Ben Gilliam

Ben Gilliam

Managing Principal and National Market Leader, Coldwell Banker Commercial Realty

Denver, CO 80203

Phone (303) 729-4002

Ben Gilliam has 26 years of multi-disciplined commercial real estate experience including investment sales.
Specialties
Investment Sales Broker, Tenant Rep
Property Types
Industrial, Land, Office, Flex, Specialty
Markets
Denver, Colorado Springs
Languages
English, Spanish
Bio
Ben Gilliam is recognized as one of the premier deal makers in the Office and Global Corporate Services in the Rocky Mountain region. In 2013 he partnered with Waterfall Asset Management, a New York hedge fund to become Managing Principal of Coldwell Banker Commercial. His long-time business partner Jon Treter joined him in opening the office in Denver. In 2015 CoBiz Magazine recognized, their company as the “Best of Colorado” Commercial Real Estate firm. As of 2016 Gilliam and his partners have 30 offices in major markets across the United States. In August 2017 he transitioned his platform to Coldwell Banker Commercial NRT. Mr. Gilliam has earned numerous awards in his 30 year career by providing critical real estate advisory services to local, regional and global corporate clients as well as multi-market Fortune 500 clients. A highly experienced strategist, his vast expertise and in-depth market knowledge has resulted in some of the most significant deals in the Rocky Mountain region and within the Coldwell Banker Commercial system. Some of those deals include the sales and acquisition on behalf of McGraw-Hill for a 241,218 square feet HQ building and 55 acres of land, the assemblage of the 121 property 12 block CBD redevelopment of Lowell Center in Colorado Springs and the sale of the 132,000 sf Trilegiant HQ in Cheyenne, WY. He has been recognized annually with the Denver Metro Commercial Association “Heavy Hitters” award from 2002 to 2015. While at Newmark Grubb Knight Frank from 2006-2013 he was recognized as one of the “Top 20 Power Brokers” by the Denver Business Journal. He has been involved in more than $3 billion of commercial real estate acquisitions, sales, development, and leasing transactions. He has successfully negotiated leases for more than 1,500 transactions totaling in excess of $2 billion in value. Furthermore, as a prior CEO/Managing Partner for a self-funded company, which grew to include capital investors and a board of directors, he fully comprehends the issues critical to business operations and profitability. Prior to joining CBC Alliance, from 2006-2013 Mr. Gilliam served as Managing Director at Newmark Grubb Knight Frank leading a Global Corporate Services and Tenant Representation team. From 2001-2006 he initially led Coldwell Banker Commercial Denver to become one of the top 10 performing global offices within the entire network and when he left the firm in 2006 he departed as President of Denver operations at a time when the firm had close to 100 employees. During that time he was also appointed to the Global Advisory Board for Coldwell Banker Commercial HQ in Madison, NJ from 2004-2006. He co-founded the initial CBC Global Corporate Services team along with Fred Schmidt, the current Coldwell Banker Commercial President and COO. Mr. Gilliam began his real estate career at Grubb and Ellis in 1985 and within three years became a “Top 5” producer He has won several awards during his career including the Presidents Club and Circle of Distinction 10 times, ranked as the #1 Top Producer at CBC and received “Top 5”, “Career Best” and “Century Club” awardswhile at Grubb and Ellis. From 1993-2001, he invested capital and co-founded a sports nutrition company that grew to $5 million dollars in revenue within five years and became a nationally franchised brand. During that time he was a competitive bodybuilder, an NPC bodybuilding judge, and owner of a Gold’s Gym franchise. Gilliam continues to be a competitive Powerlifter. In 2016 won two gold medals and broke four state records. He was selected to compete in the Nationals, and International games in 2017. An active industry and community leader, Mr. Gilliam is a contributing supporter of the Denver Scholarship Foundation, helping to raise over $9 million dollars in scholarship funding since 2008. He has sat on the boards for Denver Metro Commercial Association of Realtors, (DMCAR), the America-Israel Friendship League, Project Angel Heart, Colorado Republicans Central Committee, NAIOP Legislative Committee, American Cancer Society Business Co-Chair, CU Legislative Council and was a founding board member of the CU Real Estate Council. He was selected for the Presidential Fellows Program for the Center for the Study of the Presidency in Washington DC, and is an alumni of the Leadership 2000 class. He currently participates in a career mentoring program at the University of Colorado Business School for promising future business leaders. Additionally he was appointed, in August of 2015, to the Colorado Real Estate Commission Task Force for Employing Broker Standards. Mr. Gilliam is part of a pioneering fifth generation ranching family in Colorado. He received his B.S.B.A. at the University of Colorado where he was Student Body President, and his M.B.A. at Regis University in 2013 graduating Summa Cum Laude with Graduate Honors.
Education
Bachelor of Science-Business Administration-University of Colorado. 1984 M.B.A. Regis University. Summa Cum Laude. 2013 Specialty-Strategic Management
Affiliations
  • NAIOP - National Association of Industrial and Office Properties
Awards
#1 Top Producer Award
Top 5 Producer
Heavy Hitters Award (16 consecutive years)
Presidents Club
Gold Circle of Distinction
Century Club
Career Best Award