CBRE Group, Inc. CBG is slated to report first-quarter 2016 results on Apr 28, 2016, before the market opens. Last quarter, this commercial real estate services and investment firm had delivered a 2.53% positive earnings surprise.CBRE beat estimates in all of the trailing four quarters, with a positive average surprise of 11.58%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the first quarter is currently pegged at 33 cents.Let’s see how things are shaping up for this announcement.Factors to ConsiderIn recent times, CBRE Group has been expanding into new verticals and regions through strategic in-fill acquisitions as well as large transformational deals. Delighting its shareholders, CBRE once again grabbed the top spot in the global rankings for commercial real estate investment sales throughout the world for 2015, per a Real Capital Analytics (“RCA”) data. This, in fact, this is the fifth consecutive year in which the company achieved the number one position. RCA tracks global commercial real estate sales of $10 million and greater.CBRE’s extensive real estate products & services offerings; improving leasing, property sales and outsourcing business; strategic buyouts and healthy balance sheet are expected to positively impact its first-quarter 2016 results.However, uneasiness in certain global economies, stiff competition from international, regional and local players, and unfavorable foreign currency movement remain as concerns. This will likely restrict the company’s growth momentum in the quarter. Earnings WhispersOur proven model does not conclusively show that CBRE will beat estimates this quarter. That is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), #2 (Buy) or #3 (Hold) for this to happen. This is not the case here as you will see below.Zacks ESP: Since both the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate stand at 33cents, the Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the two, is 0.00% for the first quarter.Zacks Rank: CBRE has a Zacks Rank #3, which when combined with a 0.00% ESP, makes a surprise prediction uncertain.Please note that we caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or #5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions.Stocks to ConsiderHere are a few stocks in the real estate investment trust sector you may want to consider, as our model shows that they have the right combination of elements to post a positive surprise this quarter:Essex Property Trust Inc. ESS has an Earnings ESP of +1.14% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company will report results on Apr 28.Taubman Centers, Inc. TCO has an Earnings ESP of +3.53% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company will release results on May 2.Vornado Realty Trust VNO has an Earnings ESP of +2.44% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company will report first-quarter 2016 results on May 2.Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report CBRE GROUP INC (CBG): Free Stock Analysis Report TAUBMAN CENTERS (TCO): Free Stock Analysis Report ESSEX PPTY TR (ESS): Free Stock Analysis Report VORNADO RLTY TR (VNO): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research