As Savills ramps up its plans to expand into new sectors of the commercial real estate market, the London-based brokerage is heading to Jacksonville, Florida, for the first time with its latest hire.
Andrew Hawkins joined the company as its newest senior managing director in Florida. Hawkins, who will be based in Jacksonville in his new role, will help boost the firm's advisory capabilities across North Florida and represent occupiers and investors throughout the region, Savill said.
While Hawkins will help set up the new office, Mike Griffin and Donna Abood remain Savills' Florida co-heads, a spokesperson for the brokerage confirmed to CoStar News via email.
Hawkin’s "appointment, in conjunction with our long-standing success working with occupiers of real estate in Jacksonville, reflects our continued commitment to investing in markets where our clients are growing and making long-term real estate decisions,” said Griffin, vice chairman and co-head of Savills' Florida region, in a statement.
Savills' Jacksonville expansion comes shortly after the brokerage struck a $1.1 billion deal to acquire commercial real estate investment bank Eastdil Secured, a sign that some commercial real estate industry professionals say may herald new opportunities for both companies and a wider shift throughout the industry.
Back in Florida, the Jacksonville metropolitan area is home to approximately 1.7 million residents.
Savills said in the release that the local market shows renewed leasing momentum across its suburban markets entering 2026, with potential opportunities for occupiers. Office demand has concentrated in mid-tier properties, with roughly 260,000 square feet of new office space currently under construction, according to a CoStar report.
Major employers in the region include Baptist Health, the Mayo Clinic, Amazon, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Citi, Johnson & Johnson Vision and the headquarters of national freight logistics and railroad company CSX.
Hawkins noted in the release that Savills' international network "creates meaningful opportunities to connect Northeast Florida with companies expanding from abroad, and to support international organizations seeking to establish or grow their footprint in this region."
Hawkins brings over two decades of experience spanning tenant advisory and landlord representation assignments across the office, retail and industrial sectors. He previously served as senior vice president at Foundry Commercial, overseeing a portfolio of more than 2 million square feet of office space and industrial assets, and held prior roles at Transwestern, Grub & Ellis and JLL.