After a nearly ten-year tenure at Meridian Retail Leasing, broker John Roesch has made the decision to become self-employed and establish the Roesch Real Estate Group (RREG). The newly formed company will initially concentrate on retail space leasing, with the future aim of building an Investment Sales Team and offering institutional service in the mid-market segment.
Roesch emphasised that his departure from Meridian was not due to a need to escape the company; on the contrary, he stated that his time with the firm had helped him develop into the broker he is today, by imparting the skills and confidence required to build his own retail leasing business. He noted that he had reached a point in his career where he was ready to found his own firm, and that having a great team by his side made this step the right one at the right time.
Roesch's new company will also be joined by former colleagues from Meridian: Griffin Hanes, now serving as an Associate at RREG, and Jessica Blocker, who joins as a new Director. Both have worked with Roesch almost from their first day at Meridian. Hanes expressed that it felt right to follow Roesch to RREG, as he had been by his side since the beginning of his real estate career and had learned a great deal from his leadership and support. Blocker added that she and Roesch had already established a solid foundation of client relationships and business understanding at Meridian, making RREG the next logical step to build upon these successes, especially given the current activity in the retail market.
During his time at Meridian, Roesch claims he helped the firm grow from an initial seven to almost 60 brokers. Among the notable transactions Roesch was involved in at Meridian was the leasing of the entire 6,600 square foot Jean-Michel Basquiat building at 57 Great Jones Street in Manhattan's East Village to actress Angelina Jolie. Another significant lease was the 10,000 square foot flagship store for Bark BBQ at 25 Thames Street in Bushwick, Brooklyn.
RREG currently employs five people, but Roesch plans rapid team growth to develop the firm as successfully as he did at Meridian. Roesch stressed the intention to integrate both traditional and innovative working methods at RREG. Although modern AI systems will be utilised, he continues to place great importance on personal contacts, for instance, through direct engagement in shops and visits to landlord offices to arrange appointments. The aim is to combine these two approaches.
