KPMG Named Independent Auditor for CBRE Group's 2026 Fiscal Year

KPMG's engagement teams have a new 12-to-18-month commitment on the books: CBRE Group's Audit Committee formally reappointed the firm as independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026, disclosing the decision in a DEF 14A proxy statement filed April 3. The ratification vote is set for CBRE's Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 21.

For KPMG audit professionals, the filing means the staffing clock is already running on one of the most technically demanding mandates in the Fortune 500. CBRE, ranked No. 128 on the Fortune 500, is the world's largest commercial real estate services and investment firm, with 2025 revenues of more than $40 billion and more than 155,000 employees worldwide. The company also holds over $155 billion of assets under management within its Investment Management business and operates in more than 100 countries. Translating that scale into an auditable workplan requires experienced managers in fair-value modeling, revenue recognition, multi-entity consolidation, and IT general controls testing, all of which resource managers now need to slot into an engagement calendar running through December.

The audit's technical complexity reflects CBRE's business mix. Revenue flows from commercial leasing, property sales, outsourcing, property management, and valuation services, each carrying distinct recognition requirements under U.S. GAAP. The Investment Management segment adds a second layer of valuation scrutiny given the volume and diversity of assets under management. Running through the entire global structure is ASC 842, the lease accounting standard, which demands continuous reconciliation of operating and finance lease schedules across hundreds of entities and jurisdictions. Real estate impairment testing and property fair-value modeling complete the scope.

The DEF 14A filing also activates client-acceptance mechanics for KPMG's engagement teams. Independence confirmations, onboarding documentation, and engagement-letter negotiations are underway, alongside quality-review protocols staffed by practice-level risk and legal teams. For engagement managers joining the account, prior-year workpaper access and knowledge transfer from the previous audit cycle are early priorities before interim fieldwork begins.

From a career standpoint, the CBRE account opens rotation opportunities for professionals with real estate accounting, fair-value, or ITGC backgrounds. Audit managers and seniors who want to flag availability should move quickly: staffing decisions at this scale get made before formal scoping memoranda are finalized, and HR and resource planning teams are expected to accelerate talent allocation to avoid backfill gaps as interim fieldwork approaches.

CFO Emma Giamartino oversees CBRE's global finance organization, which includes controllership, financial planning and analysis, financial risk and assurance, insurance, investor relations, tax, and treasury, making her team the primary counterpart for KPMG's engagement leadership throughout the cycle. Shareholder ratification on May 21 is expected to formalize the engagement calendar and set interim fieldwork in motion.