Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Description of Business, Basis of presentation and Recent Accounting Pronouncements

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Description of Business, Basis of presentation and Recent Accounting Pronouncements
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Description of Business, Basis of presentation and Recent Accounting Pronouncements
1. Description of Business, Basis of presentation and Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Description of Business

Marcus & Millichap, Inc., (the “Company”, “Marcus & Millichap”, or “MMI”), a Delaware corporation, is a brokerage firm specializing in commercial real estate investment sales, financing, research and advisory services. As of December 31, 2014, MMI operates 78 offices in the United States and Canada through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services, Inc. (“MMREIS”), which includes the operations of Marcus & Millichap Capital Corporation (“MMCC”).

Reorganization and Initial Public Offering

MMI was formed in June 2013 in preparation for Marcus & Millichap Company (“MMC”) to spin-off its majority owned subsidiary, MMREIS (“Spin-Off”). Prior to the initial public offering (“IPO”) of MMI stock on October 30, 2013, all of the preferred and common stockholders of MMREIS (including MMC and employees of MMREIS) contributed all of their outstanding shares to MMI, in exchange for new MMI common stock. As a result, MMREIS became a wholly-owned subsidiary of MMI. Thereafter, MMC distributed 80.0% of the shares of MMI common stock to MMC’s shareholders and exchanged the remaining portion of its shares of MMI common stock for cancellation of indebtedness of MMC.

On November 5, 2013, MMI completed its Initial Public Offering (“IPO”) of 6,900,000 shares of common stock at a price to the public of $12.00 per share of which 4,173,413 shares were sold by the Company and 2,726,587 shares were sold by certain selling stockholders. See Note 9 – “Stockholders’ Equity” for additional information on IPO.

Basis of Presentation

The Company’s consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with US generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). Prior to the Spin-Off, MMI and MMREIS were affiliates under common control and in connection with the Spin-Off, the assets and liabilities of MMREIS were recorded at carryover basis. The historical financial statements of MMREIS, as the Company’s predecessor, have been presented as the historical financial statements of MMI for all periods prior to the Spin-Off from the beginning of the earliest period presented.

Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the related disclosures at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to a concentration of credit risk principally consist of cash and cash equivalents, due from affiliates, due from independent contractors, investments in marketable securities – available for sale, security deposits (included under other assets, non-current caption) and commissions receivables. Cash is placed with high-credit quality financial institutions and invested high-credit quality money market funds.

To reduce its credit risk, the Company monitors the credit standing of the financial institutions that hold the Company’s cash and cash equivalents. The Company historically has not experienced any losses related to cash and cash equivalents or due from affiliates. The Company derives its revenues from a broad range of real estate investors, owners, and users in the United States and Canada, none of which individually represents a significant concentration of credit risk. The Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers and debtors and requires collateral on a case-by-case basis. The Company maintains allowances, as needed, for estimated credit losses based on management’s assessment of the likelihood of collection. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, no transaction represented 10% or more of total revenues. Further, while one or more transactions may represent 10% or more of commissions receivable at any reporting date, amounts due are typically collected within 10 days of settlement and therefore do not expose the Company to significant credit risk.

Reclassifications

Certain prior-period amounts in the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto, have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. These changes had no impact on the previously reported consolidated results of operations, total assets, total liabilities, stockholders’ equity or cash flow subtotals. In addition to reclassifications within current assets, the Company reclassified $668,000, net in due from independent contractors from other assets long-term to current as of December 31, 2013.

Segment Reporting

The Company follows the guidance for segment reporting, which requires reporting information on operating segments in interim and annual financial statements. An operating segment is defined as a component of an enterprise that engages in business activities from which it may earn revenues and incur expenses whose separate financial information is available and is evaluated regularly by the Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”) or decision making group, to perform resource allocations and performance assessments. The CODMs are the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. The CODM review financial information presented on an office-by-office basis for purposes of making operating decisions, assessing financial performance and allocating resources. Based on the evaluation of the Company’s financial information, management believes that the Company’s offices represent individual operating segments with similar economic characteristics that meet the criteria for aggregation into a single reportable segment for financial reporting purposes. The Company’s financing operations also represent an individual operating segment, which does not meet the thresholds to be presented as a separate reportable segment.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASU 2014-09”), which supersedes virtually all of the current revenue recognition guidance under U.S. GAAP, and requires entities to recognize revenue for transfer to customer of promised goods or services in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled to receive in exchange for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and early adoption is not permitted. ASU 2014-09 permits two implementation approaches, one requiring retrospective application of the new standard with restatement of prior years and one requiring prospective application of the new standard with disclosure of results under old standards. For the Company, the new standard will be effective January 1, 2017. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this new standard and will select a transition method when the effect is determined; however, the Company does not expect this standard to have a significant effect on the Company’s revenue recognition.

In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-15, Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern (“ASU 2014-15”). Currently, there is no guidance under U.S. GAAP regarding management’s responsibility to assess whether there is substantial doubt about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern. Under ASU 2014-15, the Company will be required to assess its ability to continue as a going concern each interim and annual reporting period and provide certain disclosures if there is substantial doubt about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern, including management’s plan to alleviate the substantial doubt. ASU 2014-15 is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and early adoption is permitted. For the Company, the new standard will be effective January 1, 2017. This new standard will not have an impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations.