Five minutes with… Thomas Sandlin

Jamestown Europe’s managing director and co-head on setting up on a new continent and the differences between operating in the US and Europe

This article was published in our October 2026 magazine

Thomas Sandlin, Jamestown Europe’s managing director and co-head

Why did you choose a career in the built environment?

I’ve been fascinated by architecture since I was young, in particular in how the buildings can serve a greater function while still evoking something more artistic. Ponce City Market in Atlanta was the proof point for me in college: it was a mostly abandoned building, and watching adaptive reuse turn it into something that catalysed a city’s growth was eye-opening. What sealed it was realising real estate is one of the only careers that touches every other industry and that constant engagement with people across different businesses facing different challenges and creating different opportunities remains incredibly exciting.

What is your proudest achievement in your career to date?

Having been involved from day one in our European business. The opportunity to shape everything from strategy to operations and come out the other side with a stable platform and a strong team has undoubtedly been the highlight so far.

What does your day-to-day work involve?

Day to day, I work across our business in Europe (and sometimes with the US teams) to make sure capital and resources are deployed where they’ll have the greatest impact. That means allocating strategically and pushing our teams to perform at a higher level across underwriting, execution, and asset management. My perspective these days is less about any single deal and more about ensuring the broader platform operates at its best.

In your experience, which sectors are most active at the moment? Why do you think that is?

Iberia’s retail market is particularly active right now. We believe two factors are driving that: strong fundamentals — shoppers there still place real value on the traditional retail experience, often anchored by hypermarkets, which reflects broader social customs — and a meaningful influx of wealth into the region. Together, those dynamics have driven investment activity to accelerate.

What are the biggest opportunities in the year ahead?

While it’s definitely been a volatile time which can sometimes lead to slower markets, we believe that in these moments the strongest buying opportunities emerge. We’re particularly focused on needs-based and leisure-anchored retail: they’re durable, remain relevant across cycles and are areas where we plan to keep leaning in.

What can Europe learn from the US real estate market?

There are learnings in both directions. Europe can draw on the US approach to more proactive management while the US can learn from how European markets handle adaptive reuse under strict preservation regimes, where the constraints force a creativity that’s easy to bypass when demolition is more common. One of the strengths of Jamestown is the ability to operate across these markets and learn from one another.

What lessons need to be adapted to fit local European markets?

We see real estate ultimately as a local, people-focused business, and that means that you need true local teams to operate effectively in Europe. Understanding the nuance of each country and city, what tenants and municipalities need, is critical to success here, where the US might be able to operate with a broader brush approach in some cases.

How does company culture play into this?

Jamestown’s culture is rooted in having true headquarters on both sides of the Atlantic, Cologne and Atlanta, rather than one market directing the other. That structure keeps us in a constant state of information exchange and growth that makes our global business stronger. 

Is Jamestown doing a ‘pivot to Europe’ because of diminishing belief in the US or US politics?

No, and our core business is still in the US, which remains incredibly active including several new acquisitions this year. For us, expanding into Europe has been about growing our global business and bringing our skillset and playbook to investors across compelling markets where our approach to real estate management is in high demand.