Scott Kaplan and Erik Westedt Move to JLL

Erik Westedt joins as SVP to expand JLL’s Southern California Retail practice.

INLAND EMPIRE, CA — JLL tells GlobeSt.com exclusively that it has hired Scott Kaplan as EVP and Erik Westedt as SVP to expand its Southern California Retail practice. Kaplan and Westedt bring a combined a 35-year track record in the leasing, development and sale of retail properties locally, regionally and nationally. Throughout their career, the pair has completed transactions encompassing 25 million square feet of retail space valued at more than $5 billion. “Southern California retail rents continue to rise and net absorption is stabilizing, leading more investors to eye the market,” explains Peter Belisle, southwest market director at JLL. “This leads to an uptick in client demand for superior leasing and investment sales expertise. Scott and Erik are two premier brokers in the market and they will provide tremendous value to our clients who are looking at the West Coast as a hub for expansion and investment.” Belisle tells GlobeSt.com that retail expansion has been a big focus for JLL across the US over the past year. “Specifically in California we started by adding the Wilson Retail Group, Shelter Bay Retail Group, Martin Potts & Associates and key brokers in the market like Houman Mahboubi.” Now, with Scott and Erik, he adds, “we now have a team with proven results and a great deal of expertise. They have first class clients and embody JLL’s culture of ethics and integrity. We look forward to continuing our growth in the retail space as we deepen and expand our services for our clients.” In less than a year, the firm has gone from a handful ofSouthern California retail brokerage experts to a full-fledged platform, explains Naveen Jaggi , president of retail brokerage at JLL. “We’re able to now offer clients leasing, investment sales and tenant representation support from Los Angeles to San Diego, and the addition of Scott and Erik allows us to provide expanded expertise and depth in the Inland Empire and Orange County. “Scott and Erik have a results-driven reputation and track record in providing real estate solutions to institutional landlords and retailers.” Kaplan joins JLL with more than 20 years of experience in the retail real estate industry. Prior to JLL, he was a SVP at CBRE. Prior to entering the commercial real estate world, he was the co-owner of a chain of Hallmark stores in the Chicago area. Kaplan holds a bachelor’s degree – Cum Laude from the University of Iowa. He also serves as a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and founding member of Chino Hills Foundation Board. Kaplan tells GlobeSt.com that “We have enjoyed tremendous success over the years.  At JLL, we now have a platinum brand with best-in-class resources that we can pass along to our clients. The firm’s entrepreneurial and collaborative culture allows us to proactively be nimble for our clients and take the service we provide to a new level.” Westedt joins JLL with nearly 15 years of experience. He previously served as a VP at CBRE. Westedt earned a master’s degree from California State University, Fullerton. He is actively involved in ICSC and tells GlobeSt.com that “JLL provided us a unique opportunity to be part of something great and take it from the local to global level. The people at JLL are best of class and there is a sense of true collaboration and family.” CBRE had no comment for GlobeSt.com on the pair’s departure at this time. Check back with GlobeSt.com in the next few days for more on the move, with an exclusive detailed interview with Scott Kaplan.