Been working on the residential side in Northern Virginia and I am thinking about a move into commercial real estate. Am I crazy to do this now? Who are some of the firms I should pursue? I already had two interviews with Marcus and Millichap, but I would like to find a firm that would expose me to leasing too.

I am in Northern Virginia now, but I will be moving to the Carolinas in the next three years. Would that move be like starting all over?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Right now most commercial firms are contracting. The credit market is frozen and transaction volume is down as businesses are not expanding in a down economy. Asset management and tenant repping are in strong demand right now. The choice is up to you.

Yes, for the most part you will be starting over.

Commercial shops generally aren't in expansion mode right now, but here's a list of some names:
NAI
Colliers
Grubb & Ellis
CBRE
Coldwell Banker Commercial
Sperry Van Ness

Keep in mind, some commercial firms will want you to focus on either investment sales or leasing but not both. It will depend on the size of your market too.