SYDNEY, 17 November, 2025 - JLL (NYSE: JLL) today announced the acquisition of Ocian, a specialist real estate debt advisory firm, in a move that significantly expands its Debt & Structured Finance capabilities in Australia. The strategic acquisition will solidify JLL’s leadership in providing world-class capital solutions in Australia’s evolving $75 billion commercial real estate debt market.  

Ocian’s co-founders, Danny Kent and Darren O’Hanlon, will join JLL’s Debt & Structured Finance business to spearhead growth across Australia and New Zealand.  

“We are seeing renewed confidence in the market as interest rates decline, reinforced by increased deal flow across investment sales and development,” said Luke Billiau, Head of Capital Markets, JLL Australia & New Zealand. “Clients are seeking more sophisticated capital solutions that go beyond the traditional brokerage platform, while demanding strategic advice on optimal capital structures and early access to opportunities.”  

“This acquisition significantly strengthens our debt and structured finance capabilities in this region by combining Ocian’s exceptional local market expertise and lender relationships with JLL’s global capital markets platform.  

“Danny and Darren have built an impressive business over the past five years, and their deep relationships with both domestic banks and international capital providers perfectly complement our regional debt specialists and market-leading equity advisory offering,” said Luke.  

The transaction enhances JLL’s market-leading Capital Markets platform in Asia Pacific by combining Ocian’s deep local expertise and strong client and lender relationships with JLL’s global network, proprietary database, and institutional approach. Clients will now have seamless access to both Australian and international funding sources through a single integrated platform, supported by the firm’s leading equity advisory business and extensive research capabilities. 

“We couldn’t be more excited to have the depth and the expertise of the Ocian team added into JLL’s platform. We are seeing exceptionally liquid debt markets globally and Danny and Darren will be a tremendous complement to our Asia Pacific debt business,” said Paul Brindley, Head of Debt Advisory, Asia Pacific, JLL.  

The announcement comes at a pivotal moment for the Australian commercial real estate debt market, which has matured significantly in recent years. Annual transaction volumes are estimated at approximately A$75 billion, with a growing share of activity being driven by non-bank lenders as the country’s major banks retreat from higher-risk lending. This trend mirrors the evolution seen in other global markets, particularly in Europe, and is creating substantial opportunities for both borrowers and investors. At the same time, recent interest rate cuts are stimulating refinancing activity and fuelling deal flow across both investment sales and development, underscoring the timeliness of JLL’s strategic expansion. 

“Joining JLL marks an exciting new chapter for Ocian and our clients. What attracted us to JLL was the opportunity to scale our impact for clients. Our business has always been about trusted advice, deep market knowledge and strong lender relationships. Over the past five years, we’ve built strong relationships with domestic banks and non-bank lenders, and we’ve seen first-hand how Australia’s debt market has become more dynamic and sophisticated. By bringing our local expertise together with JLL’s global capital markets platform, we can now deliver even greater value, connecting clients to a broader range of capital sources and solutions than ever before,” said Danny Kent and Darren O’Hanlon, Co-Founders of Ocian. 

^{(L-R) Darren O’Hanlon, Charlotte Laurence, ANZ Operations Manager Capital Markets JLL, Luke Billiau and Danny Kent}