Leading Real Estate Service Providers

Founded in 1996, Avison Young is Canada’s largest independently-owned commercial real estate services company. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Avison Young is the only national, Canadian-owned, principal-managed real estate brokerage firm in the country. We are a full-service commercial real estate company comprising more than 500 real estate professionals in 11 offices from coast to coast and an office in Chicago, IL. As part of the Grubb & Ellis Alliance of commercial real estate professionals (with 130 offices worldwide), we form one of the world’s largest commercial real estate networks.

Formed by the union of Graeme Young & Associates of Alberta and Avison & Associates of Toronto and Vancouver, Avison Young Commercial Real Estate came together in 1996 to provide clients with more comprehensive real estate services at the local, national and international level. Today, Avison Young has offices in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Mississauga, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Halifax and Chicago. Our licensed brokers, financial analysts, research professionals and marketing specialists serve most Canadian communities from Whitehorse and Victoria to St. Johns and Charlottetown.

In fall 2008, the shareholders and partners of Avison Young companies in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec merged to create a single national entity: Avison Young (Canada) Inc. Combined with its affiliate offices in Regina, Winnipeg and Halifax, Avison Young (Canada) now forms the country’s largest independently-owned commercial real estate services company. In January 2009, the company opened its first U.S. location, in Chicago, Illinois.

In December 2008, the company also acquired Toronto, ON-based Darton Property Advisors and Managers. Combined, Avison Young (Canada), its affiliates and Darton now represent 26 million square feet of retail, industrial and office properties across Canada, establishing Avison Young (Canada) as one of the country’s largest independently-owned, third-party commercial property management firms.

Client-Focused Firm

Avison Young’s range of services includes office, industrial and retail leasing as well as tenant representation; property acquisitions and dispositions; corporate advisory services; mortgage financing; property management; and consulting and research. Our transaction services include acquisition, disposition and leasing expertise across all sectors— office, industrial, land, build-to-suit, retail and multi-residential.

Our solutions start with client needs and business objectives, not with real estate. This results in more customized and cost-effective solutions. With professionals who specialize in all real estate product types, we are able to provide a wide range of possible solutions and creative options.

As a principal-owned firm, we build long-term relationships with our clients, offering professional, intelligent real estate and financial services. Whether you require acquisition, leasing, management or disposition of your leased or owned property, we work hard to solve your real estate needs so that you can focus on the core competencies of your business or ownership of your organization. Our ongoing commitment to develop trusting and lasting relationships is what sets us apart from the rest.

Vancouver, British Columbia Office

Whether measured by our clients, transaction sizes or overall volume, the employee-owned Vancouver, British Columbia office of Avison Young is among the most productive commercial real estate offices in Canada on a per capita basis.

We are the industry leaders when it comes to providing clients with real estate solutions that are tailored to their business or association. Our clients range from leading Canadian and multi-national companies to smaller firms and sole proprietorships.

In recent years, the Vancouver office has provided advisory and transactional services for leading global, national and regional companies, such as: eBay, Great West Life, London Life, Royal Bank Financial, BMO Financial, Canfor, Brewers Distributor, Business Objects, McDonald’s Restaurants Canada, Coast Capital Savings, Canadian Direct Insurance, Canadian Western Bank, Metro Vancouver, Teck Cominco, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Amgen, AMEC, Telus, Taiga Building Products, Placer Dome, Michelin North America, General Motors Canada, Rocky Mountaineer, Daimler Chrysler Canada, Top Producer, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, TransLink, Stantec, Cardiome Pharma, Lions Gate Films.

Continued exposure to real estate practices and solutions from across the country and around the world, and from a variety of companies, enhances our ability to generate new ideas for all of our clients. 

Our People – Top Performers

Many of the most successful and respected commercial real estate professionals in BC work at Avison Young. We hire only top performers who understand the dedication, commitment and integrity required to be the best in our business.

The Vancouver office of Avison Young comprises 35 full-time commercial sales and leasing specialists and staff members, and the company retains a strong position in the marketplace. Our team-centered approach continues to attract some of Canada’s top real estate professionals.

The Vancouver office has negotiated a significant number of office accommodation transactions in recent years. Notable tenant advisory assignments include: Business Objects/SAP 450,000 sf, Vancouver Coastal Health 350,000 sf, AMEC 140,000 sf, eBay 125,000 sf, Canaccord Capital 120,000 sf, Teck Cominco 95,000 sf, Raymond James 90,000 sf, Teekay Corp. 88,000 sf, Fasken Martineau 87,000 sf, Coast Capital Savings 72,000 sf, Alderwoods Group 67,000 sf, BC Hydro, 62,000 sf, Phillips Hager North 60,000 sf, Great West Life 50,000 sf, Armstrong Hospitality Group 43,000 sf.

Industrial lease transactions include: Sauder Industries 500,000 sf, Brewers Distributor 451,000 sf, Aritzia LP 106,000 sf, Belron Canada 100,000 sf, Napa Auto Parts 86,000 sf, and Michelin North America 60,000 sf,

Sales transactions, valued at more than several billion dollars, have involved: Telus Headquarters Building, Burnaby; Georgia Hotel, Vancouver; 3030 East Broadway, Vancouver; Pemberton Building, Vancouver; Birks Building, Vancouver; QLT Building, Vancouver; 111 Dunsmuir, Vancouver; Leckie Building, Vancouver; Longwood Station Shopping Centre, Nanaimo; Pemberton Shopping Centre, North Vancouver; Terra Nova Shopping Centre, Richmond; Schroeder Properties Shopping Centre Portfolio, BC; Queen’s Court, New Westminster; Pacific Blue Cross, Burnaby; McDonald’s Regional Office Building, Burnaby; Lions Gate Studios, North Vancouver; Taiga Forest Products (Canada-wide).

Clients have included: Bentall Investments, Grosvenor International, First Capital Realty, LaSalle Investment Management, Anthem Properties, Telus, GWL Realty Advisors, Sun Life, Tonko Realty, CN Rail, CP Railway, General Motors, Daimler Chrysler, and Lions Gate Studios to name a few.

A leading firm in landlord lease representation, the Vancouver office has also acted on more than 2 million square feet of lease-up strategies on behalf of landlords over the last three years (Brookfield Properties, Golden Properties, Kingswood Capital, Investors Group, Dundee REIT, Westminster Management, Morguard, Orr Development Corp., Uptown Property Group, Anthem Properties, and British Columbia Institute of Technology).

Providing Unparalleled Research & Market Knowledge

Avison Young produces regular in-depth reports on the local and national commercial real estate markets. We have also produced professional topical studies, such as how the Olympics will impact Vancouver’s office and industrial real estate markets, and how Fortune 500 corporations manage their real estate portfolios following major mergers.

We also employ a talented and skilled support team in the areas of desktop publishing, corporate communications, media relations, research, financial analysis, valuation, locational strategies, optimization of assets, equity extraction analysis and public market impact studies to enhance the services our advisors provide to our clients.

Community Involvement

Avison Young encourages employees to be involved in the community, whether through coaching amateur sports or other contributions. For eight consecutive years, 100% of our employees have contributed financially to the United Way, as well as to several other charitable organizations.

For more information, please visit us at: www.avisonyoung.com or contact us at: (604) 687-7331, #2100 – 1055 West Georgia Street, P.O. Box 11109, Royal Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6E 3P3