Transwestern acquired Forte Real Estate Partners, a prominent commercial real estate firm based in the Twin Cities. The transaction adds 12 healthcare, office, and industrial tenant advisory team members and a broad property management portfolio, bolstering the firm’s service offerings and Midwest market presence.
Established in 2021 through the merger of Excelsior Advisory and Paramount Real Estate Corp, Forte provides brokerage and property services across the Minneapolis-St. Paul region. Founders Steve Brown, Jim Jetland and Philip Simonet will join Transwestern, bringing decades of complementary experience and knowledge across healthcare, office and industrial real estate, respectively.
“From our earliest conversations, it was clear Forte and Transwestern share a commitment to personalized service and a dynamic, team-oriented culture,” said Emily Nicoll, Managing Director and Minneapolis market leader at Transwestern. “The team’s expertise in the office, healthcare and industrial sectors expands our ability to help clients navigate increasingly complex real estate decisions.”
Brown joins the Minneapolis Healthcare group, which serves private practices, independent providers, and health systems, further strengthening one of Transwestern’s core business lines. Jetland and Simonet will remain actively engaged in supporting the growth of the office and industrial tenant advisory teams.
In less than five years, Forte has advised clients on more than $885 million in transactions and managed nearly 1 million square feet of commercial property, earning a reputation as a trusted advisor to many organizations. Some notable assignments include advising Hennepin Healthcare on a multi-block assemblage to support long-term growth, negotiating Summit Orthopedics’ 78,000-square-foot clinic and ambulatory surgery center, and representing Binks’ Manufacturing in its 150,000-square-foot global headquarters lease. The firm has been recognized as a Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal Best Place to Work for three consecutive years.
“We are incredibly proud of what our team has accomplished since we joined forces five years ago,” said Jetland. “As we anticipate the future of commercial real estate, we wanted to align with an organization that shares our values and client commitment, adding the resources of an integrated national platform. Transwestern is the perfect fit for our next chapter.”
Following the acquisition, Transwestern has approximately 475 team members across the Midwest and oversees more than 52 million square feet of office, industrial, healthcare, retail and government properties. The Forte team will join Transwestern’s Minneapolis office at 705 Marquette Avenue South.
