Cushman & Wakefield has added depth to its retail operations by hiring the team from Marathon Realty, after that company ceased operations. (Wish the Blue Jays had that much luck with free agents.) The team of five agents—led by VP retail Shawn Saraga (image), along with sales reps Alexandra Grudkin, Robin Pham, Vishal Valsadia and Brian Lee—has specialized expertise in franchise opportunities, having worked with over 120 brands, in addition to traditional retail brokerage. C&W will work the five agents into their Toronto North/East operation. C&W senior managing director and national retail leader John Crombie says the addition “broadens our reach into the franchise arena.”

“We are just getting settled in,” Shawn says, “finding synergies that we are looking forward to making the most of.” Shawn points to one of the more recent, larger transactions the team was involved with before C&W—186 King St, in London (image), where they put in a hotel, restaurant, convenience stores, and restructured the space to suit a wider variety of needs. He also points to signing the first three Willowbrae Childcare Franchises to lease agreements in Ontario as a feather in the cap, securing “top real estate” in Toronto, Barrie, and Burlington. The team developed seven new brands that have launched throughout the country, “helping meet the needs of the landlord community and building successful franchise-based business models.”