AUSTIN, TEXAS— In response to increased client demand for retail expertise, Jones Lang LaSalle today announced that the firm has hired Todd Wallace and Robert O’Farrell to lead its retail brokerage practice in Austin. Wallace joins the firm as an Executive Vice President, and O’Farrell will serve as a Senior Vice President. Together, they will partner with Jones Lang LaSalle’s Texas team and leverage the retail platform to aggressively grow the firm’s retail presence throughout the state.
“We’re committed to growing our local market retail practice in key hubs around the United States, and have achieved tremendous success during the past two years,” said Greg Maloney, President and CEO of Retail, Jones Lang LaSalle. “Our clients, both investors and retailers, are seeking deep market knowledge in Texas, and bringing Todd and Robert on board allows us to provide the best-in-class execution they’ve come to expect. I’m confident they will significantly drive our business growth in this part of the country.”
“Austin’s fast growing economy, coupled with robust population and employment growth, is cultivating new opportunities in the retail sector,” said Steve Yenser, Jones Lang LaSalle’s National Retail Brokerage Lead. “Having leaders like Todd and Robert on the ground in an evolving market will provide our clients an unparalleled advantage. They understand every aspect of the retail spectrum and their long-standing client relationships in Austin, and throughout the state, will significantly strengthen our capabilities and extend our platform to new heights.”
“Jones Lang LaSalle’s tremendous brand recognition in the market, collaborative environment and deep resources offered an ideal platform to take our practice to the next level to better serve our clients,” added Wallace.
Wallace and O’Farrell have worked together for more than 12 years focusing on tenant representation, and bring with them an extensive list of tenant relationships.
Todd Wallace joins Jones Lang LaSalle from SRS Real Estate Partners, where he served as Executive Vice President and Market Leader for the company’s Austin, San Antonio and Houston offices. During his 18-year career, Wallace has represented national and regional retailers with their expansion and disposition needs, including: JC Penney, Toys R Us/Babies R Us, Academy Sports & Outdoors and Raising Cane’s. Todd is also a Board Member of Ballet Austin, on The Batten Board of Development, Dell’s Children Council, and he is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), Austin Commercial Real Estate Society (ACRES), and Good Shepherd Episcopal Church.
Robert O’Farrell also joins Jones Lang LaSalle fromSRS Real Estate Partners, where he served as Senior Vice President. During his 12-year career, he specialized in tenant representation, lease negotiations, site acquisition, project analysis and disposition initiatives for clients including: Target, In N Out Burger, USAA, Bridgestone/Firestone, Verizon Wireless, FedEx Office, Family Christian and Goodwill Industries. On the project leasing side of the business, O’Farrell has also handled lease negotiations for more than 2.5 million square feet of real estate transactions. O’Farrell earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He is an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and the Austin Commercial Real Estate Society (ACRES).
Earlier this year, Jones Lang LaSalle also added Clay Smith, Mark Newman, Justin Schoellkopf, Robin Smith and Lance W. Taylor to its Texas retail platform as part of an on-going effort toenhance its retail service offerings. During the last two years, Jones Lang LaSalle’s RetailGroup has added nearly 50 retail brokerage experts in major markets including Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Florida, Hawaii, New York, Seattle and Southern California. During the first half 2013, the group added more than 60 new assignments and more than 30 retail clients to its network across the United States.
Jones Lang LaSalle’s Retail Group is a full-service provider of retail services nationwide. The firm offers a wide array of services to its clients, including brokerage services for landlords and tenants, property management, financial reporting, tenant coordination, specialty leasing, marketing, research, development and receivership services. For more information on the Retail platform, visit www.jllretail.com. For more news, videos and research resources on Jones Lang LaSalle, please visit the firm’s U.S. media center Web page. Bookmark it here: http://bit.ly/14hRbTl
About Jones Lang LaSalle
Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE:JLL) is a professional services and investment management firm offering specialized real estate services to clients seeking increased value by owning, occupying and investing in real estate. With annual revenue of $3.9 billion, Jones Lang LaSalle operates in 70 countries from more than 1,000 locations worldwide. On behalf of its clients, the firm provides management and real estate outsourcing services to a property portfolio of 2.6 billion square feet and completed $63 billion in sales, acquisitions and finance transactions in 2012. Its investment management business, LaSalle Investment Management, has $46.3 billion of real estate assets under management. For further information, visit www.jll.com.