Avison Young opens new office in Duesseldorf, Germany

Fast-growing Canadian commercial real estate services firm opens fifth office in Europe; Stephan Heinen becomes Managing Director

TORONTO, March 19, 2015 /CNW/ - Mark E. Rose, Chair and CEO of Avison Young, the world's fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm, announced today that the company has opened a new office in Duesseldorf, Germany.

The new Duesseldorf office represents Avison Young's third office in Germany, fifth office in Europe, and an additional step in the company's ongoing aggressive global growth and expansion strategy.

Over the past six years, Avison Young has grown from 11 to, now, 66 offices in 58 markets and from 300 to more than 1,700 real estate professionals in Canada, the U.S. and Europe. 

The Duesseldorf opening follows the launch of Avison Young's German operations in Frankfurt on December 1, 2014 and new Munich office on January 21, 2015.

Effective immediately, Stephan Heinen becomes a Managing Director of Avison Young Germany GmbH. Heinen will head up the company's Duesseldorf operations and focus on implementing the firm's growth strategy in the region through recruitment and acquisition. He will work closely on growing the firm's operations throughout the country with fellow Managing Directors Udo Stoeckl (Frankfurt) Markus Bruckner (Munich) and Frank Loeblein (head of German retail real estate investment).

"The opening of the Duesseldorf office demonstrates that our German expansion program is accelerating," comments Rose. "We have now opened three offices in Germany in the past four months and couldn't be more pleased to have Stephan on board. As we actively pursue more expansion opportunities within Germany, the new Duesseldorf office will complement our rapidly growing Frankfurt and Munich operations, creating growth opportunities for our clients and our company throughout Europe and North America."

Rose continues: "We're delighted that Stephan has agreed to manage our Duesseldorf office and team up with Udo, Markus and Frank on expanding Avison Young's overall operations in Germany. Stephan`s proven commercial real estate industry track record, experience in and around Duesseldorf, view of the market from an investor and developer perspective, and extensive business network in Germany will add great value to our German platform."

Heinen brings 24 years of commercial real estate experience to Avison Young, most recently as Managing Director with BEMA Development GmbH, a developer of office buildings and condominiums located in Duesseldorf.

"I have known Stephan for years and worked with him on transactions in Duesseldorf and other parts of Germany," states Stoeckl. "His integrity, great character and leadership skills – along with his professional skills – make him a perfect fit for the position of Managing Director and to build our local platform in Duesseldorf. He will also play an integral role with our capital markets team as we continue to serve clients in continental Europe, the U.K., Canada and the U.S."

Avison Young launched its European presence in April 2014 when the firm acquired NAI Haywards and opened new offices in London and Thames Valley, U.K.

Avison Young's new Duesseldorf office is located at Königsallee 2b, a new office and retail building designed by renowned architect Daniel Libeskind, in the heart of Duesseldorf's central business district.

"From the moment I spoke with Mark Rose and Udo about this opportunity, I was intrigued by Avison Young's strategy for its rollout in Germany," says Heinen. "The company's spirit and will to become successful in this German market, to work collaboratively across the company, and to understand clients' needs and to support them individually, are only a few of the points that made me excited to work with Avison Young. Having known Udo and Frank for many years, I had no second thoughts about my decision."

Duesseldorf is the capital of Germany's largest state, North Rhine Westfalia. The city is located in the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region, which is the largest metro region in the country and the geographical core of central Europe. More than 10 million people – or approximately 13% of the German population – live and work in the Rhine-Ruhr area. Duesseldorf benefits from its financial strength and a growing population. With a population of almost 600,000, Duesseldorf ranks among the biggest cities, and the so-called big five real estate markets, in Germany. Due to a broad diversification of companies, Duesseldorf has a stable economic environment. Key industry sectors include fashion, advertising, and financial and legal services.

Today's announcement comes on the heels of Avison Young opening a new office in Minneapolis, Minnesota on March 2, 2015, and in Indianapolis, Indiana on March 12, 2015.

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Biography

Stephan Heinen
Stephan Heinen brings 24 years of commercial real estate experience to Avison Young, most recently as Managing Director with BEMA Development GmbH. Before moving to BEMA, he managed a KGAL Investment Management GmbH office in Duesseldorf. He also spent 19 years with Commerz Real, a subsidiary of Commerzbank, where he completed lease transactions, financial restructuring and acquisitions for all of its fund vehicles. In this role, he was substantially involved in a restructuring process to finance approximately 100 Commerzbank AG branches and co-ordinated many developments, including Commerz Real's 22,000-square-metre headquarters in Duesseldorf, which sold to a closed-ended fund for approximately €60 million. He also completed the sale of the Rondo Onz office building in Warsaw in conjunction with a Polish entity.

Heinen is a trained tax accountant and banker. He is active in his community with a boys' high school football team, for players aged 16 to 18. Organized and financed by parents and teachers, it is the only school team allowed to play in the German Football League.

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 66 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.

•Editors/Reporters
Please click on link to view and download photo of Stephan Heinen: http://www.avisonyoung.com/sites/def­ault/files/content-files/Media_Room/Temp/StephanHeinen.jpg

For further information/comment/photos:

• Sherry Quan, Principal, National Director of Communications & Media Relations, Avison Young: 604.647.5098; cell: 604.726.0959

• Mark Rose, Chair and CEO, Avison Young: 416.673.4028

In Germany, please contact:

• Udo Stoeckl, Principal and Managing Director, Frankfurt, Avison Young: +49 69 7593 7233

• Markus Bruckner, Principal and Managing Director, Munich, Avison Young: +49 89 71042 2166

• Stephan Heinen, Principal and Managing Director, Duesseldorf, Avison Young: +49 211 5405 7106

Avison Young's new Duesseldorf office is located at:  Königsallee 2b, 40212 Duesseldorf

www.avisonyoung.com

Avison Young was a winner of Canada's Best Managed Companies program in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and has demonstrated its commitment to the program and successfully reapplied for the designation as a Gold Standard winner in 2014. 

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SOURCE Avison Young Commercial Real Estate (BC)

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