Canadian commercial real estate services firm Avison Young has opened its first offices outside North America.
Mark E. Rose, chair and CEO, said the company acquired London-based Haywards LLP and opened Avison Young’s first European offices in London and Thames Valley in the United Kingdom.
The acquisition brings 20 new employees to Avison Young. Over the past five years, Avison Young has grown from 11 to now 56 offices in 45 markets and from 300 to more than 1,500 real estate professionals across Canada, the U.S., and in Europe.
Established in 1992, Haywards, the U.K. member of NAI Global, provides full-service commercial real estate offerings that range from strategic planning and project implementation to acquisitions, dispositions, development and property and facilities management.
Haywards partners Nick Cook, Tony Oxford, Iain Rackley and Sarah Cook become Principals of Avison Young.
“This is a very exciting and memorable day in the history of Avison Young,” said Rose. “Our firm’s strategy has always been to use London and the U.K. as a major launch pad into Europe, and to service assignments emanating from North America. But we wanted to ensure that we found the right people, the right location and, ultimately, the right fit so that we could provide a full range of offerings and the highest level of commercial real estate brokerage, advisory and property management services to clients from the outset.
“We also wanted to establish our foothold with established industry leaders who have the necessary experience, knowledge and business relationships to guide us in the region.”
