Justin Fantasia serves as a Director in Newmark’s New York City office, where he specializes in retail leasing, primarily on behalf of retail tenants.
Fantasia has been working with, advising, strategizing and assisting retailers in a multitude of capacities for well over a decade. His experience in many facets of the retail world, including time as a merchant for J.Crew under chairman and CEO Mickey Drexler, adds significant value for his clients and has allowed him to provide a unique perspective to the tenants he works with and represents.
Recognizing the shift in the retail landscape as early as 2012, Fantasia has been at the forefront of the changing retail environment, advising emerging e-commerce direct to consumer retailers on developing both national and local retail strategies to grow their brands through physical stores and new, non-traditional ways of thinking. His guidance on both a national and regional level has been instrumental to the brands he has helped to grow over his career, from emerging brands such as Bonobos and Rent the Runway to established brands such as Old Navy and The Children’s Place. Fantasia is passionate about what he does.
Fantasia has worked with numerous brands at all stages of their retail development. He has helped Gap, Inc.’s Athleta, Banana Republic, Gap and Old Navy acquire sites throughout Manhattan. He has also helped numerous digitally native brands plan their initial bricks-and-mortar strategies and execute their rollouts. Among these clients are Bonobos, Brideside, Monica + Andy and Rent the Runway.
As an established retail and real estate professional who works with both the tenant and ownership sides of the business, Fantasia is a proven and trusted partner and an integral part of the teams he helps advise and support. Fantasia has a reputation for understanding the needs of his clients-whether helping them mitigate risk through skilled lease negotiations or recognize the potential a destination location has to establish them as leaders and trend setters that other brands emulate.
Fantasia joined Newmark in 2019, when parent company Newmark Group, Inc. acquired RKF, a New York-based retail real estate brokerage and investment firm. He joined RKF as a Canvasser in early 2011.
Professional Affiliations
- Member, International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
- Licensed real estate salesperson, state of New York
Education
Fantasia earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature from Wheaton College.