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Monthly Archives: July 2014

New SVP Reflects on First Three Months at JLL (Q&A)

July 29, 20140 CommentsBy JLL Spaces

In April, JLL was excited to announce that local expert, Bill Leone, would join its Pittsburgh leadership team. With more than 30 years of experience in commercial real estate, Bill was a perfect fit.

As Senior Vice President, Bill specializes in tenant representation, landlord representation and investment sales for both local and national JLL clients. Now that Bill has been with the firm for three months, JLL’s marketing team wanted to check in and see how he’s doing in his new position. We sat down with Bill to ask a few questions about his decision, and ultimately, his outlook as a newcomer to the Pittsburgh team.

Here’s what he had to say.

Q&A with JLL SVP in Pittsburgh, Bill Leone

Q: How did you decide that JLL was the right career choice?

A: There were many factors that weighed into the decision, and over the past three months, I’m convinced that all my reasons for coming to JLL were the right ones.

In Pittsburgh, JLL is thought of not only as the leading service provider, but the people are highly sought after as well. All employees genuinely enjoy what they do, they keep the client’s interest, and they always maintain their integrity.

Attention Law Firms: Better Space Utilization Cuts Operating Expenses [Infographic]

July 22, 20140 CommentsBy JLL Spaces

By: Andrew Batson, Senior Research Analyst, Great Lakes Region

Like many businesses today, law firms are looking for ways to increase productivity and reduce spend. In 2013, many were able to do so through better, more efficient real estate strategies.

In the 2013 Law Firm Perspective, JLL researchers saw a trend toward smaller spaces. Those that moved last year relocated to offices that were 7.1% smaller. Plus, square footage per worker decreased significantly, ranging from 900 square feet to 550 square feet.

From a cost standpoint, those that move to more modern, and more efficient layouts can shrink their real estate occupancy budget by more than 15%.

Check out JLL’s full graphic for more on workspace trends we’re seeing in the legal space.

A space to suit law firms – An infographic by the team at JLL

Commercial Real Estate News Brief: June 2014

July 15, 20140 CommentsBy JLL Spaces

Commercial real estate is a dynamic industry. Keep up with Spaces’ monthly recaps of the most valuable industry articles we’ve recently come across, focused on news in Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Workplace Trends: Does Your Space Measure Up?

In a recent article from JLL’s newsroom, Richard Kadzis (@IndustryTracker) posed the question: “Does your workplace give you a competitive edge?”

Employee retention, recruitment, and ultimately, production is linked to workplace structure and culture. Your office can drive (or destroy) your culture. So, back to Richard’s question. Does your space give you an advantage? If not, below are five trends to keep in mind as you rework your own real estate strategy.

1. Gaming at work? Millennials enjoy video games. So, businesses are looking for ways to use high-powered, 3D tech to gamify (and speed up) decision-making.

2. Let workers decide. Given the freedom to decide where they will work (i.e. private vs. collaborative space), employees are happier.

3. The end of command-and-control. The “bottom-up” approach cultivates a sense of community. It’s critical that all employees are given a voice.

4. Soaring demand for health and wellness. Sitting all day does not make for a healthy lifestyle. Companies are looking for ways to proactively encourage movement, like staggered elevators.

5. Return to the city. Young pros are looking to downtown areas for vibrant spaces to live and work.

Read Richard’s full post for details.

Tech Industry Drives Growth in the Midwest: Top 4 Trends [INFOGRAPHICS]

July 10, 20140 CommentsBy JLL Spaces

By: Dave MacDonald, Executive Vice President, JLL

When you think of high-tech, which regions come to mind? Silicon Valley? Perhaps Seattle or even San Francisco? Statistically speaking, you’d be absoultely correct. But what if I told you that cities within our Midwest region, like Detroit and Pittsburgh, are among the tech industry’s next generation of hot cities?

Detroit, as recently reported by GlobeSt.com, “is turning into [a] high-tech hub.” Notorious tech leaders, including Google, Amazon, and Twitter all have a presence in the area. And, thanks to the evolution and demand of navigational amenities, and other computer-driven features in modern cars, the local tech sector is taking off.

Another up-and-coming city for tech: Pittsburgh. In fact, Pittsburgh was recently recognized on JLL’s list of the nation’s next tech hubs. Why? Well, for starters, real estate is much more affordable than other big cities, such as Silicon Valley, Washington D.C. and Los Angeles. Couple that with the city’s established presence with venture capital funding, and its proximity to universities, and you have a potential high-tech hot spot.

JLL researchers recently took a closer look at big trends driving innnovation and growth in local tech. Below, I’ve outlined the top four industry influencers in tech real estate for an up-close look at what’s making waves in national news, and what’s trickling down to our local cites.