Two longtime Denver commercial real estate brokers have been tapped to lead the Denver expansion of national tenant rep firm Hughes Marino.

Lindsay Brown and Billy Byrne, formerly of JLL and The Staubach Company, will lead the new office with six other brokers.

“The commercial and entrepreneurial spirit of this region is at the core of its rapid growth and economic success,” said Jason Hughes, Chairman and CEO, in a statement. “With Denver being a highly desirable place to live and do business, our expanding footprint is focused on bringing our portfolio of service offering to businesses seeking tenant and buyer representation.”

Most of Hughes Marino offices, seven, are in California, but it also has offices in Seattle and New York.

“Denver was ready for another level of tenant rep firm,” said Brown Wednesday. “Hughes Marino has developed the technology and processes and culture second-to-none. That’s a perfect fit for Billy and I.”

“The industry had become somewhat antiquated and commoditized,” Byrne said. “Hughes Marino’s different approach has been revolutionary and disruptive to the industry.  … They’ve provided a level of service that just doesn’t exist” with the bigger firms.

The commercial real estate industry for office space has been reeling during the pandemic as businesses sit on thousands of square feet of mostly empty office space with employees working from home.

“The pandemic has redefined what office space is going to look like to properly transact business,” Brown said. “We’re going to help manage what the company looks like going forward, at least with workspace policies.”

The company’s research shows, based on key-card activity, parking and elevator use, that only about 17-19% of downtown office space is being utilized.

“There’s a pent-up demand to get back to the office,” Brown said. “Is it ever going to get back to the way it was 12 months ago? No. Not for several years.”

Both anticipate companies will use less real estate going forward, as work-from-home policies become universally ingrained.

The other brokers signed to the office are: Annie Liston, Patrick Byrnes, Marc Feldman, Brinete Chavez, Amelia Vigen and Rider Stoglin.