That's 65 shopping centers, adding eight million square feet of additional open-air space to its already extensive leasing and management portfolio. The new division utilizes the Atlanta-based company's comprehensive network of offices and client relationships as well as the personal touch needed for this growing industry segment.

"Investors are looking for professional to improve their return," said Michael Longmore, senior vice president and head of business development for the Open-Air division, "And our clients actually asked us to provide this service."

As open-air retail development has expanded, investors have looked for the same level of professional management services for their neighborhood and lifestyle projects as for regional malls. Jones Lang LaSalle's long history of third- party management of enclosed centers made the company a natural choice.

"Our institutional clients asked us 'Why not do for open-air centers what you do for malls?'" said Greg Maloney, CEO and president of Jones Lang LaSalle Retail.

The company started looking at the idea in 2006 and found a unique opportunity early last year when Developers Diversified Realty acquired Inland Retail Real Estate Trust, freeing unit of experienced open-air leasing and management executives that included Longmore. Jones Lang LaSalle created a separate division in April to emphasize its awareness that open-air projects and enclosed malls require different management skills.

"We manage a variety of different properties in the Open-Air division, from 80,000-square-foot grocery-anchored 'centers to 500,000-square-foot power centers and lifestyle centers," said Chris Rehmet, Jones Lang LaSalle's senior vice president and director of open-air leasing.

Adding open-air leasing and management expertise to Jones Lang LaSalle's already vast experience, hundreds of offices around the country and reporting versatility have allowed the company to act as a one-stop shop for major institutional owners, malls and open-air projects. That combination of skills and reach gives the company distinct advantage over smaller rivals.

 "If you're a local player, you don't have the inroads," said Rehmet. "Jones Lang LaSalle has the relationships with the tenants that can make the project. But the presence of locals are vital, and you have to have a presence in your market."

Each client has a relationship manager who handles all aspects of the portfolio or all backed by the rest of the division and the global resources of Jones Lang LaSalle. In addition, the division can offer strip center mall-like programs such as sponsorships and temporary leasing.

"We're very involved in our markets," said Longmore. "And we can offer an asset manager one personal contact."

The result has been rapid expansion. The division quickly snapped up entire portfolios, including those of First Republic Group Realty and Cabot Investments. And the original staff of five has expanded five-fold.  

"We quickly realized that we were doing the right thing," said Maloney. All expect that trend to continue as professional management and longstanding relationships become ever more important.  

"We are excited about what we can offer owners of open-air centers in terms of accounting, leasing and management," concluded Maloney. "We think the next two years are going to be strong for our Open-Air division. "