MIAMI—Lisa Jesmer has joined Franklin Street as vice president of management services. The hire marks a strategic move by Franklin to build its office and industrial services division.
Based in Miami, Jesmer joins Franklin from CBRE, where she served as senior director of asset services for the South Florida market. During her CBRE tenure, she oversaw a portfolio of 18 million square feet of office, industrial and retail product.
In her new role, she is responsible for securing new management contracts, and developing client relationships throughout Florida and the country. She will also help build the team by recruiting office and industrial brokers for the firm.
“We are thrilled to have a person of Lisa’s caliber on our team,” says Chris Butler, a managing director of Franklin’s office and industrial services division. “She comes to us with years of experience in office and industrial property management and is highly regarded by both her clients and peers.”
Prior to her five-year stint at CBRE, Jesmer managed the entire commercial real estate portfolio for Jackson Health Systems in Miami. Before that, she had a two-decade career with JLL working in the company’s Washington DC, Atlanta, and Miami offices. As regional manager and senior vice president for Florida, she fostered and maintained valuable client relationships with numerous national firms and ownership groups.
“Throughout the office industry in Florida we are seeing an increased activity of buildings on the market for sale and elevated pricing,” Jesemer tells GobeSt.com. “Both of these activities are creating a heightened focus for owners to push rates and lower operating expenses wherever possible. Management teams are having to be creative with respect to maintaining the highest levels of customer service while looking at ways to lower expenses. Owners of older buildings are consistently upgrading common areas and restrooms, and creating spec suites to compete with the newer product. Our number one objective is to meet ownerships pro forma requirements.”
Earlier this year, two other office and industrial specialists joined Franklin Street from CBRE: Palmer-Nicholson and Clay Wommack. Both serve as directors out of the company’s headquarters in Tampa, FL. In December, Chris Butler and Chad Rupp joined from JLL to lead the division as managing directors.
“This is another major step in building out a first class office and industrial management capability,” says Andrew Wright, Franklin’s CEO and managing partner. “Building on our existing retail and multifamily management operation, she, along with Julie Palmer-Nicholson will be the cornerstone of our office and industrial management efforts throughout Florida.”
Jesmer is an active member of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) and Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW). She will work out of Franklin Street’s Miami office located in the Blue Lagoon area.
