JLL Specialty Leasing Execs

CHICAGO-The International Council of Shopping Centers’ recent Fall Conference here brought together about 900 professionals in the leasing, marketing and management sectors of the business. One of the speakers at the conference’s many sessions was Carol O’Grady, VP of regional marketing and specialty leasing manager at Jones Lang LaSalle. O’Grady spoke to attendees about the marriage between marketing and specialty leasing in the mall business. Her firm operates 58 malls across the country as a third-party manager where both are incorporated. O’Grady and Carol Sullivan, VP of marketing at JLL, spoke with GSR Ticket about the relationship between marketing and specialty leasing as well as trends in those areas.

GSR: How are specialty leasing and marketing related?

O’Grady: I think the core relation between specialty leasing and marketing is driving the product. Specialty leasing brings different types of merchandise choices to the retail property, and with marketing we’re always trying to mold the product to give consumers what it is they’re looking for. So when marketing and specialty leasing work together, it really is a perfect marriage.