Kurland will serve as executive vice president working with CBRE SVP David LaPierre representing high-profile tenants and landlords, CBRE officials say. "Susan is unquestionably one of the city's leading retail brokers, with many impressive deals to her credit," Alan Schmerzler, CBRE managing director of the Tri-State Retail Services Group, says in a statement. "It is a clear demonstration of the strength of the CBRE platform that Susan is joining our team to expand her career." Dean J. Shapiro, Executive Managing Director adds that Kurland's decision to join CBRE "fortifies our retail practice."

"We're not surprised by her decision," C&W's executive managing director, New York Metro Region, Ken Krasnow tells GlobeSt.com. ""She's a talented individual and was here in the retail infancy." He notes that Kurland's partner Jim Downey and associate Eric Le Goff are both staying with C&W. "We're building up a strong national retail group and will be moving in an aggressive platform." He says the firm expects to grow the local retail group, which currently has 15 brokers.

Kurland won REBNY's 1999 "Deal That Most Significantly Impacts a Neighborhood Award" for the 36,000-sf H&M transaction at 640 Fifth Ave., and in 2003 took the "Most Creative Retail Deal of the Year Award" for arranging the 45,200-sf American Girl transaction at 609 Fifth Ave. Other transactions she handled include Sports Club/LA at Rockefeller Center, McKenzie-Childs on West 57th Street, and several deals for Wachovia Bank and H&M.