Avison Young

Avison Young
Name	Avison Young
Type	Private
Industry	Commercial real estate services
Founded	1978
Founders	Mitchell Avison; Jeffrey Young
Headquarters	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Area served	Global
Num employees	5,000+ (approx.)

Avison Young

Avison Young is a global commercial real estate advisory firm founded in 1978 in Toronto by Mitchell Avison and Jeffrey Young. The firm provides brokerage, property management, capital markets, valuation, and advisory services across major markets including New York City, London, Vancouver, Sydney, and Singapore. Avison Young has expanded through organic growth and strategic acquisitions to compete with multinational firms such as CBRE Group, JLL, and Cushman & Wakefield.

History

Founded in 1978 in Toronto by Mitchell Avison and Jeffrey Young, the firm initially focused on office leasing and brokerage in the Greater Toronto Area. During the 1990s and 2000s Avison Young expanded across Canada and into the United States through regional hires and mergers, mirroring consolidation trends that affected firms like Colliers International and CBRE Group. In the 2010s the company pursued an international growth strategy, opening offices in key markets such as London, Los Angeles, and Sydney and completing transactions in markets including Chicago and Hong Kong. Strategic acquisitions and partner-led platform expansions aligned Avison Young with global players including JLL and Cushman & Wakefield while emphasizing a partnership ownership model similar to private firms like Savills.

Services and Sectors

Avison Young offers integrated services spanning tenant representation, landlord representation, capital markets, investment sales, debt and structured finance, property management, facilities management, valuation and advisory, project management, and workplace strategy. Clients include institutional owners such as BlackRock, Brookfield Asset Management, and Ivanhoé Cambridge, corporate occupiers like Amazon (company), Google, and Microsoft and public institutions such as provincial bodies in Ontario and municipal authorities in Vancouver. Sector coverage includes office, industrial and logistics, retail, multi-family, healthcare, life sciences, hospitality, and mixed-use developments in markets ranging from Manhattan to Silicon Valley and Shenzhen.

Global Operations

The firm operates on a platform model with offices across the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, including hubs in Toronto, New York City, London, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Vancouver, Sydney, and Singapore. Cross-border teams coordinate capital markets and cross-border investment mandates involving sovereign wealth entities such as Qatar Investment Authority and state-owned enterprises from China. Strategic networks connect regional practices to global capital flows involving players like Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Blackstone (company), and KKR. Market intelligence and transaction execution draw on data sources and comparables from exchanges and indices such as the New York Stock Exchange and real estate indexes maintained by organizations like MSCI.

Corporate Structure and Leadership

Avison Young is privately held with a partner/ownership model that grants equity to principals and senior leaders; this model resembles governance structures used by firms such as Savills and Colliers International. Executive leadership includes a chief executive officer and a board comprised of senior partners and independent advisors with backgrounds from firms including Deloitte, PwC, and leading institutional investors. Regional presidents oversee operations in the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, coordinating with practice leaders in capital markets, tenant advisory, and valuation. The firm’s structure supports cross-border committees and investment committees that liaise with institutional clients like Pension Fund of Canada and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan.

Financial Performance

Avison Young reports revenue and growth metrics typical for large private commercial real estate advisory firms, competing in fee-based revenue streams alongside transaction-driven income from investment sales and leasing. Revenue generation is influenced by macroeconomic cycles, interest rate movements from central banks such as the Bank of Canada and the Federal Reserve System, and capital allocation by asset managers like BlackRock and Brookfield Asset Management. The firm’s financial performance has been bolstered by fee diversification into property management and advisory services, and by capturing market share in industrial logistics and life sciences markets that involve capital from investors including Prologis and GLP (company).

Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability

Avison Young has developed sustainability and ESG advisory capabilities that guide clients on certifications and standards including LEED, BREEAM, and regional green building codes in jurisdictions such as California and Europe. The firm engages in pro bono advisory work with nonprofits and educational institutions including partnerships with universities in Toronto and community development projects across North American cities like Montreal and Winnipeg. Internal initiatives include diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and reduction of operational carbon footprints in line with commitments similar to those adopted by multinational corporations such as Unilever and Apple Inc..

Notable Transactions and Awards

Avison Young has advised on high-profile transactions and mandates including large office dispositions, industrial portfolio sales, and cross-border capital placements involving investors such as Blackstone (company), Brookfield Asset Management, and Goldman Sachs. The firm and its teams have received industry recognition from organizations and awards programs such as the NAIOP awards, U.S. Green Building Council citations, and regional brokerage awards in markets like Toronto and Los Angeles. Major deals include representation roles in leasing and sales in central business districts including Manhattan, London's West End, and Sydney CBD.

Category:Commercial real estate companies