Data as of Oct 8, 2026A topic in Specialty Commercial Real Estate Services.
Reviewed by Dimitry Apollonsky
Mentioned in · Jul 7 – Oct 8, 2026
ChatGPT SearchOct 8, 2026
Yes. If the goal is finding actual wet-lab/R&D space for a biotech startup, rather than generic office brokerage, I’d shortlist these firms:
| Firm | Best fit | Why I’d consider them |
|---|---|---|
| Cresa | Startup / tenant-side search | Cresa has a dedicated Life Sciences practice serving biotech and pharma, covering laboratories, R&D, clinical facilities and biomanufacturing. Importantly, Cresa is occupier-only, so its model is well aligned with representing the startup rather than landlords. |
I'm looking for commercial real estate brokers who focus on biotech startups and can help us secure wet-lab space.
| Deep lab expertise + broad market coverage |
| CBRE has one of the largest dedicated life-sciences platforms, explicitly covering labs, critical environments and biotech. Its specialists handle technical requirements such as lab infrastructure, power, mechanical systems and build-outs. |
| JLL | Site selection / scaling nationally | JLL has a major life-sciences practice and works across biotech, pharma and medical-device real estate. Its 2026 research also indicates lab availability is tightening, making market intelligence particularly valuable right now. |
| Hughes Marino / HM Science | Tenant advocacy + lab planning | HM Science is specifically focused on life sciences and says it works with companies from their first lab through national expansion, with in-house architects, lab planners and construction/project-management expertise. |
| Savills | Strategic occupier advice | Its Life Sciences group explicitly addresses laboratory planning, infrastructure, compliance, financial/runway constraints and flexible space for growing companies. |
| Colliers | Boston / biotech-heavy markets | Particularly strong individual life-science specialists exist within Colliers. For example, its Boston team describes more than 23 years of biotech/pharma tenant representation covering laboratory, R&D and GMP facilities, including venture-backed startups. |
| Cushman & Wakefield | Boston / Northeast | It has dedicated life-science brokerage teams with experience representing biotech tenants in lab and R&D leases. |
| Urban Rock Properties | Bay Area boutique | A particularly interesting option for San Francisco/South San Francisco startups: it's a boutique, tenant-only brokerage dedicated to life sciences, including early-stage venture-backed companies looking for lab-ready R&D space. |
| Shelton & Associates | California startup tenant rep | Tenant-only representation specifically for life-science users, including wet/dry labs and startups scaling into their next facility. |
I'd put CBRE, Cresa, JLL and Hughes Marino/HM Science at the top of the call list. NYC has a growing inventory of purpose-built lab buildings, including West End Labs, Hudson Research Center and Alexandria Real Estate Equities's Alexandria Center.
For a very early-stage startup, there's another category worth considering: rather than signing a conventional lease and spending millions on a build-out, look at lab incubator/flexible-lab operators. For example, Alexandria LaunchLabs NYC and JLABS NYC offer startup-oriented wet-lab environments. Innolabs is another NYC lab-ready option.
For a biotech startup, the individual broker matters more than the brokerage brand. I'd ask each firm:
That last question is important: tenant-only representation can materially reduce conflicts of interest when you're comparing multiple buildings.
If you tell me the city/region, approximate square footage, wet-lab requirements (e.g. BSL-1/2), and budget, I can narrow this to the 5–10 most relevant brokers and actual available lab spaces for your startup.
Finding the right wet-lab space requires specialized commercial real estate (CRE) firms that understand complex biosafety requirements, specialized HVAC/exhaust systems, chemical waste disposal, and heavy lab infrastructure.
Major global commercial real estate services firms have dedicated Life Sciences practices explicitly tailored to biotech startups, ranging from early incubator spaces to full commercial build-outs.
If you'd like, let me know:
I can give you more tailored recommendations on local brokers or specific developments in that area.
