PARSIPPANY, NJ—A seasoned all-female quartet of retail leasing professionals from Cushman & Wakefield has joined Colliers International. Based in New Jersey, the team will be led by Nancy Erickson, whom Colliers named an executive managing director. The other three members are director Jennifer Sofia, associate director Kelly Calamia-Bayer, and associate Nicole Nannola.

"I want to expand outside of New Jersey, and I have outstanding national relationships which I am excited to move forward," Erickson tells GlobeSt.com exclusively.  "Colliers is offering us resources and the excitement to help us grow that team."

The team will focus on Colliers' retail practice in Northern and Central New Jersey, and work closely with Colliers' national retail services division, led by national director Anjee Solanki, to further grow the firm's robust retail services offered throughout the tristate region and the US.

"We're ecstatic to have Nancy and her colleagues, we think it's a wonderful strategic hire," says David A. Simon, SIOR, executive managing director and New Jersey market leader, who also spoke exclusively with GlobeSt.com. "We feel her background and her relationships complement exactly what Colliers is looking to do around the country."

Taking note of the fact that Erickson's team is all female, Simon says, ""We are always looking to hire the very best people possible.  Nancy and her team support our desire to be diverse and we are confident that their backgrounds, experience and relationships will foster our growth in the retail sector locally and nationally."

"Nancy has an excellent reputation as one of the region's most accomplished retail brokers," says Joseph Harbert, president of Colliers International's Eastern Region. "With more than 25 years of experience, her relationships and leadership will be a valuable asset to our New Jersey team."

"Our team is made up of four different but complementary skill sets," Erickson says. "Mine is in national retail. Jennifer, coming from the landlord side, loves the lease. Kelly, her strength is definitely looking at properties and seeing where these new retailers are coming out and starting small, valuing the properties. Nicole will probably be working on both sides."

"Understanding the optimal retail tenant mix is a critical component in driving foot traffic to centers and retailers, and to create value for our clients," Solanki says. "Nancy has a keen understanding of this and retail's industry-wide impact, and identifies solutions. Colliers is certain to reap the benefits of her expertise as she and her accomplished team identify new opportunities for growth in New Jersey."

Nancy Erickson most recently served as a senior director with Cushman & Wakefield, managing a local and national client base that included many prominent New Jersey and regional owners and retailers. As the original and exclusive broker for Kool Smiles, she helped support its growth to more than 140 locations in more than 20 states. Erickson also helped ASAP Urgent Care expand, and disposed of dozens of underperforming locations on behalf of Hess Corporation.  She previously served as a senior director in Corporate Services at GVA Williams and has extensive experience in the design/build industry. She was one of the original members of the New York City chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women.

Director Jennifer Sofia comes to Colliers with more than 15 years of real estate experience in both tenant and landlord representation; providing property/market analyses for ground up developments; overseeing the leasing, development, and property management for more than 500,000 square feet of retail, office and warehouse space; and managing Toys 'R' Us' portfolio of owned and leased locations throughout the US and Puerto Rico. 

Associate director Kelly Calamia-Bayer has assisted the team in the representation of local and national retailers, securing transactions for b.good, AT&T, Dyson and others.

Associate Nicole Nannola has assisted with strategic planning for clients, analyzing demographic and psychographic data to identify viable market areas for new retail locations.

All four brokers are active members of the International Council of Shopping Centers.