The Rise of SW Ontario with Mitchell Blaine of JLL

Recorded at the Southwestern Ontario Real Estate Forum, we’re welcoming Mitchell Blaine on today’s episode. He is the Executive Vice President at JLL, and was born and raised in Kitchener.

Blackberry’s emergence in the mid-2000s was a huge economic driver for this region, and Mitchell explains the positive effects still being experienced from it today. He also talks about how just 10 years ago he wouldn’t have believed a Real Estate Forum would be taking place in Kitchener, as well as the many benefits of investing in this region.

Topics covered include:

• The diversified economy of Southwestern Ontario.
• Foreign investment interest that’s been entering Kitchener.
• JLL’s new office in Kitchener.
• Transportation infrastructure in Kitchener.
• Investments from automotive companies in the region.
• Mitchell’s background in Southwestern Ontario and his short stint in the GTA.
• What it’s like working with national and international companies while being based in Kitchener.
• The reinvention that happened in Kitchener while much of the world was struggling with the 2008 financial crisis.
• The impact of Blackberry’s tenancy in SW Ontario.
• The repurposing of office properties.
• An estimation of the office vacancy rates in Kitchener.
• Why the distance between Kitchener and Toronto is a strength.
• Where local investors find themselves positioned in this market.

More about our guest….

Mitchell joined JLL in 2021 and brings 19 years’ of experience in commercial real estate in the Southwestern Ontario market. His resume includes more than 1077 transactions totalling $3.37B, and he has represented a wide array of global, national and local companies. He has consistently been recognized as a top performer, and his successes can be credited to his profound market knowledge, unsurpassed problem-solving capabilities, communication, transparency and relentless drive to deliver superior results for his clients. Mitchell is a member of SIOR (Society of Industrial and Office Realtors), who are the most capable and experienced industrial and office brokerage practitioners in any market. SIOR represents today’s most knowledgeable, experienced, and successful commercial real estate brokerage specialists.

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