Becoming part of JLL also means having access to greater intellectual capital. The services offered by JLL run the gamut from leasing, sales, property management and a host of others, and the company operates throughout the world. Enloe says an increasing number of their clients have gone international, and may need simultaneous assistance with properties in China, South America or the Middle East, in addition to the US. “This move enables us to service those clients.”

Michael Welch, who helped to steer the growth of the IRR-Houston business and previously served as IRR's chairman of the board and chief executive officer, now leads JLL's valuation and advisory services business in the US.

“With each addition to our national valuations platform, the expertise, collaboration and service JLL has been able to offer our clients have increased exponentially,” he says. “The whole is infinitely greater than the sum of these parts.”

And the firm may not be finished with its expansion in the sector. “We are looking to continue growing the platform in the US,” says Enloe. “That may entail some more acquisitions.”

CHICAGO—JLL has taken another big step in the expansion of its commercial real estate valuation, counseling and advisory services. It just acquired the Chicago affiliate of Integra Realty Resources, a follow-up to the addition of IRR's Houston affiliate in October and the Dallas affiliate of IRR earlier this month.

IRR-Chicago completes about 2,500 assignments for more than 400 local, regional and national clients annually. Eric Enloe, Brandon Nunnink, Kenneth Jaggers and Ryan McDonald lead IRR-Chicago, which has around 50 employees across three offices. Enloe will lead JLL's valuation practice in Chicago and continue servicing national client relationships, while Nunnink will manage the Midwest practice.

As reported in GlobeSt.com, JLL has been quite keen on expanding its business through strategic acquisitions. And for these three affiliates of IRR, a leading network of independent valuation firms, moving to JLL may help them keep up with changes in the increasingly high tech, data-driven world of valuation.

“We see that as the future of the valuation space,” Enloe tells GlobeSt.com. And “it requires significant capital investment.” JLL has for years made a big push to use high-tech analytics in all aspects of real estate services, and bringing his group into the Chicago-based giant “gives us an opportunity to play at that level.”

Becoming part of JLL also means having access to greater intellectual capital. The services offered by JLL run the gamut from leasing, sales, property management and a host of others, and the company operates throughout the world. Enloe says an increasing number of their clients have gone international, and may need simultaneous assistance with properties in China, South America or the Middle East, in addition to the US. “This move enables us to service those clients.”

Michael Welch, who helped to steer the growth of the IRR-Houston business and previously served as IRR's chairman of the board and chief executive officer, now leads JLL's valuation and advisory services business in the US.

“With each addition to our national valuations platform, the expertise, collaboration and service JLL has been able to offer our clients have increased exponentially,” he says. “The whole is infinitely greater than the sum of these parts.”

And the firm may not be finished with its expansion in the sector. “We are looking to continue growing the platform in the US,” says Enloe. “That may entail some more acquisitions.”