JLL strengthens New York and national retail platform with addition of two retail veterans

NEW YORK, July 20, 2026 - JLL announced today that retail real estate veterans Joshua Strauss and Scott Zinovoy have joined the firm's New York Retail team. Strauss joins as Executive Managing Director and Zinovoy joins as Senior Vice President, and they will work alongside Vice Chairman Patrick A. Smith to expand JLL's retail leasing capabilities across New York and the country while further strengthening the firm's leadership in experiential retail, entertainment and mixed-use destinations.

"Retail continues to evolve as consumers place a greater value on experiences and destinations that offer something beyond a transaction," said Naveen Jaggi, President, Retail Advisory Services, JLL. "As owners rethink how they activate space and differentiate their properties, the demand for expertise spanning traditional retail, experiential concepts and placemaking has never been greater. Josh and Scott bring exactly that perspective, and their addition reinforces JLL's commitment to staying ahead of where the market is heading."

Strauss brings nearly three decades of retail real estate experience representing both landlords and tenants throughout New York City and major markets across the United States. Prior to joining JLL, he served as President and Co-Founder of Dreamscape Retail & Entertainment. Before Dreamscape, Strauss spent five years as an Executive Managing Director at Newmark and 22 years as a Principal and Executive Vice President at RKF, one of the industry's leading retail brokerage firms.

Throughout his career, Strauss has advised retailers, brands and property owners on leasing, expansion and repositioning strategies. His tenant representation experience includes assignments for Netflix, FedEx Office, NBCUniversal, Sony, Theory, Vera Wang, Zadig & Voltaire, IRO and Pret A Manger, among many others. On the landlord side, he has represented owners including CIM Group, Howard Hughes, Pan Am Equities, Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation, Related Companies, RXR Realty and United American Land.

Zinovoy brings more than a decade of retail real estate experience focused on New York and national tenant expansion, landlord representation, and entertainment and experiential concepts. His client list includes retailers, institutional owners, entertainment operators and consumer brands, helping them identify growth opportunities and execute strategic leasing initiatives in major markets throughout the United States.

Strauss and Zinovoy previously worked together at RKF and Newmark before co-founding Dreamscape Retail & Entertainment. Together, Strauss and Zinovoy have developed a reputation as leaders in traditional retail landlord and tenant representation as well as the rapidly evolving entertainment, experiential and hospitality sectors, advising both established and emerging brands on growth strategies while helping owners create destination-oriented environments that drive consumer engagement.

Over the past decade, they have advised on some of the country's most notable mixed-use, entertainment and retail destinations, including The Seaport in New York City, The Arcade in Nashville, Rio Las Vegas, Bayside Marketplace in Miami and BKX in Brooklyn. They have also represented global brands including Netflix, NBCUniversal, and Sony, and several emerging brands as they developed and executed expansion strategies across the United States.

"Josh and Scott have built exceptional careers helping owners and brands create compelling destinations that resonate with today's consumers," said Patrick A. Smith, Vice Chairman, JLL. "Their relationships, creativity and deep understanding of the retail landscape will be a tremendous asset to our clients and further enhance the capabilities of both our New York and National Project Leasing platform."

Strauss said, "Scott and I are excited to join JLL at a time when retail continues to evolve across both urban and suburban markets. While experiential retail has become an increasingly important driver of consumer demand, we remain deeply focused on helping landlords and tenants navigate every aspect of the retail landscape. We believe we're still in the early innings of the experiential evolution and look forward to helping shape the future of the sector while continuing to deliver exceptional results for our clients."

Zinovoy added, "We were drawn to JLL because of its industry-leading platform, global reach, outstanding reputation and, most importantly, its people and collaborative culture. JLL provides the ideal environment to continue growing our business while helping clients bring transformative visions to life."

JLL is a leader in the New York tri-state commercial real estate market, with more than 2,600 of the most recognized industry experts offering brokerage, capital markets, property/facilities management, consulting, and project and development services.

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