I’ve been coming to RECon for nearly 20 years and am always impressed with how well ICSC delivers on this important conference. I had dinner last night with the JLL Retail team and some of our key clients including Greg Greenfield, Joe Saunders and Al Diaz. Dinner was good, the wine was even better but it was the conversation that wowed me. The retail sector continues to improve and when consumer confidence takes hold – watch out! The retail sector will be on fire and the lack of development over the past few years will prove to be a constraint, pushing up rents and creating an imbalance in the supply and demand dynamics. That’s why the deal-making at RECon is so important and relevant. Getting leasing deals done today will help buoy the sector immediately and in the future.

It’s an exciting time in the industry and at JLL Retail. As the retail sector continues to evolve so does our team. We are growing by leaps and bounds in the local markets, bringing on key brokers in Dallas, SoCal, Florida, Charlotte and the Midwest. Our national “mall” platform sets us up to grow in the local markets and really help our clients – both retailers and landlords of retail space. JLL Retail’s broad platform including management, leasing, consulting, investment sales and tenant rep are second to none in the retail sector and was built with the mindset of providing value to our clients.

I look forward to next year’s conference to see how far the sector has come and to see much far my JLL Retail team has grown.

Viva Las Vegas!

Roger Staubach