NEW YORK CITY—In an apparent effort to boost its Brooklyn presence, Lee & Associates Commercial Real Estate Services has hired Brooklyn expert Jaime Schultz—formerly of GFI Capital and Douglas Elliman—as a director of retail.

Schultz, a resident of Williamsburg, previously served as a senior retail leasing associate at GFI Capital and as a sales associate at Douglas Elliman. She has negotiated a variety of transactions throughout downtown Brooklyn and the Fort Green area, including deals  with Smashburger, Sunny Bagel, private hair studio Salon 718, DNA Footwear and the Beth Israel Medical Center. In addition, she was responsible for leasing 20,000 square feet of retail at the Finger building at 144 North 8th St.

“Jaime's keen understanding of the Brooklyn landscape will be a great addition to the firm,” says Lee & Associates president James Wacht. “Not only is she a long-time Williamsburg resident, she's quite talented when it comes to creating the right retail mix for her diverse client portfolio.”

The New York office of Lee & Associates, and its affiliated company Sierra Real Estate LLC, provide corporate advisory and commercial real estate services, including office and retail brokerage, sales and investments, and project and property management. Together, the firms have more than 85 real estate professionals at its 600 Madison Ave. headquarters office.