ABOUT
Managing Principal
RICH HARRIS
Rich Harris is a 30-year veteran of the commercial real estate industry and founder of Transcend Commercial, a boutique advisory firm serving a select group of clients across the Triangle and beyond. Prior to founding Transcend, Rich served as Managing Principal of the Raleigh-Durham office of Cushman & Wakefield. During his tenure, Rich doubled the production team, tripled revenues, and helped lead C&W Raleigh-Durham to recognition by the Triangle Business Journal as a “Best Place to Work” for six consecutive years.
Over the course of his career, Rich has completed nearly 2,000 transactions and earned numerous “top producer” awards. Widely regarded as one of the leading tenant representation brokers in the Triangle, he has completed more than $850 million in transaction volume over the past five years alone on behalf of tenant clients. Rich specializes in representing high-growth and venture-backed technology companies and has built a reputation for integrity, strategic insight, and strong advocacy for companies of all sizes. His ability to overcome significant market obstacles on behalf of clients is reflected in more than 75 client recommendation letters.
Rich began his career in 1996 with what later became GVA Advantis, a full-service real estate company serving the Southeast. In 2008, he left his role as Executive Director to found Synergy Commercial Advisors, a boutique tenant representation firm that grew into one of the region’s leading advisory platforms. In 2014, Synergy was acquired by Cushman & Wakefield, where Rich was selected to lead and grow the Raleigh-Durham office through the merger and consolidation that followed.
In October of 2010, Harris spearheaded the spin-out of Realcore Applications, a proprietary software platform designed to serve the commercial real estate industry with tools for brokers, landlords, and tenants. Originally created for Synergy’s internal use, Realcore now supports visibility, reporting, and operational efficiency across commercial real estate organizations.
AWARDS
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Top Producer [Raleigh-Durham] 2014-2015 — Cushman & Wakefield (formerly DTZ / Cassidy Turley)
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Top Producer 2008-2013 — Synergy Commercial Advisors
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Top 50 [Triangle] Entrepreneurs (2012) — Business Leader Magazine
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Top 40 Under 40 [Business Leaders] in the Triangle (2007) Triangle Business Journal
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Top 40 Under 40 National Commercial Real Estate Professionals (2011)
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Busy Broker Award recipient in 2009, 2011, 2012 for the most CRE transactions — Triangle Business Journal
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Small Business of the Year [2010] — Morrisville Chamber of Commerce
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Movers & Shakers — Business Leader Magazine (2003)
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Top 10 Producer at GVA Advantis (12 office regional firm) 2005-2007
INDUSTRY / CIVIC AFFILIATIONS
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Triangle Angel Partners (TAP) — Co-Founder, President of the Executive Committee (2013)
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Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) — Executive Committee — 2006-2009
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Downtown Durham, Inc. (DDI) — Executive Committee — 2007-2008; Board of Directors — 2008-2011
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Triangle Area Office Building Association (TRAOBA) — Board of Directors — 2004-2006
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Band Together — Board of Directors — 2006 to 2012
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Established and lead local Adopt-a-Highway Program (“Balance Your Life”) — 2001-2006
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Guest lecturer at the Kenan Flagler School of Business
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StepUp Ministries, Durham - Volunteer
WHY TRANSCEND? A PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM RICH...
With a 26-year career of advising companies both big and small on their real estate, I have learned a great deal about what it takes to be an effective advisor. First and foremost, relationships are critical; relationships not just with my clients, but with landlords, leasing agents, contractors, architects and vendors. I pride myself on my reputation for aggressive advocacy, while also maintaining some of the strongest relationships in the marketplace. These longstanding relationships deliver superior concessions and flexibility to my clients, even when market conditions favor landlords.
Having completed nearly 2,000 commercial real estate transactions in my career, I draw on a depth of experience when advising my clients on almost any real estate scenario. I have recruited, managed, coached, and trained numerous commercial real estate professionals in my career, at boutique, regional, national and even global real estate firms. I have served in senior leadership roles at GVA Advantis, Synergy Commercial Advisors, Cassidy Turley, DTZ and most recently, as the Managing Principal at Cushman & Wakefield in Raleigh-Durham. The culmination of these experiences results in ultra-creative and highly effective solutions for my clients.
I have completed some of the largest transactions in the Raleigh-Durham market over the years, including Microsoft's recent 189,000 square foot expansion at Perimeter Park and RBC Bank's ~60,000 square foot Raleigh headquarters in Brier Creek. I have also completed anchor tenant transactions representing the likes of trialcard, Bronto Software, Pepsi Bottling, SciQuest, Cornerstone Building Brands (formerly PlyGem), Square 1 Bank and Northwestern Mutual, as well as countless Triangle start-ups.
I am an early adopter and advocate of technology, which tends to be a clear differentiator in my service delivery model. From customized electronic surveys to detailed financial analysis (models that I personally built and improved over my 25 year career), to a cloud-based technology platform, Realcore Applications (a company I co-founded more than 10 year ago), that stores all important client data and documents. I have created these tools to drive efficiencies and value for my commercial clients.
Finally, life is too short not to bring enthusiasm and energy to each client engagement. I like to have fun and build thoughtful and enduring relationships with my clients. I understand that my preferences and values are not shared by everyone, and that's okay. At Transcend, I am focused on working with those who align with my core values, and who value professional advisors.