At 29 years old, Jeff Lefko has achieved more than $1 billion in retail property sales since 2017, including a record-high number of deals in both 2020 and 2021 despite pandemic-related challenges. As EVP of Hanley Investment Group Real Estate Advisors, Lefko led his team to close 87 transactions valued at more than $360 million in 2020, and 153 deals valued at $647 million in 2021. Early in his career, Lefko discovered that many California buyers were seeking higher cap-rates compared to the low returns available in the state. Having grown up in the Midwest, Lefko understood that property located outside of California has essentially the same risk profile but significantly higher returns. As a result, Lefko began specializing in moving California buyers outside of the state to provide his clients with well-located, passive real estate retail investments throughout the country. Within his role, Lefko specializes in advising clients in the acquisition and disposition of retail properties nationwide and has been recognized as a top retail EVP in the company’s history. He has also helped clients create break-up-sale strategies. Born and raised in Kansas City, MO, Lefko was inspired to join the real estate industry by his mother, a successful retail broker for more than 35 years. Every Saturday morning, he accompanied her to look at shopping centers and new retail developments and quickly learned how to assess a retail property’s viability, strengths and weaknesses. Lefko also learned from his mother that if you focus on developing genuine relationships and making impactful impressions on people, success will follow.
