The retail industry has faced a myriad of challenges this year, from coronavirus pandemic-related closures to the continued rise of e-commerce, but one D.C.-area brokerage firm is looking to enter the fray.

Metropolis Capital Advisors tells Bisnow it is launching a new retail team with the hiring of Andy Hotchkiss as managing director.

Hotchkiss was previously a principal at NREB, a Bethesda-based retail brokerage firm where he spent the last 17 years, according to his LinkedIn page. He has represented tenants and landlords in hundreds of retail leasing and sales deals totaling nearly 1M SF. His past clients include Aldi, Wendy's, Burger King, 7-Eleven, Taco Bell and Blaze Pizza.

"I'm very excited to join such a well-known and dynamic team of real estate experts," Hotchkiss said in a statement. "This change will allow me to expand my business and bring value to a larger set of clients."

As the leader of the Metropolis Retail team, he will continue to work with tenants and landlords on leasing and sales transactions. MetCap, a Chevy Chase-based capital markets brokerage firm founded in 2009 by Cliff Mendelson, has financed or sold over $8B in commercial real estate.

"Given the fast-changing landscape of the retail environment pre- and post-COVID, Andy's skill set will greatly enhance MetCap's value to its clients," Mendelson said in a statement.