JLL added two pros to tackle specialized assets in the western region—that is, non-office-like assets, such as private islands, ski resorts—unusual, one-off property-type deals. Mark Lester and Alan Johnson will head it up, out of the firm's Vancouver office. Both Mark and Alan come from Sotheby's International Realty, and before that Colliers International—bringing a combined four decades of real estate experience and over $550M in transactions to the table.

Mark says over the past dozen years, there's been a real uptick in interest for professional services where "unique" real estate assets can be valued and marketed. "These are typically the types of properties that others don't know what to do with," he says, "or are simply difficult to figure out and represent in the marketplace." (We've tried finding a good ski resort on Craigslist, and it's impossible.) JLL's international platform gives them new opportunities to market the unique assets, Mark adds. In the photo is Carmel Cove Beach resort, where they secured a new purchaser after the project went into receivership.