Industry veteran Lee Jeane joins Avison Young in Houston

Office market leader to guide entry into agency leasing and management business in Texas; joins Avison Young as Principal

HOUSTON, TX, Jan. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Rand Stephens, Avison Young Principal and Managing Director of the company's Houston office, announced today that commercial real estate broker Lee Jeane has joined Avison Young's brokerage operations in Houston.

Effective immediately, Jeane joins Avison Young as a Principal and will lead Avison Young's entry into the agency leasing and management business in Houston and throughout Texas.

"We are very excited to have someone of Lee's caliber join us to launch Avison Young's agency leasing and management platform in Houston," comments Stephens. "Lee will work closely with Darrell Betts, who runs our investment sales business, to provide a high level of service for investors looking to acquire and operate office buildings in Houston and throughout Texas. Lee has a great track record and tremendous experience, and his background and professionalism will blend perfectly with our company's culture."

Jeane, a 28-year veteran of the Houston real estate industry, comes to Avison Young after three years with Moody Rambin Interests, where he was a Vice-President in the firm's office services division. Prior to joining Moody Rambin Interests, Jeane served 16 years with Trammell Crow Company/CBRE.

With an expertise in representing owners of commercial office buildings in their lease negotiations, Jeane has been involved in more than 1,300 transactions and secured rental income of more than $600 million. He was a top performer with Tramell Crow Company/CBRE in five of his last eight years there.

Past and current clients include Rosemont, Daymark Realty, UBS Realty Advisors, Prudential Insurance Company, DRA Advisors, MONY, North Carolina National Bank, Archon Group, Wells Real Estate Funds, TA Realty Associates, and American National Insurance Company. He has arranged large tenancies between 215,000 to 550,000 square feet for such notable companies as Bechtel Corporation, Weatherford International and Capital One Bank.

Jeane attended Southern Methodist University on a football scholarship playing for the SMU Mustangs. He is also a member of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), Uptown Houston Advisory Board, and Greenspoint District Broker Advisory Committee.

"It is very exciting to be part of such a fast-growing company that has great leadership and the financial resources to become a significant global company in a short period of time," says Jeane. "As our industry continues to shift and morph in response to the world's geopolitical events, Avison Young is incredibly well positioned to offer our clients creative and innovative value-added solutions. In addition, I'm really looking forward to working with the Avison Young team in Houston, and very proud to be part of such a great group."

Jeane's hiring is part of Avison Young's ongoing effort to expand its U.S. operations further while looking to future growth in Europe and Asia. Over the past three years, the company has grown from 11 to 26 offices and from 300 to more than 800 real estate professionals across Canada and the U.S.

Founded in 1978, Avison Young is Canada's largest independently-owned commercial real estate services company. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Avison Young is also the largest Canadian-owned, principal-managed commercial real estate brokerage firm in North America. Comprising more than 800 real estate professionals in 26 offices across Canada and the U.S., the full-service commercial real estate company provides value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management, financing and mortgage placement services to owners and occupiers of office, retail, industrial and multi-residential properties.

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SOURCE Avison Young (Canada) Inc.