Savills Canada has bolstered its retail leasing team in Toronto with the addition of an industry veteran as the country's demand for retail space remains robust amid limited supply.
Savills said it hired Sheri McEwen, an 18-year commercial real estate veteran with experience working for a major property owner, as a senior vice president. Her duties will primarily focus on providing advisory and transaction services to both retail occupiers and landlords.
McEwen also will work closely with Jordan Karp, Savills' head of Canadian retail services, to further expand the brokerage's retail advisory capabilities, the firm said.
“She understands how owners and asset managers think, what drives their decisions, how they assess risk and opportunity, and what it takes to execute," Savills Canada President Ruth Fischer said in a statement. "That perspective, paired with Savills collaborative culture, will help us deliver more integrated, intelligence-led solutions for retail clients across the country."
Savills hired McEwen as Canada's retail property market has remained resilient, "characterized by robust demand, limited supply, and evolving consumer preferences," according to CoStar's national retail report. "Although high consumer prices, high interest rates, elevated debt levels, and a sluggish job market are constraining consumer spending, the surge in Canada's population since the pandemic has kept retail foot traffic elevated."
Before joining Savills, McEwen served as senior vice president of retail leasing and Canadian asset services at Cushman & Wakefield and as senior director of retail at Epic Investment Services.
During her seven-and-a-half years at pension fund Ivanhoé Cambridge, now known as La Caisse, McEwen began by serving as director of Mills Leasing, then was promoted to director of retail leasing a year later. She held that post for six-and-a-half years.
“Savills combines an international platform with strong Canadian market knowledge, and the retail business is in growth mode," McEwen said in a statement.
The company has been shoring up its Canadian leadership team in recent years. In 2024, Savills hired Fischer from CBRE, where she'd spent the previous 14 years.
Founded in 1855, Savills is one of the world’s oldest real estate companies. The London-based brokerage has over 700 offices worldwide and more than 42,000 employees.