Jones Lang LaSalle continues to build its presence in Canada with the addition of retail investment experts Matthew Smith and Hugh O’Connell. Based in Toronto, Smith and O’Connell will provide investment brokerage services for clients with retail real estate assets. They will specialize in sales, financing, repositioning, advisory and recapitalization execution.

“Matthew and Hugh bring almost 30 years of retail real estate experience to Jones Lang LaSalle,” says Brett Miller, president of Jones Lang LaSalle Canada. “They are market-leading with an exemplary reputation and the exact expertise our clients require.”

Smith and O’Connell have completed more than 300 transactions in more than 100 markets across Canada. Ranked among the most successful retail investment brokers in the country, they have been involved in more than $1.5 billion worth of transactions. They join Jones Lang LaSalle from CBRE Ltd.

The latest hires follow a year of growth for Jones Lang LaSalle in Canada. Over the last year, the firm added more than 40 new employees, including investment and brokerage expert Scott Speirs and industrial broker lead Erik Charton in Montreal. Jones Lang LaSalle has also grown its industrial expertise in the Greater Toronto Area, brokerage team in Vancouver, and office leasing business in Calgary.