JLL makes key hires to expand SoCal retail efforts

Photo: Erik Westedt, left, and Scott Kaplan have joined JLL’s growing Southern California team.

JLL continues to expand its West Coast retail platform and just made two key hires to facilitate growth in Southern California.



JLL named Scott Kaplan as executive vice president and Erik Westedt as senior VP to expand the firm’s 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 careers the pair has completed transactions encompassing 25 million sq. ft. 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. This leads to an uptick in client demand for superior leasing and investment sales expertise," said Peter Belisle, JLL’s Southwest market director. "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."



Kaplan and Westedt join JLL from CBRE.



"In less than a year, we’ve gone from a handful of Southern California retail brokerage experts to a full-fledged platform,” said 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.”