Veteran commercial real estate broker Scott Kaplan, an Executive Vice President at JLL, passed away unexpectedly February 2.  A resident of Claremont, CA, Kaplan, 54, was based in Ontario, CA and focused on leasing, development and sale of retail properties.

Kaplan joined JLL in 2016 and partnered with Erik Westedt to expand its Southern California Retail practice. Westedt said, “A true retail champion, Scott was a leader among leaders. He led a life filled with passion, enthusiasm, integrity and bravery. His clients meant the world to him, and he valued their trust in him above all. As we all can attest to, his positive personality was infectious to all who met him. He leaves behind a legacy of carefully-curated developments that will stand the test of time.”

Kaplan worked to develop and execute leasing strategies on behalf of shopping center owners and investors. He also specialized in retail development, redevelopment, strategic planning and consulting services for owners, retailers and municipalities.

Prior to joining JLL, Kaplan served 20 years at CBRE, Inc. based in Southern California. Throughout his career, Kaplan was involved in the sale and development of land along with the leasing of more than 25 million square feet of retail space to both users and investors nationwide, valued at more than $4 billion. He developed a stellar reputation and track record in lease negotiations on behalf of both private institutional landlords and tenants as well as in handling the disposition of investment properties. He was also involved in the planning, development and marketing of several large retail sites throughout the country, and he had extensive experience working with municipalities and retailers to help take major retail projects from a vision to reality.

Prior to entering the commercial real estate world, Kaplan was the co-owner of a chain of Hallmark stores in the Chicago area. Kaplan held a bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa (Cum Laude). He also served as a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and was a founding member of Chino Hills Foundation Board.

Kaplan is survived by his wife Kelly, as well as children Brett, Blake, Bradley, Alex and Austin.

A celebration of Kaplan’s life will be held on Thursday, February 15, 2018 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Balboa Yacht Club at 1801 Bayside Dr., Corona Del Mar, CA 92625.

For comments, questions or concerns, please contact Dennis Kaiser