Sage advises large corporate and institutional clients on how to align their multi-site real estate assets with business objectives. At Trammell Crow Co., Tomey was director of the Swedish Medical Center outsource account and also managed assignments for Microsoft and KeyCorp.

Tomey, who in becoming an equal partner had to match the debt incurred by the four others, says she made the move because she believes in Norman's advisory business model, which isn't driven by brokerage fees like most real estate services firms. "It's an opportunity I couldn't pass up, an opportunity to be in a situation where we can offer completely objective advice," says Tomey.

Norman says he courted Tomey because she has the expertise they were looking for with regard to "the development and measurement of effective corporate real estate organizations and departments." Norman adds that Tomey's addition gives Sage expertise on both sides of the outsourcing coin, as Tomey is a well-known provider of outsourced services and Sage's San Francisco partner Phil Brandmeier, once head of corporate real estate at Sun Microsystems, is an experienced evaluator and purchaser of such services.