NEWPORT BEACH, CA—No longer just dead space or a place to wait for a meeting, lobby space is being activated with WiFi as another important amenity in attracting and retaining talent, John Cornuke, regional investment head, the Americas, for TH Real Estate, a division of TIAA Global Asset Management, tells GlobeSt.com. TIAA recently integrated its US real estate operations with TH Real Estate (a London-based investment company which TIAA purchased last year). As the third-largest real estate manager in the world, TH Real Estate now manages $97 billion in assets under management and a suite of nearly 80 funds and mandates spanning both debt and equity.

As testament to its significant activity in the Orange County market, TH Real Estate recently sold 3 Hutton Centre in Santa Ana, CA, a 198,161-square-foot trophy office tower (for what Real Capital Analytics reports was approximately $50.5 million) to Cypress Office Properties LLC, with joint-venture partner Harbert United States Real Estate Fund VI L.P. Cushman & Wakefield brokers Jeffrey Cole, Ed Hernandez, Nico Napolitano, Robert Lambert and Rick Reeder represented the seller in the transaction, along with CBRE's John Weiner.

We spoke exclusively with Cornuke about the company's recent changes, remaining focused when dealing with such a far-reaching company and untapped opportunities in asset management.