Head of Retail Leasing

Job Title

Head of Retail Leasing

Job Description Summary

The Head of Retail Leasing plays a pivotal role in leading a dynamic team of 13 professionals, all dedicated to driving the success of over 50 shopping centers and retail parks across Italy. As the head of this team at Cushman & Wakefield, you’ll oversee every aspect of leasing operations, from developing comprehensive leasing strategies to executing plans that attract and retain the best tenants.
Your expertise will guide the leasing performance within the client’s retail assets, ensuring the perfect tenant mix that aligns with the client's business vision. You’ll negotiate top-tier agreements, working closely with clients to deliver optimal outcomes. Additionally, this role offers a unique opportunity to collaborate with the Asset Services Team, focusing on managing assets under the company’s portfolio and ensuring their long-term success in a highly competitive market.

Job Description

• Managing day-to-day operations of the leasing team and ensuring maximum optimization of resources. Achieving key performance metrics and goals for the Shopping Centre/Retail Parks leasing team.
• Supporting ongoing growth and development with a focus on team building, individual growth and succession planning.
• Establishing revenue budgets and forecasts, spearheading revenue growth for the team.
• Conducting regular meetings and mentoring leasing team on strategies to reach their assigned goals and objectives.
• Working with the leasing team to discuss, plan and implement process improvements to encourage best practice standards and customer service.
• Driving tenant outreach and networking for curated retail tenancy across all sectors of retail (food & beverage, leisure, health & wellness etc.).
• Managing all leasing activities including vetting prospective clients, attracting new tenants, rental negotiations and the development of attractive leasing packages; plus corresponding financial analysis.
• Preparing regular (weekly and monthly) reports on the status and performance of leasing activities.
• Conducting property tours with potential tenants and their brokers.
• Developing and maintaining a long-term beneficial relationship with all prospective retail groups, to ensure continued stream of business opportunities.
• Professional interaction with tenants, agents, other clients etc.
• Leveraging strategic relationships and experience in targeting new business. Selling services across multiple shopping and mixed-use retail assets.
• Developing deep and comprehensive market and industry understanding and competitive analysis by understanding sales, traffic trends, demographics and historical knowledge.
• Being attuned to retail market trends and developments and being knowledgeable about the competitive landscape.
• Implementation and oversight of marketing strategies.
• Managing the preparation and updating of market materials, including but not limited to brochures, flyers, tenant plans, floor plans etc.
• Actively contributing, promoting the mall to ensure high footfall and occupancy.
• Responsible for leasing premises according to defined retail tenant mix and ensuring optimal retailer mix.
• Monitoring tenant mix to ensure commercial profitability to the mall.
• Finalizing renewals of existing retailers in accordance with company’s rules and procedures.
• Coordination with clients and tenants on a regular basis to resolve issues.
• Attending to tenants and clients’ needs and providing optimal level of service.
• Implementing all the necessary documentation required in the fulfillment of activities such as leasing, renewals, moving in, moving out and renovation.
• Coordinating with other retail teams across C&W to maximize client and tenant relationships.
• Working closely with Capital Markets and Valuations teams within C&W; preparing ERVs for the shopping centers/retail parks, also rethinking and repositioning of the centers, analyzing potential rents and tenants.
• Working within the local agency community to develop tenant prospects and to collect pertinent market data.
• Providing other support to Retail management, ensuring high involvement and integration of the team across skill lines, functions and company strategies and processes.

Requirements:

• A Graduate degree in the field of real estate, business or similar.
• A minimum of 10 years retail leasing experience, preferably in Italy.
• Mixed-use development experience, an advantage, particularly in F&B, leisure and mixed uses.
• Extensive knowledge of leasing retail and mixed-use assets.

Competencies / Skills and Knowledge:

• Leadership and decision-making qualities are essential.
• A team player.
• Trustworthy, reliable, has sound ethical judgment. Can be trusted with confidential and sensitive company information.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Knowledge of managing leasing contracts and negotiation, exposure to tender management.
• Good understanding of tenant mix and zoning, mall marketing, advertisement and promotion.
• Good understanding of mall operation.
• Strong command of leasing policies and procedures.
• Proficient with MS Office (specifically Excel, Word & PowerPoint). Computer literate – able to prepare correspondence, access information from property management software and conduct business via e-mail and internet etc.
• Seasoned business professional with good technical knowledge of leasing retail and commercial facilities. Working knowledge of legal clauses in lease agreements.
• Strong analytical skills and financial acumen.
• Strong negotiation and sales skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Speaks Italian and possesses a good command of English.

INCO: ✓Cushman & Wakefield