Nick Cook, Avison Young Principal and Managing Director of the company’s U.K. operations, has announced that Mark Holliday and Richard Worrall have joined the firm in London.
Effective immediately, Holliday joins Avison Young as a Principal and Worrall becomes an Associate Director. The investment specialists will focus on the acquisition and disposal of investment properties in the U.K. Holliday and Worrall have a combined 40-plus years of experience in the real estate industry, most recently at Chestertons, where Holliday was a Board Director and Worrall an Associate Director.
“We are delighted to welcome Mark and Richard, who are our first investment professionals in the U.K., to Avison Young,” comments Cook. “Both are high achievers who have earned much respect from their clients, based on the team’s in-depth market knowledge backed by a sound professional and analytical approach. Mark and Richard have a reputation for providing client service that is second to none, which is a great fit to the Avison Young culture.”
Cook continues: “Furthermore, Mark is a natural leader and communicator and will be at the forefront of expanding our service to capital markets clients and developing our in-house investment team. His experience with internationally renowned firms and start-up enterprises will be invaluable. With Richard alongside him, we are off to a terrific start.”
Avison Young launched its European presence in April 2014 when the firm acquired NAI Haywards and opened new offices in London and Thames Valley. Avison Young has since opened two further European offices in Frankfurt (December 1, 2014) and Munich (January 21, 2015).
During their careers, Holliday and Worrall have worked on a wide range of large commercial and residential projects in Central London and across the U.K., on behalf of a mix of clients including institutional investors, property companies and domestic/overseas private investors.
Recent notable transactions include advising on the off-market acquisition of a block of 96 flats and 12 retail units in Hackney, London for approximately £20 million; the sale of a 467,323-square-foot (sf) distribution centre in Northamptonshire for £32.5 million; and the acquisition of Tesco Supermarket in Gloucestershire for £29.22 million.
“Richard and I are delighted to be joining Avison Young,” states Holliday. “This is an exciting time to be joining the firm as it continues its strategic expansion in the U.K. and Europe. The market conditions are perfect for us, and this is a great opportunity to build a professional, client-focused partnership with the benefits of being an international player, backed by Avison Young’s Principal-led culture and proven strength in the U.S. and Canada.”
“When Mark and I met Nick Cook, we were inspired,” adds Worrall. “Meeting Mark Rose was the deal clincher. We are thrilled to be joining a company with such exciting plans for the future, but whose core values evolve around a collaborative, team-based approach to providing the best possible service to clients.”
Holliday brings to Avison Young more than 30 years of property experience, specializing in larger investment transactions while acting on behalf of both sellers and buyers across the U.K. Past and current clients include U.K. institutions, property firms, U.S. private-equity funds and high-net-worth individuals. Prior to serving as a Board Director of Chestertons, based in the London West End office, Holliday served as a Senior Director of CBRE’s capital markets division in London. He also previously worked with Jones Lang LaSalle and other real estate firms in Australia, Singapore and Indonesia, providing Holliday with a unique insight into the Australasian markets. As an ex-officer in HM Forces, Holliday is a keen supporter of the charity Help the Heroes.
With more than 10 years of property experience, Worrall started his career with BNP Paribas Real Estate U.K. After working in Asia for two years, he joined the investment team at Chestertons in 2010 where he was an Associate Director.
The announcement comes on the heels of Avison Young acquiring Calgary-based property management firm Peregrin Inc. on February 12, 2015.
Over the past six years, Avison Young has grown from 11 to 64 offices and from 300 to more than 1,700 real estate professionals in Canada, the U.S. and Europe.
Avison Young is the world’s fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Avison Young is a collaborative, global firm owned and operated by its principals. Founded in 1978, the company comprises 1,700 real estate professionals in 64 offices, providing value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management, financing and mortgage placement services to owners and occupiers of office, retail, industrial and multi-family properties.