2025 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Jimmy Cochran, JLL

 

“Since joining JLL in 2021, Jimmy has worked on over $2.5 billion in transactions, specializing in multi-housing debt placement with a focus on agency lending. From the beginning, he has shown a genuine commitment to understanding the many facets of the real estate industry. But what stands out most is his natural leadership — Jimmy leads not with a title, but through his actions, his eagerness to learn, and his willingness to support those around him.” - Michael Gigliotti, Senior Managing Director/NY Office Co-Head, JLL.

What’s one challenge you’ve overcome in your career so far, and what did it teach you? Upon moving to JLL, my experience was limited to agency financing transactions, restricting my understanding of the broader multi-housing capital markets landscape. I’ve made it a priority to develop expertise across the multi-housing sector by working with the broader JLL debt team on all types of deals. Developing a comprehensive knowledge of multi-housing debt capital markets has enabled me to pursue more business, including my recent focus on affordable housing.

Who has been pivotal in your professional development, and how have they influenced you? Mike Zaremski, Mike Shmuely, and John Flynn have been instrumental in my professional development since moving to New York in 2019. I started in the business with them at Berkadia and they spent a lot of time teaching me the fundamentals. When we moved to JLL four years ago, they empowered me to lead the execution on their transactions and contribute to business development efforts within our team. Having a solid foundation that was established through close mentorship has allowed me to take on new challenges with confidence.

What recent professional milestone or project are you most proud of, and why? I am part of the team advising on the highly structured $210 million capitalization of an affordable housing development that should close this summer. We are working with the client to secure a construction loan, structure a bridge loan collateralized by cash flow from state tax credits, sell the LIHTC tax credits, and originate a Freddie Mac Forward Tax Exempt Bond Financing. I’m particularly proud of this project because my team and I helped the client navigate the tricky regulatory landscape on a highly structured transaction during a difficult capital markets period.

What is your top advice for someone just starting out in your field? Facetime is everything. Real estate is an industry full of outgoing people who thrive in a fast-paced environment and build meaningful relationships by meeting face-to-face. Spending time to cultivate genuine relationships is the best way to grow professionally, whether you are networking for new business, trying to learn a new skill or breaking into a wider market. Building trust and rapport happens most naturally in person—it’s something that’s hard to replicate virtually.