Longtime broker Torrey Littlejohn has had a storied career at JLL since she joined the firm more than two decades ago as part of what was then called The Staubach Co., a real estate advisory founded by NFL Hall of Famer Roger Staubach.
Littlejohn came to commercial real estate in Dallas with a corporate finance background — and an ability to connect quickly with chief financial officers and decision makers at Fortune 500 companies. Without a traditional background in commercial real estate, Littlejohn said The Staubach Co. "took a chance on me," and one she repaid with her continued loyalty to the tenant rep firm later purchased by JLL in 2018.
"The small nature of that firm really created a family," Littlejohn told CoStar News. "The company grew and we were acquired by JLL, but, in my mind, it's still has a very much family atmosphere at the firm."
"I'm convinced that the grass is not always greenest on the other side of [the road], sometimes the green is where you water it," she added. "I've chosen to continually water where I am."
In turn, Littlejohn's loyalty has paid off. JLL recently promoted her to lead its North Texas brokerage teams. She will oversee nearly 250 real estate executives in the nation's fourth largest metropolitan area. Prior to being named senior managing director and North Texas broker lead, she had led the Dallas office tenant representation group since 2022.
From working with the group reporting to the chief financial officer of American Airlines to helping represent Toyota North America in its relocation and consolidation in the Dallas area, Littlejohn has a knack for helping figure out what tenants need — which, in the last decade, is often tied to expansion of a new or existing footprint.
Initially, Littlejohn said she plans to focus on how she can better employ technology to enhance the platform for JLL brokers focused on sectors ranging from office to industrial to retail, to better support its clients.
"We have quite a few resources locally that sit with us that we're trying to integrate in a lot of the things we're doing," she said.
Beyond technology, Littlejohn said clients these days seem to want more flexibility to scale or shed real estate as needed. Many also seek an elevated level of amenities, such as a luxury lounge or wellness options like a sauna or cold plunge, she said.
"The decision-making process has changed," she added. "We're solving for labor, cost, recruitment and retention. Our jobs have changed significantly over the last 20 years, and so our expertise has needed to change as well."