Jones Lang LaSalle is reaping the rewards for results. According to Reuters, the company’s fourth-quarter earnings “blew past Wall Street’s forecast” with shares rising more than 6 percent this week[1]. The real estate investment firm is predicting continued success in profits as “2011 global commercial real estate investment [rises] 20 to 25 percent to $380 billion,” said the chief executive Colin Dyer on a conference call yesterday. He predicts that in the Americas alone, transaction levels will climb 40 percent this year.

Dyer credits the company’s success in recent quarters to its movement into markets as they recover, creating “good growth momentum” into the coming year[2]. He added that as markets continue to recover, Jones Lang LaSalle will continue to work to “take additional market share[s].” Leasing revenues currently make up the biggest portion of the firm’s revenue, and property and facility management revenues are also rising. In the past year, Jones Lang LaSalle’s stock has risen 59 percent.

Today, news has come out that commercial backed mortgage securities (CBMS) delinquency is the highest in history, but many analysts are arguing that these numbers actually are cause for optimism because problem loans are being resolved and working their way through the system[3]. Based on Jones Lang LaSalle’s performance, it appears that now is the time to “move in” on the commercial real estate market. Are you “expanding your presence” in commercial real estate this year?

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[1] http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/02/us-joneslanglasalle-idUSTRE7115OC20110202

[2] http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110201-718585.html

[3] http://www.dsnews.com/articles/trepp-cmbs-delinquency-rate-hits-highest-level-in-history-2011-02-02