About Howard Ecker + Company
Since 1975, we have marched to the beat of a different drum. When others are rushing to make a deal, we step back and fully appraise the situation, moving forward only when the time is optimum for our client.
This straightforward and measured attitude has been and will continue to be the subject of much notoriety.
We are known for daring to question the norm in the pursuit of seeking the best solutions to meet our clients’ needs.
Our Clients Are Our Best Advocates
“We knew that Howard was the right choice for us because he was surrounded by a team of strong professionals and the conversations we would have with them always were after what was right for us first.”
We Work Hard, We Play Hard, We Deliver
At Howard Ecker + Company, we strive for perfection when implementing real estate solutions for our clients. We separate ourselves from the competition by being efficient and focused.
Our team believes in honest, good hard work, and we deliver it with flair and passion. We believe in answering our own phones, building long-term relationships, and ultimately securing what is best for our clients, without any ulterior motives.
Just a sample of our well-served clients over the years
Client Testimonials
Last Fall I had the pleasurable experience of shopping for new office space in Chicago for our small but expanding firm — ugh! Fortunately, Val and Howard Ecker were there to guide and assist me and my team. Val was hands-on all the way. She took careful note of our needs, gently bumped us back into the fairway when we got off course about what we wanted and needed in our new office address, and helped us settle on a great space that fit our budget and checked all the boxes. We are definitely small customers, but they treated us like a big deal and made the process relatively painless.
Simply put, we would never have found this office without Val and Howard. Additionally, they negotiated the final deal, acted as interpreters for the confusing real estate terms, and even got us some office furniture left over from the previous tenant thrown in for no cost. They saved us time and money and we are grateful for having them as our go-to real estate professionals. I would recommend without reservation Howard Ecker + Company to anyone looking for office space.
Working with Valentine at Howard Ecker has been a truly wonderful experience. She has consistently negotiated on my business’ behalf at our downtown Chicago flagship location and was immensely helpful with the location search for our suburban satellite office. She is incredibly knowledgeable about rental agreements, market value and attractiveness of location. I have always believed the well-being of our business is her priority and never doubted her moral integrity. I plan to continue a very long relationship with Valentine and the Howard Ecker firm.
Working with HE+Co has been a fantastic process for us! Their team navigated us through two office moves, helping us with both short-term and long-term office solutions and lease negotiations. Their patience and willingness to help us find the perfect location, for the perfect price, while adhering to our hectic deadline was monumental in keeping our business running seamlessly during the transition. Yes, Howard has decades of experience, but it’s the entire team’s knowledge of the market and life of lease cost analyses that provided us the confidence that we were getting a great deal while keeping us in line with our overall budget. We couldn’t have done it without HE+Co!
Howard Ecker and his team have been trusted advisors of mine for over a decade and through three different companies. No one is better at representing tenants from simple to complex lease situations. The deep relationships that Howard brings to the table ensure that you will always have excellent rent options and favorable lease terms. I highly recommend Howard Ecker and company.
Howard Ecker believes a properly negotiated lease leverages current market conditions, provides flexibility through lease rights and options, incorporates operating expense cost controls, and allows for his clients to adapt to future market realities and risks. For each negotiation, Howard performs a thorough analysis of each property under consideration to assist his clients to achieve the optimum result from a financial and business perspective. Landlord negotiations are transparent and Howard uses the information generated through his financial analysis to weigh competing offers and make reasonable counter offers. In my nearly two decades working with Howard Ecker, he has continually driven hard bargains and consummated transactions that exceeded his clients’ expectations.
Our construction advisory firm has worked with Howard Ecker + Company on various Tenant Improvement Construction projects across the country in most major designation cities. These spaces have ranged from 2,000 SF to over 100,000 SF.
The leasing of office space is often a complex initiative. Many of the providers required during the process regularly represent both tenants and landlords and, consequently, bring conflicts of interest to their engagements. Howard Ecker + Company is not compromised because of landlord representations. By working exclusively on behalf of tenants and not landlords, thus assuring that the best interests of clients are severed with total independence. Howard Ecker + Company has demonstrated through our involvement of their projects that “they truly treat the money as if it were their own”.
Unfortunately there is no consistent or reliable construction cost information available on a national or regional basis. Further, the construction cost information is being provided by providers that have a vested interest in the outcome of source reports. Inasmuch as one of the determining functions in the calculation of the rental rate is the amortization of the Tenant Improvement costs, Howard Ecker + Company always develops a very comprehensive analysis of these costs because of their final impact on reaching the bottom line of the rental rate.
It is without exception that Howard Ecker + Company always goes the extra mile in its extremely comprehensive property evaluations and negotiations opposed to the services of other brokers who view their mission as merely bringing buyers and sellers together.
When my company was expanding nationally, we need to rent office space on many cities around the country. Ira Perlman from Howard Ecker & Company led our projects and was terrific. He understood our needs, scoped out the geography, negotiated on our behalf and presented us with good options. We never could have done it without their help. It greatly minimized my time required. When we decided that we needed a larger corporate facility, they were part of the team of our “build to suit” development. Ira and Howard Ecker always were OUR advocates