LOS ANGELES—Looking around the platinum ballroom at the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, it was clear that Avison Young has grown—significantly, in fact, since I first started writing about them many years ago. The more than 700 attendees were there for the firm's annual meeting, where CEO Mark Rose exclusively talked with GlobeSt.com about growth plans going forward.
The latest growth involved new offices in Nashville and Knoxville, TN, expanding business-line coverage in Southeastern U.S. Effective immediately, 82 members join from Cushman & Wakefield | Cornerstone in Nashville and Knoxville, including CEO Warren Smith.
GlobeSt.com: Tell me a bit more about these two new office openings and why you chose the locations you did? Why now?
Mark Rose: “The importance of Nashville and Knoxville is threefold. First, our clients are global and they operate in all robust markets. We are thrilled to expand the platform to meet the needs of our most important stakeholders. Platform is critical to executing on client objectives and delivering solutions to complex problems. Second, to support point one, we always look to cities that house significant commercial real estate inventory and are home to multi-national corporate headquarters. Third, and maybe the defining point—when you have a chance to work with good people, who are leaders in their markets, we will always seek to expand our collaborative partnership.”
GlobeSt.com: When we sat down for lunch maybe six or so years ago, you told me about your plans for growth, and it seems as though you have already gone above and beyond those goals. What are you plans going forward? Any other office openings in the works? Any specific geographic areas?
Rose: Our expansion plans have always combined strategic and opportunistic recruiting and acquisitions. In five-year increments, we look to grow in the major and secondary markets in which our clients operate. We have always targeted these markets, and when we have the opportunity to partner with leaders such as Warren, Julia and the Cornerstone team, we move very quickly to make it happen. We will continue to grow at the pace we have set—rapid. We never set specific targets for offices; it's all about cultural fits. The amazing part is that we continue to grow without compromising our culture. At Avison Young, we focus on behavior, cultural beliefs and our ability to solve the problems and exceed the needs of clients over the long haul. We are structured to be disruptive to a competitive set that are governed by 90-day financial measurements.
Check back with GlobeSt.com in the next day or so for more coverage from the Avison Young annual meeting.
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Natalie Dolce
Natalie Dolce, editor-in-chief of GlobeSt.com and GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum, is responsible for working with editorial staff, freelancers and senior management to help plan the overarching vision that encompasses GlobeSt.com, including short-term and long-term goals for the website, how content integrates through the company’s other product lines and the overall quality of content. Previously she served as national executive editor and editor of the West Coast region for GlobeSt.com and Real Estate Forum, and was responsible for coverage of news and information pertaining to that vital real estate region. Prior to moving out to the Southern California office, she was Northeast bureau chief, covering New York City for GlobeSt.com. Her background includes a stint at InStyle Magazine, and as managing editor with New York Press, an alternative weekly New York City paper. In her career, she has also covered a variety of beats for M magazine, Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, FashionLedge.com, and Co-Ed magazine. Dolce has also freelanced for a number of publications, including MSNBC.com and Museums New York magazine.
