Esmael is the Co-Founder and Managing Principal of the Net Lease Group, headquartered in Atlanta, GA. Alongside his founding partner, Philip Wickstrom, Esmael leads the company’s overall strategy and vision. The vision calls for embracing market leading expertise, technology and service to build a global net lease platform which drives success for clients, employees and partners.

Esmael has been at the helm of leading the company’s originations effort since its founding in 2011 and brings with that leadership deep experience and expertise in net lease investment strategy, commercial real estate and corporate finance. He has over twenty-four (24) years of experience in the commercial real estate and investment banking sectors. Esmael has successfully completed, advised, and structured transactions in excess of $10 Billion during his career.

Prior to launching The Net Lease Group (“NLG”), Esmael worked as a Net Lease Advisor with Cushman & Wakefield and prior to that spent eleven (11) years with SunTrust Bank in various capacities. Esmael was an investment banker with SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc. in its Capital Markets Structured Leasing Group, which was principally focused on proving sale-leaseback and build-to-suit capital to corporate clients of the bank.

Prior to joining SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Esmael worked as a project finance and construction lender in SunTrust’s Commercial Real Estate Finance Group. In this role, Esmael provided debt capital to finance all property types of commercial real estate for development. Esmael is a graduate of the SunTrust Executive Management Training Program.

In 2020, Esmael founded a Non-Profit organization, Human Progress Organization, Inc. (HPO), the organization will focus on bringing education and wellness recourses to underserved communities primarily in the United States and West Africa.

Esmael earned his Bachelor of Science – Finance and Real Estate from Georgia State University (“GSU”). Esmael also serves as a Board of Trustee on GSU’s Foundation Board.  He is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors [ACBR].  Esmael lives with his family in Atlanta, GA.

Philip Wickstrom is a co-founder and Managing Principal of The Net Lease Group (NLG). The Net Lease Group provides investment sales, sale-leaseback advisory, build-to-suit advisory, development services, debt-equity placement, and private client services nationwide. NLG’s principals’ net lease transaction experience exceeds $10 billion.

Mr. Wickstrom is a net lease, commercial real estate professional with over twenty years of experience in commercial real estate and the practice of law. Mr. Wickstrom is responsible for development services, investment sales, sale-leaseback advisory, build-to-suit advisory, and private client mandates. Mr. Wickstrom has successfully advised, structured, and completed transactions for developers, tenants, family offices, REIT’s, funds, institutional investors, 1031 exchange buyers and, individual investors nationwide.

Prior to founding The Net Lease Group, Mr. Wickstrom was a net lease services professional in Cushman & Wakefield’s Atlanta office. Prior to Cushman & Wakefield, Mr. Wickstrom practiced law for eight years with a focus on contracts, corporate transactions, labor law and intellectual property. Mr. Wickstrom represented corporate and private clients including Fortune 1000 companies, small businesses and professional athletes.

Mr. Wickstrom earned his Bachelor of Science in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Arizona, his Masters of Science in Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami School of Law.

Mr. Wickstrom is an active member of the State Bar of Georgia, the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors, and the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Wickstrom was previously a member of the NFL Players Association and served on the Business Advisory Council for Florida ARF, a non-profit organization advocating for the benefit and rehabilitation of disabled persons.

Mark Lewensohn is the Managing Director, Head of Capital Markets of The Net Lease Group’s Chicago office. He focuses on originating net lease transactions of all types with more than 25 years of combined single-tenant net lease fund acquisitions, institutional real estate advisory and development experience.

Mark has completed over $2 Billion in commercial real estate transactions with $540 million in single-tenant net lease in more than 30 states.

Mark is an accomplished net lease and commercial real estate professional with extensive experience in building net lease portfolios, structuring sale-leaseback transactions, advising on investment strategy, asset management, disposition and real estate development. He has over 25 years in the commercial real estate sector and started his career in public accounting, concentrating on commercial real estate and holding companies. Prior to joining The Net Lease Group, Mark was a principal investor in single-tenant net lease assets with Madison Avenue Capital, LLC.

Prior to founding Madison Avenue Capital, Mark spent nearly 10 years as the Head of Acquisitions for Brauvin Real Estate Funds, a Chicago-based, nationally investing fund group, overseeing all facets of net lease acquisitions comprised of more than 200 net lease properties. Before that, he developed the single-tenant corporate headquarters for Quaker Oats and the regional headquarters for Zurich Insurance US along with nearly a decade as an officer in the Chicago region of Morgan Stanley Real Estate Funds (f/k/a Equitable Real Estate Investment Management). While at MSREF, Mark was responsible for Separate Account and General Account regional acquisitions, asset management and dispositions with transactions numbering in the hundreds.

His career began in the world of public accounting concentrating on commercial real estate tax and audit work providing a unique perspective that he has carried throughout his career.

Mark earned his Bachelor of Science – Accounting from the University of Colorado at Boulder, Leeds School of Business, is a current member of the Association for Corporate Growth and has his Managing Broker license in the State of Illinois.

Trey comes to The Net Lease Group with over 14 years of project and construction management experience. Before joining NLG, Trey was an Assistant Area Construction Manager in District One for the Georgia Department of Transportation. He oversaw a $250 million construction program consisting of the new alignment, widening, bridges, and resurfacing projects.

Before joining GDOT, Trey served 23 years as a Seabee and Civil Engineer Corps Officer in the United States Navy. He earned his commission in 2008 after graduating from the University of South Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. Trey also holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Georgia.

He is a proud native of Atlanta, Georgia, enjoys sports, art, and loves spending time with family and friends.

Mike King is a Vice President in the Atlanta office of the Net Lease Group. Mr. King has over seven years of commercial real estate experience and focuses on the origination and transaction management of capital markets transactions.

Mr. King assists in the execution of other core services that the firm provides and is an expert in section 1031 tax advisory.

Mr. King represents a broad client base consisting of developers, institutional investors, family offices, and end-users in the valuation, disposition, and acquisition of net leased assets including retail, industrial, and office properties at a national level.

Mr. King graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he served on the executive board of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity as an active member. He is a licensed real estate salesperson in both Massachusetts and Georgia.

Outside of the office, Mike can be found on the tennis court, traveling, or exploring Atlanta’s Beltline Trail and Greenspaces.

Joe Durkin joined The Net Lease Group as a Vice President, Net Lease Advisor. He will originate the array of core services the firm offers, including net lease investment sales & acquisitions advisory, 1031 exchange transactions, sale-leaseback advisory mandates, build-to-suit, portfolio analysis, and capital markets consultation across all commercial real estate markets throughout the country.

Joe’s most recent work experience was on the premier net lease team for Colliers International nationwide and was based out of their Charleston, SC office. He has been a net lease advisor since 2018, where he began his brokerage career at Marcus & Millichap in Boston, MA. At Marcus & Millichap, he was responsible for completing and underwriting more than $600M in net lease assets.

Outside of the office, Joe can be found on the golf course, enjoying the world-class food scene in Charleston or with his dog at the beach.

Joe will be working out of the Charleston, SC market.

Before joining The Net Lease Group, Ross was a Multifamily Investment Sales Broker for Horvath & Tremblay. He focused on selling multifamily investment properties in the Boston proper area, performed property valuations, and developed cash flow analysis to efficiently value and sell multifamily assets.

Ross Wood is a Vice President at NLG, and he focuses on providing the array of solutions The Net Lease Group offers while specializing in investment sales advisory, value-added, and net lease opportunities. Ross has 4 years of net lease and commercial real estate experience honed on $300 million of closed transactions, extensive experience underwriting retail and industrial acquisitions/dispositions, and performing financial analysis for capital placement assignments.

Ross graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, where he was a Dartmouth Big Green Football Team member and an active member of the Gamma Delta Chi fraternity. He holds a Georgia and Massachusetts Real Estate License.

While not working, Ross enjoys working out, playing men’s league softball, and spending time with his wife and son.

Hannah Koval joined the Net Lease Group in 2023 as a Marketing Associate.

Hannah joined The Net Lease Group from JLL, where she sharpened her skillset in project coordination, organization, and support. As the Marketing Associate at NLG, Hannah collaborates with the marketing team to support the brokers in their everyday work, including preparing proposals, marketing support, and research.

Hannah has applied her marketing expertise both in her professional pursuits and on a personal level, contributing to the expansion of the Atlanta AOII Alumna membership and assisting friends and family in their entrepreneurial endeavors. Her unwavering passion prompts her to share insights on projects close to her heart.

A Native of Georgia, Hannah graduated from UGA with a B.A. in Communication Studies. She is pursuing her MBA from UGA with concentrations in Marketing, Real Estate, Finance, and Entrepreneurship. Hannah can be found outside the office spending time with friends and family or relaxing with a good book.

Maya Teague joined The Net Lease Group in 2024 as a Marketing Associate, contributing to creating marketing materials, designing websites, and shaping the company’s social media strategy. With a talent for analyzing market trends, Maya excels in crafting effective distribution materials. A Metro Atlanta native, Maya holds a Bachelor of Arts from SCAD. Her expertise in video production and motion graphics allows her to produce striking aerial drone footage, compelling marketing brochures, and engaging social media content. As a Marketing Associate, Maya is eager to continue supporting investors, landlords, and business owners in achieving their financial objectives.

An active, licensed real estate professional, Maya began her real estate career assisting residential buyers and has since represented commercial tenants in Class A developments across the local market. In her free time, Maya enjoys knitting sweaters by hand, tackling DIY home renovation projects, and unwinding after volunteering as Vice President of her neighborhood association.

Will Winn joined The Net Lease Group in 2024 as an Analyst. He collaborates with the marketing and capital management team to support the brokers in their everyday work, including market research, valuations, and preparing proposals. Will was previously an intern at NLG in 2023, where he learned how to conduct market analysis, valuate commercial properties, and model cash flow projections.

Will graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance from the Harbert College of Business at Auburn University. Outside the office, Will can be found traveling, golfing, and spending time with his family.

Mary Hemans joined the Net Lease Group in February 2023 as the Administrator & Office Manager. She is responsible for overseeing administrative and operational duties at NLG and providing support to the executive leadership team.

Before joining the Net Lease Group, Mary worked with Robinson Weeks Partners, an industrial real estate development and investment firm. She also worked with Walker and Dunlop as a Senior Executive Assistant to the Managing Director of Multifamily Finance and his Team. Throughout her career, Mary has played a key role in office operations and led company-wide initiatives on behalf of executive staff. Her wealth of experience in commercial real estate comes from 20+ years in various parts, ranging from small, privately-held organizations to publicly traded companies.

Outside of work, Mary enjoys spending time at the beach and as much time as she can with her two grandchildren.