Greg Maloney didn't stay retired for long.

Maloney, the former president and CEO of JLL Americas Retail, has joined Woodcliff Realty Advisors, a Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey-based retail real estate consulting group.

Maloney retired earlier this year from JLL, where he had been since the late 1990s. He was based in Atlanta, and over two decades he spearheaded the expansion of JLL's retail management portfolio to more than 75 million square feet of space in over 500 malls and shopping centers.

Asked about his swift return to real estate and work, Maloney laughed and told CoStar News on Thursday that maybe his departure from JLL could have been described differently and more accurately.

"You always hate to call it a retirement," he said. "Probably time to move on is probably a better way to look at it."

Maloney said while he had been looking to cut "way back" on his work schedule by leaving JLL, he also didn't want to totally be out of the industry.

"It's hard to move away from something that's been part of you for almost 50 years," Maloney said.

Even as he does part-time consulting on retail for Woodcliff Realty, Maloney said he will maintain his individual practice with his own company, GTM Retail Advisers in Lauderdale by the Sea, Florida.

"It's good because it's only a couple of hours here and there and it keeps me going, and I love it," Maloney said of his consulting work. "I love the retail business. It's in my blood and never will go away."

He came to Woodcliff Realty because he knows its president and CEO, Rudolph Milian, a former senior vice president of ICSC, the retail real estate trade group. The New Jersey-based consulting company has a battery of experts available for clients looking for assistance.

Maloney's exit from JLL was announced in October last year and was officially effective Dec. 31. But he said he basically remained at JLL until Feb. 1 to help with the transition to his successor, Kristin Mueller.

Maloney's father and grandfather worked in the real estate industry, and his two adult children work for JLL. Maloney said he likes to have a hand in the business because it "keeps me on my toes with them, as well," he said. His daughter Molly Morgan is an executive vice president of retail leasing and his son Matt Maloney is a manager for retail agency leasing.

While at the brokerage, the elder Maloney also took on the role of receiver for foreclosed properties and directed more than 15 company acquisitions including Shelter Bay Retail Group, Starwood Retail Partners, Ivanhoé Cambridge and Poag Shopping Centers. Woodcliff Realty said Maloney will assist clients with foreclosures and receiverships, acquisitions and dispositions, and development strategies for those seeking to convert retail properties into mixed-use.

Maloney said his full-time work respite has given him time to play more golf and to exercise and eat better. He and his wife divide their time between living in Atlanta and Florida.

This week Woodcliff Realty also announced that Bill Rose had joined the company. Rose is currently senior managing director of Institutional Property Advisors, a division of Marcus & Millichap.

"Utilizing the strength of the Marcus & Millichap network of more than 80 offices across North America, Rose will assist Woodcliff clients in maximizing value from selling or acquiring shopping centers and mixed-use properties," the consulting firm said.