Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Justin Lustig is a retail real estate executive and advisor whose career has centered on dealmaking, placemaking, and the strategic repositioning of retail properties. Influenced by his father, who spent decades with some of the industry’s most recognized companies, including The Taubman Company, Glimcher Properties, and Ashkenazy Acquisitions, Justin developed an early appreciation for the role thoughtful real estate plays in the success of a business and the communities it serves.

That experience shaped a core philosophy that continues to guide his work today: the most impactful real estate begins with understanding the needs of the operator. By balancing a landlord’s long term vision with the practical and economic requirements of the tenant, Justin approaches each assignment with a focus on creating lasting value for both sides of the transaction.

After graduating from The Ohio State University, Justin began his career at DLC Management Corp., where he advanced to oversee the leasing of a 3 million square foot portfolio of power centers and grocery anchored properties across the East Coast and Midwest.

He later joined Brookfield Properties as Director of Big Box Leasing, managing anchor transactions across 17 regional malls in 14 states. In this role, Justin focused on repositioning legacy shopping centers and executing complex redevelopment strategies, including The Collection at Independence in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Justin subsequently served as Vice President, Head of Leasing at Tricera Capital, where he led leasing efforts across more than 30 urban mixed use properties throughout the Southeast.

After returning to New York with his wife, Nicolle, Justin joined Urban Edge Properties, a publicly traded real estate investment trust, as Vice President of Leasing. He oversaw leasing across a 13 million square foot portfolio and led a team that consistently exceeded market expectations, including completing more than 60 transactions in 2024.

In 2023, Justin earned a master’s degree in Real Estate and Infrastructure from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. He was also the recipient of the Anikeef Prize, awarded for excellence in real estate and investment strategy.

Throughout his career, Justin has completed more than $500 million in lease transactions and worked with leading brands including Apple, Google, Shake Shack, CAVA, Starbucks, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Lidl, Five Below, and Orangetheory Fitness.

In 2025, Justin and Nicolle co-founded The Lustig Group, a strategic retail advisory firm grounded in ownership experience and built to serve institutional property owners, growing brands, and emerging operators. Their mission is to reimagine retail by aligning design, tenancy, and community with the human experience behind every lease.