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 March 31, 2015, 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.

Basis of Presentation

The financial information presented in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, have been prepared in accordance with rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for quarterly reports on Form 10–Q and Article 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and notes include all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation of the consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the annual audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2014 included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 9, 2015 with the SEC. The results of the three months ended March 31, 2015 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2015, or for other interim periods or future years.

Consolidation

The accompanying condensed 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 period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Reclassifications

Certain prior-period amounts in the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. These changes had no impact on the previously reported consolidated results of operations, financial condition, stockholders’ equity or on cash flows subtotals.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to a concentration of credit risk principally consist of cash and cash equivalents, commissions receivable, investments in marketable securities - available for sale, due from independent contractors (included under other assets, current caption), security deposits (included under other assets, non-current caption) and company owned variable life insurance policies underlying the investments held in rabbi trust. Cash is placed with high-credit quality financial institutions and invested in 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 and monitors marketable securities, available for sale for impairment. The Company historically has not experienced any losses related to cash and cash equivalents or marketable securities, available for sale. 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 maintains allowances, as needed, for estimated credit losses based on management’s assessment of the likelihood of collection. For the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, 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 concentration of credit risk.

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. In April 2015, the FASB proposed to delay the effective date one year, beginning in fiscal year 2018. The proposal will be subject to the FASB’s due process requirements, which includes a period for public comment. 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. The Company anticipates that this new standard will not have an impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial position or results of operations.