William R. Rolander Jr. is a Vice Chairman in the firm’s Chicago office, where he specializes in core and high-profile office leasing assignments within Chicago’s central business district. Rolander is an expert in commercial leasing, the result of his strategic, hands-on style for creating ownership value and 35 years of leasing success.
Rolander joined Newmark in 2016 after more than 21 years at The John Buck Company, where he served as a Principal and Managing Director of the Product Leasing Group. During his tenure, Rolander gained extensive experience leasing office space in Chicago’s central business district and suburbs as well as abroad (Berlin and Frankfurt, Germany) and had a key role in acquisition underwriting and pre-development activities.
Prior to The John Buck Company, Rolander served as a Senior Associate at CB Richard Ellis (now CBRE). During his more than seven years with the company, he focused on representing tenants and landlords in the leasing of office properties in the greater Chicago area.
PARTIAL LIST OF LEASE TRANSACTIONS:
- One North Wacker Drive: 1.4 million RSF
- Sony Center, Berlin, Germany: 1.2 million RSF
- 333 South Wabash Avenue: 1.2 million RSF
- 222 South Riverside Plaza: 1.2 million RSF
- 155 North Wacker Drive: 1.2 million RSF
- 10 and 120 South Riverside Plaza: 1.1 million RSF
- 161 North Clark Street: 1.1 million RSF
- 111 South Wacker Drive: 1.1 million RSF
- Two Illinois Center: 1.0 million RSF
- NBC Tower: 850,000 RSF
- 333 West Wacker Drive: 845,247 RSF
- 151 North Franklin: 800,000 RSF
- 77 West Wacker Drive: 800,000 RSF
- Parkway North Center, Deerfield, IL: 776,074 RSF
- 200 South Wacker Drive: 754,751 RSF
- Triangle Plaza: 631,445 RSF
- 33 North LaSalle Street: 400,000 RSF
- Prairie Street, One and Two Park: 300,000 RSF
- The Rookery: 288,924 RSF
- York Center, Oak Brook, IL: 184,017 RSF
- 142 East Ontario Street: 120,000 RSF
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
- Landlord Broker of the Year, Crain’s and the Greater Chicago Food Depository Commercial Real Estate Awards, 2013, 2017 and 2018 (finalist), 2019 (winner)
- Downtown Transaction of the Year, Crain’s and the Greater Chicago Food Depository Commercial Real Estate Awards, 2004, 2005 and 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018 (finalist)
- Top Five Salesperson, CB Richard Ellis, 1988, 1989 and 1991
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:
- Former President and Current Member of the Advisory Board, Chicago Office Leasing Brokers Association (COLBA),
- Member, Illini Real Estate Forum (IREF)
- Chairman, The John Buck Company Foundation, 2005 – 2006 (Responsible for oversight of the company’s charitable activities)
- Managing Broker Real Estate License Holder, Illinois and Wisconsin
Education
Rolander holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.