B
oston Multifamily Capital Markets Group has shattered benchmarks, closing $27.5 billion in transactions, selling 132,602 units, and capturing nearly half of all Greater Boston multifamily sales since 2012. The team, led by Vice Chairmen Simon Butler and Biria St. John, earned the 2025 Brokers of the Year title from the Boston Real Estate Times.
Despite inflation, higher rates, and volatile capital markets, Butler and St. John have outpaced peers. In 2024 they closed $1.63 billion across 29 deals, totaling 4,784 units. By mid‑2025 they have already closed $1.4 billion and secured $570 million in agreements, positioning the group at the forefront of volume and speed.
Key recent deals illustrate the group’s breadth:
- Hill Estates, Belmont, MA – 396 units, $175 million
- Hanover Crossing, Hanover, MA – 297 units, $155.85 million
- 508‑unit luxury community, Boston, MA
- 787‑unit project, Hamden, CT
- 640‑unit development, Manchester, NH
The portfolio spans luxury urban builds, suburban garden‑style assets, value‑add repositioning, affordable housing, and joint‑venture equity raises. Clients include institutional investors, REITs, developers, syndicators, family offices, and private‑equity firms. The group’s success hinges on strategic asset positioning, matching buyers, and closing under pressure, making them market makers as well as dealmakers.
Simon Butler is a national leader in multifamily sales, with over $24 billion closed. He has consistently ranked among CBRE’s top producers—#2 in 2013, #4 in 2016, and top‑three in 2019 and 2020. Butler’s long‑standing relationships, data‑driven approach, and leadership have shaped Boston’s multifamily landscape, delivering top‑price returns across Cambridge, Somerville, Framingham, and beyond.
Biria St. John brings sharp valuation skills and a deal‑making instinct. With a background in CBRE’s Consulting and Valuation Group, he has contributed to more than $24 billion in deals, especially in affordable housing, closing over $550 million in such transactions in the past five years. A member of CBRE’s elite Colbert Coldwell Circle (top 3 % of producers nationwide), St. John excels in complex regulatory and financing environments, making him a go‑to broker for institutional and mission‑driven investors.
CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE: CBRE) is the world’s largest commercial real‑estate services firm, employing over 140,000 people in 100+ countries. Its four core segments—Advisory, Building Operations & Experience, Project Management, and Real Estate Investments—provide the Boston team with unmatched data, analytics, global reach, and local expertise. This platform enables superior outcomes across all asset classes and strategies.
The Boston multifamily group remains aggressive. With a robust pipeline, evolving investor demands, and sustained rental housing needs across Massachusetts and New England, the team focuses on maximizing client value while shaping the next chapter of multifamily living. They continue to expand in both market‑rate and affordable sectors, pursue land sales, joint ventures, and emerging suburban hubs, all supported by CBRE’s research, technology, and global investment capabilities.
In a market that rewards precision, resilience, and vision, Butler and St. John consistently prove they are the brokers investors rely on. Congratulations to CBRE’s Boston Multifamily Investment Sales Team for setting the pace, raising the bar, and defining New England’s multifamily future.
