WHR name goes as Avison Young takeover completes

Less than a fortnight after announcing its intention to acquire WHR Property Consultants, the independent Manchester-based property advisor, Canadian group Avison Young has completed the deal and rebranded its latest addition.

Avison Young describes itself as “the world’s fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm”. The WHR acquisition, for an undisclosed sum, was announced on 20 October and completed yesterday.

The Manchester office represents Avison Young’s fifth office in the UK, eleventh in Europe, and “an additional step in the firm’s ongoing aggressive growth and expansion strategy.”

Over the past nine years, Avison Young has grown from 11 to 81 offices in 73 markets, and from 300 to more than 2,600 real estate professionals in Canada, the US, Mexico and Europe.

WHR’s services include industrial and office agency, investment, property management, asset management, rating and professional services.

The firm was founded in 2004 by ex-Lambert Smith Hampton colleagues Mark Williams, Mike Hawkins, now at Colliers International, and Mike Rooney.

WHR has now rebranded as Avison Young and 35 staff transferred. WHR directors Mark Williams, Gareth Buckley, Mike Rooney and Dan Crossley become principals of Avison Young. Williams also becomes managing director of the new Manchester office and “will play a leading role in the company’s strategic expansion in the North West region.”

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Mark, Gareth, Mike, Dan and the entire WHR team to our Principal-led, collaborative company,” comments Rose. “We are excited to be adding such a highly regarded group to our talented existing U.K. team, and to be opening an office in Manchester. The combination of our current resources with the leading professionals of WHR greatly strengthens our market share and enhances our support structure to serve our robust client base. Moreover, the strategic hire of this team of respected professionals will give us further momentum as we continue to build the Avison Young brand throughout Europe and beyond.”

Avison Young’s office in Manchester will relocate from WHR’s office at the Lexicon building off Albert Square to 11 St James’s Court in John Dalton Street next month.

Williams said: “We are honoured to be part of this global organisation led by principals who are accountable to one another and to the client.”

He added: “The remarkable growth of Avison Young in recent years has been designed to preserve an environment of client-focused business by adding quality, seasoned real estate professionals who share the same entrepreneurial spirit and integrity. This is a very exciting opportunity for our entire organisation and we look forward to expanding our Manchester team through the recruitment of the next generation of top real estate talent. We are thrilled to be part of the Avison Young family and look forward to working with our new colleagues in Europe and North America.”

Jason Sibthorpe, Avison Young principal and managing director in the UK, added: “We are delighted to have completed this transaction and look forward to integrating our businesses over the coming weeks and months – putting our clients at the centre of our enhanced coverage and capability. Working with our new principals and colleagues, we will continue to seek intelligent growth opportunities across the UK.”

Avison Young was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Toronto.