolio strategy: a written plan with asset-level recommendations and prioritized action list. Lease-vs-buy: financial models, decision tree, and recommendation memo. Disposition planning: timing and execution plan with valuation work and capital improvement priorities. Outsourced CRE: ongoing portfolio dashboard, annual review documents, and on-call advisory access. All project deliverables include a presentation walkthrough and 60 days of post-delivery follow-up.

Can you work with out-of-state clients?

Yes. Many of our consulting clients are out-of-state investors, multi-site operators, or family offices evaluating Central Indiana. The market intelligence and on-the-ground perspective we bring is most valuable to clients who don't have it themselves.

How is consulting different from your brokerage work?

Different engagement, different fee, different relationship. Brokerage is transactional and commission-based. Consulting is scope-based or retainer-based and not tied to a transaction. The work products are different too — consulting deliverables are reports, models, recommendations, and ongoing advisory. Brokerage deliverables are executed leases and closed sales.

Have a real estate decision that needs more than a transaction?

Start with a free scoping conversation. We'll figure out what you're trying to figure out and whether we can help. No commitment, no pitch.

Schedule a consultation →
317.249.9000  |  consulting@shookrg.com  |  815 E 65th Street, Suite 200, Indianapolis, IN 46220