Red and white “for lease” signs occupy many vacant storefronts in Los Angeles, particularly the luxurious stretches of Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and Malibu. Jay Luchs’ name is printed on these signs all over the city, but who is he?

Born into a real estate empire, grandson of the founder of Shannon & Luchs, one of the largest Washington, D.C.-based real estate firms of the 20th century, Luchs wanted to do what many kids of successful business owners want – to create a name of his own.

“When I was a kid, I didn’t want to do what my dad had done,” Luchs said. “I just wanted to be known as doing my own thing.”

Anticipating a career in entertainment, Luchs moved to Los Angeles in 1995 where he tried to pursue acting. Eventually, he landed a mail assistant position at a global talent agency, now known as William Morris Endeavor, where he lasted only two weeks before he decided the entertainment world was not for him.

Only then did he find himself interested in real estate, but how could he differentiate himself from his family?

“My focus is representing brands,” Luchs said. “I have a love for luxury fashion brands. I’ve done deals all over Los Angeles, but anywhere where there’s people, traffic, restaurants, retail, that’s my love.”

Name of his own

It all started when Luchs’ left WME in 2001 and was freshly hired by Insignia/ESG, a New York-based real estate company later acquired by CBRE Group Inc.

“In 2003, I kept driving past what was the former Tommy Hilfiger corner on Rodeo Drive,” Luchs said. “It had been sitting for three years. They were paying rent, and no one was getting them out.”

While his firm only sold properties at the time, Luchs pleaded with his bosses to allow him to find a new tenant to fill the lease. His bosses eventually gave in.

“We became the agent of Tommy Hilfiger to get them out of their lease obligation,” Luchs said.

He began cold calling high-end fashion brands around the world to gauge their interest in the space. “I couldn’t believe I was saying as a young broker that I had a listing on Rodeo Drive.”

Ultimately, Brooks Brothers ended up signing a 10-year lease on the 18,000-square-foot property, catapulting Luchs’ career.

“I didn’t get a lot (of money) out of that one deal,” Luchs said. “But it really led to my future.”

He found his individualism in the field. And as his clients got bigger, so did he.

Luchs to luxe

In 2013, Luchs joined New York City-based commercial real estate firm Newmark Group Inc. where he now operates as a top producing agent, having played a significant role in the formation of some of the trendiest streets in Los Angeles, including Rodeo Drive, Melrose Avenue and Abbot Kinney Boulevard.

“I like to think that I’m part of the creation of a lot of the change in the upgrading of streets,” Luchs said. “Today, if you told me that a fashion brand was opening somewhere in Los Angeles and I didn’t know about it, I would be absolutely mad at myself.”

He’s represented some of the world’s most notable fashion brands for their retail and office locations, including LVMH, KITH, James Perse, Fred Segal, Acne Studios, Alo Yoga, Kitson, Bottega Veneta, Aviator Nation and more.

“I love when Los Angeles gets new brands that are cool because it’s good for everyone,” Luchs said, noting Los Angeles plays a major role in the fashion scene, particularly due to the rise of social media.

One of his most memorable leases was earlier this year to Supreme. The brand replaced the former Tower Records location at 8801 Sunset Blvd, a building with an iconic past, which Luchs had previously sold following its bankruptcy as well.

“The torch was handed to a cool tenant that could also afford the rent and was credit-worthy,” he said.

Beyond fashion, Luchs has found restaurant locations for Craig’s in West Hollywood, Avra in Beverly Hills and Tao’s Lavo Ristorante on Sunset Strip.

In 2014, he even started selling residential properties with partner Steven Schaefer. Together, they’ve represented celebrities including Simon Cowell and Justin Bieber.

Luchs has also been involved in some pretty big office and hotel deals, including representing LVMH in its $200 million purchase of the Luxe Hotel on Rodeo Drive in 2021 and having previously assembled four properties on Rodeo Drive and Beverly Drive worth $465 million on behalf of LVMH for what was intended to become the Cheval Blanc hotel, but its development was ultimately rejected by voters.

Still, Luchs is optimistic about the area’s future. As far as the fate of Rodeo Drive goes, Luchs, said the street has “never been better.”

Business owner

Luchs’ “for lease” signs have become such pieces of iconography that a friend of his started printing them on hoodies and hats, poking fun at their widely recognizable nature, which he now distributes in a private merch line.

He’s also started to do collaborations with brands such as Erewhon and Prince Street Pizza, noting that collaborations and celebrity spottings play a major role in strengthening a brand’s value.

“All brands, mainly luxury, they want the right people wearing their product,” Luchs said. “It’s important to them that the most popular, followed talent (on social media), usually in music and entertainment and sports, are wearing their product because people follow what they do.”

And after years of finding retailers a new home and learning the ins and outs of the fashion business, Luchs has finally decided to open a store of his own, naming it California Incline.

“There have been things in my life I’ve thought about doing, but if you don’t do them, you’ll never do them,” Luchs said. “And now that I’m 51, if I don’t do it now, I will never do it.”

The store, which Luchs is creating with business partner Kelsey Chapman and opening in Malibu in October, will feature photography books and their own California beach-inspired fashion line.

“I think real estate has become a lot cooler (than it used to be),” Luchs said. “I feel like I got lucky by falling into retail.”