JLL has named Kevin MacKenzie as president, Americas Capital Markets, effective Jan. 1, 2025.

MacKenzie will succeed Jody Thornton in this position, who will assume the role of Executive Chairman, Americas Capital Markets, continuing oversight of various initiatives.

MacKenzie began his career as an analyst in the Dallas office in 2004 and was promoted to a role in production just one year later. He held various roles (at HFF and JLL) across the company, first moving to co-head the Orange County office in 2011, followed by overseeing the Los Angeles and the Pacific Northwest offices, then later, head of the West region.

He was added to the executive committee (HFF) in 2018 and was pivotal in the growth of national initiatives such as strategic transactions and private capital. Most recently, he held the position of Head of Production for JLL Capital Markets.

As part of the player coach model, MacKenzie has been a top producer for 10+ years, executing in excess of 925 transactions totaling more than $35 billion, across all property sectors and regions of the U.S. MacKenzie consistently originates and leads complex transactions across debt, equity and sales. In his new role he will continue to work with clients on capital markets transactions while assisting in the strategic growth of their businesses and objectives.

KAI Design hired Nicholas “Nic” Simmerman as project manager at its Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, office.

Simmerman brings over 18 years of experience in the architecture industry, having worked on a diverse range of projects, from large healthcare renovations and adaptive reuse of warehouse spaces to luxury multi-family hospitality and modern office developments.

In his role as Project Manager, he is responsible for ensuring overall project profitability and customer satisfaction. He will manage owner relations and oversee the performance of subcontractors and KAI personnel.

Prior to joining KAI, Simmerman owned and operated a boutique firm, High Architecture, where he designed projects in nine states. He was also a Partner and Director of Commercial at Type Six Design & Development Services in Arlington, TX, and a Project Architect and Manager for SBL Architecture in Arlington, TX.

Transwestern Real Estate Services added Ravi Bajaj as Manager of Sustainability and ESG in its Houston office.

Collaborating with Asset Services, Bajaj will build and implement comprehensive environmental programs that enhance the performance and value of client and investor assets. This includes outlining objectives and tactics, establishing policies and KPIs, and engaging internal and external stakeholders to promote successful ESG initiatives.

Before joining Transwestern, Bajaj was the founding principal of Citadel EHS’s ESG & Sustainability Practice Area, overseeing ESG and GRESB consulting, WELL Building Standard certification performance testing, and IEQ assessments for sustainability and health and wellbeing building certification programs. He also served as a program manager at UL Solutions, a testing, inspection, and certification services company (known as Healthy Buildings prior to acquisition by UL).

Bajaj’s experience includes collaborative project management with GRESB, WELL, LEED, BREEAM, Fitwel, and Living Building Challenge rating systems.

SPERRY announced that veteran commercial real estate professionals Al Karmali and Ian O’Connor are joining the firm as an affiliate under the name Sperry-MTX Commercial.  The new affiliate will be based in Houston, Texas.

Led by Karmali who serves as owner and O’Connor who serves as managing director, Sperry-MTX Commercial specializes in leasing and investment sales of commercial real estate in the Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston, Texas areas.

Karmali and O’Connor are prominent figures in the Texas commercial real estate industry.  Kamali also currently serves as President and CEO of DFW Hospitality Group, LLC, Texas Energy, Inc., Sterling Global Resources / Sterling Equity Partners, Alyah Holdings, Inc., and Karmali Holdings, Inc.  O’Connor previous worked in real estate development and brokerage for firms including Shamrock Rental Properties LP and The Woodmont Company.

Tyler, Texas-based Scarborough Commercial Real Estate added Becky Wilson as an associate. In her new role, Wilson will help clients achieve their real estate goals ­– whether buying, selling, or leasing – across East Texas.

Wilson was previously a Certified Agent Support Specialist and Operations Manager for Marcus & Millichap REIS, managing the Fort Worth, Tulsa and Oklahoma City offices. Upon moving to Tyler, Becky became a residential real estate agent, as well as the Director of Operations and Marketing for a local commercial real estate firm. She brings nearly a decade of experience in both the commercial and residential sectors of the real estate industry.

New York, NY (November 5, 2024) — Newmark announces industry expert Clint Frease has joined the firm as Vice Chairman. In his role, Frease will be responsible for leading Newmark’s debt capital markets efforts across Texas and the Central Region, as well as providing national debt advisory for the Data Center Capital Markets team. Frease will focus on debt placement, structured finance and loan sales, further expanding Newmark’s leading debt advisory services across data centers, industrial, retail, hospitality, multifamily and office.

Based in Dallas, Frease will report to Newmark’s Co-Presidents of Global Debt & Structured Finance Jordan Roeschlaub and Jonathan Firestone and will work closely with U.S. senior capital markets executives. He will also collaborate closely with Brent Mayo, who leads Newmark’s Data Center & Digital Infrastructure Capital Markets practice. His addition bolsters Newmark’s debt capital markets presence in Texas, where he will work with Senior Managing Directors Chris McColpin and Andrew Porteous and Director Josh Francis. The strategic hiring follows the expansion of Newmark’s industrial, office and retail capital markets practices in Texas over the past year.

“The opportunity to hire industry experts with such impressive track records is a testament to our growth trajectory and the talent we’ve amassed in our Capital Markets business,” said Chad Lavender, President of Capital Markets for North America. “Our commitment to providing comprehensive, differentiated and strategic guidance to our clients remains at the forefront of our strategy, and bringing on Clint further enhances the depth of our capabilities.”

Roeschlaub added, “As Newmark’s debt business continues to augment the industry’s best-in-class team, the addition of an industry leader like Frease enhances our ability to meet the evolving demands and opportunity set in the market. While we of course prioritize hiring the best athletes, we also focus on cultural compatibility and alignment. Frease was the top draft pick on all fronts.”

An esteemed leader in real estate debt and structured finance, Frease brings two decades of in-depth knowledge and experience covering the placement, origination and structuring of commercial mortgage-backed securities, balance sheet loans, mezzanine and preferred equity financings, construction loans, bridge loans and structured financings. He has executed more than $75 billion of commercial real estate financing, loan sales and structured transactions on behalf of institutional and private clients across the U.S. Before joining Newmark, Frease served as Managing Director at Eastdil Secured in the Dallas and Washington D.C. offices. Prior, he was at Wells Fargo Bank in the Real Estate Capital Markets group, where he originated CMBS loans. He was also a member of the Special Situations Group, focusing on managing a highly distressed commercial real estate loan portfolio.

“I am excited to join Newmark and work with Jordan, Jonathan and the wider team to build on the success and momentum of the global debt platform,” said Frease. “The opportunity to join some of the industry’s most respected professionals, some of whom I have worked with previously, creates enhanced opportunities for our clients, leveraging our collective expertise to meet their needs.”

About Newmark

Newmark Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: NMRK), together with its subsidiaries (“Newmark”), is a world leader in commercial real estate, seamlessly powering every phase of the property life cycle. Newmark’s comprehensive suite of services and products is uniquely tailored to each client, from owners to occupiers, investors to founders, and startups to blue-chip companies. Combining the platform’s global reach with market intelligence in both established and emerging property markets, Newmark provides superior service to clients across the industry spectrum. For the year ended December 31, 2023, Newmark generated revenues of approximately $2.5 billion. As of June 30, 2024, Newmark’s company-owned offices, together with its business partners, operate from approximately 170 offices with 7,800 professionals around the world. To learn more, visit nmrk.com or follow @newmark.

Discussion of Forward-Looking Statements about Newmark

Statements in this document regarding Newmark that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” that involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. These include statements about the Company’s business, results, financial position, liquidity, and outlook, which may constitute forward-looking statements and are subject to the risk that the actual impact may differ, possibly materially, from what is currently expected. Except as required by law, Newmark undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. For a discussion of additional risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see Newmark’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including, but not limited to, the risk factors and Special Note on Forward-Looking Information set forth in these filings and any updates to such risk factors and Special Note on Forward-Looking Information contained in subsequent reports on Form 10-K, Form 10-Q or Form 8-K.