merly known as Jones Lang Lasalle). Homa was one of the first hires of
Vice President John Sikaitis, who was also new to JLL when Homa interviewed for a job 11 years ago. Hiring Homa, Sikaitis says, remains one his best decisions. “We try to create research that
inspires actions,” says Sikaitis, who is in charge of JLL’s office and local markets research for the Americas. “Our clients come to us for deep, substantial advice,” and that is what Homa provides. He repeatedly has won JLL’s VIP award, a testimony to his devotion to his job. Homa’s assignment has three phases.
First, using a network of public and private sources, he assembles masses of commercial real estate information, rang- ing from the granular to the macro, from boots-on-the-ground to broad economic trends. Then, he has to synthesize and analyze it. “I love to figure out the dynamic,” he
says. That assessment, according to
Sikaitis, requires the intellect to under- stand lots of disparate ideas, the organi- zation to track a slew of data points, the confidence to believe in your findings, and, yes, even a geeky love for real estate. “You need to be intrigued by the
crane in the sky,” explains Sikaitis. JLL counts owners, developers,
tenants, public entities and potential investors among its clients, so the third element of Homa’s job is one somewhat outside the box for many researchers: Doing a face-to-face presentation of his findings. “We want our people to be in front of
clients on an everyday basis,” Sikaitis says, “not just heads down, pushing something out on a PDF. Scott’s DNA was perfectly suited to be a consultant, not a front- facing salesperson, but he has shifted into that [role] and is seamless at it now.” Jim Gillen is one of the many JLL
clients who have come to rely on what Homa calls his story of the market. The senior director in asset management for Invesco Real Estate, which manages about $70 billion in properties worldwide, says that he tries to meet with the researcher and his team every time he is in Washing- ton, even if he has no specific agenda. “Scott doesn’t just provide facts and
For Your Commercial Business
Sophisticated Solutions. Community bank service. That’s what you can expect from your commercial banking specialist at Fulton Bank – we’ll be your advocate and make your business goals happen.
As a Preferred Lender for the Small Business Administration (SBA), our specialists have the resources to help your business maintain its stride - whether you need to expand, renovate or acquire. We’re right around the corner.
CASH FLOW AND LIQUIDITY MANAGEMENT BUSINESS EXPANSION
EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT PLANNING1 Visit a branch to meet your local relationship manager today.
figures,” Gillen says. “He gets behind the numbers to what is driving the numbers.” What has been driving the numbers
lately, Homa says, is transit-oriented development. People, especially millenni- als, want a walkable, car-free, integrated space where they can live and work, and the evidence of that is the number of mixed-use real estate projects going up along Metro’s new Silver Line in North- ern Virginia, even while less-connected markets struggle with high vacancy rates. Homa expects that this type of develop-
ment will be a defining trend for years to come. Recently, the researcher says, he
spent time taking pictures of the half- demolished Washington Post building in downtown Washington. He and JJL played a role in Fannie Mae deciding to use the site for its new headquarters. “That block is going to be so acti-
vated,” he says with enthusiasm. “I am such a real estate nerd. I get a kick out of seeing development take hold that we had a part in.”
solutions.fultonbank.com/commercial Fulton Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. Deposit and credit products are offered by Fulton Bank. Loans are
subject to credit approval. Fulton Bank is not affiliated with the U.S. Small Business Administration. 1
Retirement Plans offered through Fulton Financial Advisors which operates through Fulton Bank, N.A. and other subsidiaries of Fulton Financial Corporation.
1 Securities and Insurance Products:
Not FDIC-Insured • Not Insured by any Federal Government Agency • No Financial Institution Guarantee May lose value • Not a deposit • Subject to risk
www.VirginiaBusiness.com
VIRGINIA BUSINESS
45
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72
