Newmark Group, Inc., announces the formation of its Hong Kong office—opening client brokerage operations in the Asia-Pacific (‘APAC’) region—hiring notable Hong Kong commercial real estate professionals. The new office is a key strategic development for Newmark as it adds one of APAC’s leading international business hubs to its service coverage.

“Newmark’s Hong Kong office represents a notable milestone as we further expand and strengthen the Company’s reach internationally,” said Newmark Chief Executive Officer Barry Gosin. “Solidifying our foothold in APAC with top Hong Kong commercial property advisors underscores Newmark’s commitment to recruiting the best-of-the-best talent to meet the increasingly global needs of our clients.”

With more than a century of combined experience in the Hong Kong market, these professionals will provide commercial real estate services, including corporate services and leasing representation, in office and industrial assets. Industry veteran and APAC market expert, Rhodri James, will lead the team in building out Newmark’s Hong Kong platform of transaction services.

Rhodri James, Vice Chairman 

James has 25 years of experience advising landlords, tenants and investors on industry strategies across Hong Kong and APAC markets. A leading property advisor, James has spearheaded some of the market’s largest and most complex private and public sector leasing, sales and rent review transactions. Prior to joining Newmark, James served as Vice Chairman of Advisory and Transaction Services in Hong Kong for CBRE.

James Catterall, Managing Director

Catterall is an office leasing specialist with 17 years of experience representing some of the world’s leading companies in tenant and landlord negotiations. He also has experience advising on education, healthcare and data center requirements. Prior to joining Newmark, Catterall held positions as Director at CBRE and manager at JLL in Hong Kong.

John Davies, Managing Director

With more than 25 years of corporate real estate experience, Davies specializes in property investment focusing mainly on the office and industrial sectors. Prior to joining Newmark, Davies has held positions as Executive Director and Head of Kowloon Office.

Services & Head of Industrial Services at Colliers and Executive Director for Hong Kong at CBRE.

Terry Shum, Managing Director

Shum—who has over 20 years of industry experience—specializes in office leasing and sales, on behalf of multinational occupiers and landlords. Prior to joining Newmark, Shum held national, executive and senior director roles at JLL, CBRE, Knight Frank Greater China, Colliers International and Savills, respectively, in Hong Kong.

Charles Saudeau, Director

Saudeau has over 10 years’ experience specializing in tenant representation services for multinational and corporate occupiers, with a strong focus on lease acquisitions, renewals, restructures, rent reviews, surrenders and sublets for large projects in Hong Kong. Prior to joining Newmark, Saudeau was an Associate Director with CBRE.

Cole Pamuk, Associate Director

With 10 years of experience, Pamuk focuses on lease negotiations on behalf of multinational and local occupiers in Hong Kong and APAC. Prior to joining Newmark, Pamuk was a Senior Manager focused on tenant representation at CBRE Hong Kong.

“With decades of combined experience, these professionals bring a deep understanding of APAC commercial real estate markets and expertise in leasing, tenant representation and global corporate services in their regions,” said Luis Alvarado, Chief Revenue Officer at Newmark. “As Newmark actively builds out its Hong Kong presence, these professionals are uniquely positioned to provide customized solutions to a growing portion of our client base that seeks strategic guidance and access to opportunities in markets outside of the U.S.”

“Hong Kong’s commercial real estate market remains one of the world’s largest and most dynamic,” said Rhodri James, Vice Chairman and Head of Hong Kong at Newmark. “With border and quarantine restrictions beginning to ease and business sentiment improving daily, the market is on the cusp of a strong recovery.”

“The Hong Kong team’s proven track record combined with Newmark’s global platform and nimble approach positions us well to seize opportunities as pent-up demand from both multinational and local businesses is unleashed,” James concluded.

Alex Foshay, Newmark’s Divisional Head of International Capital Markets, commented “The further expansion of Newmark’s footprint in Hong Kong with Rhodri’s stellar team and the hiring of Executive Managing Director Frederick Wong in September as a leader in Asia-Pacific Capital Markets, are critical steps in advancing our foothold in APAC. The additional reach and relationships Wong and Rhodri’s team bring will benefit our International Capital Markets team and all of Newmark’s clients.”

Newmark’s other recent global expansion announcements include acquisitions, hires and agreements across key global markets, including France, Germany, Poland, Hungary, Hong Kong, Dubai and London, where Newmark recently acquired leading real estate advisory BH2, and in the U.S., where the firm acquired Boston-based McCall & Almy.

“Having a lead role in the company’s international recruiting efforts, I am honored to welcome Rhodri and the team. Each professional represents Newmark’s values and culture. Their collective expertise will be valuable to Newmark’s client services as we expand across Asia Pacific,” concluded Mike Runicles, Chief Operating Officer of Global Corporate Services at Newmark.