CBRE taps new talent to grow its APAC capital raising platform as more institutional and offshore funds flow in Australia, opening up opportunities for commercial brokers.
The US-based commercial real estate services and investment firm has hired Hugh Thomson and John Cooley to bolster fundraising and deal execution in the region. The duo will work on CBRE’s Pacific Capital Advisory team, reporting directly to Stuart McCann, CBRE's managing director and head of capital advisors, Pacific and Southeast Asia.
“These appointments reflect our continued investment in top‑tier talent and our commitment to delivering sophisticated capital solutions for our clients,” McCann said. “Hugh’s return to CBRE, combined with John’s funds management and capital raising expertise, significantly enhances our platform at a time of increasing complexity across global capital markets.”
Sydney-based Thomson returns to CBRE to take on the role of director. He joins from Australian real estate investment manager MaxCap Group. Prior to that he spent nearly six years at CBRE in a number of senior-level roles across the region. Thomson brings experience in cross-border capital raising across both institutional and private wealth channels.
Cooley, who is also based in Sydney, has been hired as manager. He spent nearly six years at specialist global industrial property and digital infrastructure group Goodman. Cooley also brings experience in capital raising and investor engagement across multiple investment platforms.
CBRE's push to strengthen its capital advisory team signals a shift in how deals are being won and executed across Australia’s commercial property market. The arrival of Thomson and Cooley means CBRE is positioning itself as more than a traditional brokerage; it's moving closer to a full capital partner that can raise money, structure deals and attract investors. For commercial brokers, that means increased competition, particularly on large-scale commercial property deals, where access to capital and structuring expertise is increasingly as important as finding the property.
At the same time, the growing weight of institutional and offshore capital flowing into Australia is reshaping the market. More global investors means more sophisticated deal structures, such as joint ventures, recapitalisations and club deals, rather than straightforward asset sales. The shift also opens the door for brokers to collaborate more closely with capital advisory teams, leveraging deeper investor networks to close larger and more complex deals. Brokers who understand capital flows, investor mandates and deal structuring will stay competitive; those who don’t may find themselves squeezed out of larger or more complex deals.
