Press Releases

PlaceMKR Announces the Hiring of Justin Simon as Development Associate


“PlaceMKR is thrilled to bring Justin Simon on board our team as a Development Associate. After reviewing his experience and qualifications, it was immediately clear that Justin would be an asset to our team.”

-Christopher Cortese | PlaceMKR co-founder

August 26th, 2022

PlaceMKR, a thriving commercial real estate and investment company in Austin, Texas, has announced the hiring of Justin Simon as a Development Associate. Before relocating to Austin from Washington DC, Justin worked in development at a REIT and for one of the nation’s largest homebuilders. Justin received a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from Ashland University, where he also served as Eagle Investment Group President for the University’s endowment investment. 

During his time in Washington DC, Justin worked with Regency Centers focusing on mixed-use development projects in Cambridge MA and Bethesda MD. While at Regency Centers, Justin perfected his skills in learning to forecast and predict growth areas within expanding communities. Prior to Regency, Justin worked on land acquisition and development at K. Hovnanian Homes. Throughout his career in the Real Estate and Development industry, Justin has dedicated himself to supporting growing communities by developing and acquiring projects that have countless benefits to local neighborhoods.

“PlaceMKR is thrilled to bring Justin Simon on board our team as a Development Associate. After reviewing his experience and qualifications, it was immediately clear that Justin would be an asset to our team.” said Christopher Cortese, co-founder of PlaceMKR. “His broad knowledge of investments, development, and acquisition is exactly what we were searching for during the recruitment process of a new Development Associate. In addition to his experience, Justin also shares values that align with our mission at PlaceMKR, placing a heavy focus on working hard to improve the community.”

“Based on Justin’s career, our team was confident that his institutional knowledge around how retail communicates in a mixed-use setting will help to further PlaceMKR’s creative development competencies,” stated company co-founder Jesse Weber. “Justin’s ambition and passion for what he does shines through in his career history. We are excited to have the opportunity to bring such a talented individual on board with the team at PlaceMKR. Together, we will be able to bring PlaceMKR to even vaster places as we continue to support growth within the Austin community.”

PlaceMKR was founded by Christopher Cortese and Jesse Weber in 2018. The real estate and investment company has seen incredible expansion throughout the greater Austin area over the past few years due to their fierce dedication to providing community service through community building and commercial real estate development. The company’s team of investment and development experts has led them to become well-known as industry experts over the past few years. PlaceMKR currently has over four million square feet under development, 2,500 multi-family units under development, and over 230 acres of Texas land holdings.

To learn more about PlaceMKR, go to www.placemkr.com.

Keep Reading: