NKF Hires 3 D.C.-Based Capital Markets Brokers From JLL

A second D.C.-based brokerage team is leaving JLL in the months after the firm completed its acquisition of HFF. 

Newmark Knight Frank announced Wednesday it hired multifamily capital markets brokers Christine Espenshade, Robert Garrish and Shawn McDonald from JLL.

The three brokers will join NKF as vice chairmen and will lead its Mid-Atlantic Multifamily Capital Markets team. Espenshade and Garrish specialize in multifamily investment sales, while McDonald specializes in multifamily debt and structured finance. 

The team has a combined 65 years of experience in commercial real estate. Espenshade has previously worked at MuniMae, JPI Cos. and Archon Group. Garris worked at CBRE before joining JLL and McDonald previously worked at Freddie Mac. 

"With positive trends in absorption, rent growth and employment, the Washington, D.C. metro continues to offer unprecedented opportunities for multifamily development and investment," Espenshade said in a release. “We are excited to be able to leverage NKF’s global platform as we work with clients to expand their portfolios and ultimately benefit from the strong momentum in the marketplace."  

Their move comes three months after JLL completed its acquisition of HFF. Last month, JLL structured finance brokers Andrew Asbill and Travor Campbell left the company to join Transwestern's D.C. office. Following that departure, JLL Mid-Atlantic Market Director Chris Molivadas commented on the merger in a statement provided to Bisnow. 

"The HFF merger has provided enormous benefit to JLL and our clients," Molivadas said in the September statement. "We are actively working to locate HFF within JLL by the end of this month to further solidify our capital markets group as one team. With any merger there are growing pains and adjustments, but we look forward to what the future means for our clients."