JLL Hires Six-Person Brokerage Team in Chicago
The former CBRE group will lead the firm's efforts to expand its life-sciences and commercial real estate portfolio.
Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Commercial
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JLL has hired a six-person brokerage team away from competitor CBRE to bolster its Chicago office and life-sciences practice. The group brings a significant track record in high-profile office and laboratory leasing across the city.
Why it matters
The firm aims to drive capital investment and new construction to attract life-sciences tenants to Chicago. The team will oversee leasing for key properties including Fulton Labs, Evanston Labs, and Hyde Park Labs.
The brokerage team has completed more than 75 million square feet of transactions valued at over $50 billion. Lenders currently require 40% to 50% pre-leasing for new life-sciences projects.
The players
JLL
JLL is a global commercial real estate services company that manages office and life-sciences properties.
CBRE
CBRE is a large commercial real estate services and investment firm that previously employed the brokerage team.
Kyle Kamin
Kyle Kamin is a commercial real estate broker known for representing major corporations in high-profile Chicago office acquisitions.
Morningstar
Morningstar is a financial services firm that secured significant office space at the Thompson Center.
Google is a major technology corporation that has completed significant office expansions in the Chicago market.
The details
The brokerage team, which includes Kyle Kamin, Dan Lyne, Jon Milonas, Brandon Green, Abigail McFadyen, and Joe Davis, previously managed major deals such as Google’s moves to Fulton Market and the Thompson Center. The group also assisted Morningstar in securing over 275,000 square feet at the Thompson Center.
Timeline
In 2015, Kyle Kamin represented Google in its relocation to Fulton Market.
Fulton Labs officially opened in 2021.
JLL hired the six-person brokerage team in October 2026.
Culture Shift
Chicago's life-sciences growth is currently limited by the 40% to 50% pre-leasing requirements mandated by lenders for new lab projects. This structural reality forces a heavy reliance on experienced brokers to secure anchor tenants before ground can be broken on new facilities.
The hiring of this brokerage team may accelerate the leasing of existing laboratory space in Evanston and Hyde Park. However, small businesses or startups looking for new lab space may face limited options until developers can overcome current construction lending hurdles.
The takeaway
Commercial real estate growth in niche sectors like life-sciences requires successful pre-leasing to satisfy strict modern lender requirements. Chicago will likely remain constrained in lab capacity until developers can secure enough anchor tenants to move beyond these financial thresholds.
Further reading
For more updates on local real estate, visit our Chicago Commercial section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Propmodo.
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