Udo Stoeckl joins Avison Young as European Investment Manager in Toronto

TORONTO, Jan. 13 /PRNewswire/ - Mark Rose, Chair and CEO of Avison Young, announced today that Udo Stoeckl has joined Avison Young as European Investment Manager. He will be based in the company's Downtown Toronto office at 150 York Street.

Most recently a leading member of the North American acquisitions team of a major German fund, Stoeckl will be responsible for advising European clients seeking investment opportunities in North American real estate markets.

Avison Young is Canada's largest independently-owned commercial real estate services company. Over the past two years, the company has grown from 11 to 23 offices and from 300 to more than 700 real estate professionals across Canada and in the U.S.

"We are delighted to have someone with Udo's international commercial real estate knowledge, expertise and networks come on board," comments Rose. "His experience in working so closely with European clients will assist us in further delivering the full strengths and capabilities of our firm and expanding our relationships with European client companies."

Stoeckl began his career in 2001 as a trainee at Commerzbank, Germany's second largest financial institution. In 2004, he started as an analyst with Commerz Real AG in Dusseldorf before becoming acquisition manager for North American commercial real estate markets. Over the past four years, Stoeckl has completed a number of acquisitions and dispositions with a total value of C$2.3 billion. The latest transaction was the sale of a major shopping centre interest in Calgary, Alberta in 2010. Stoeckl holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Cooperative Education (Mosbach, Germany) and earned a post graduate degree in real estate economics in 2008 from International Real Estate Business School in Essen, Germany.

"We are delighted to welcome Udo to the Avison Young team. Having worked with him when he was a client of ours in Germany, we know he will fit in extremely well with our organization. His knowledge of major European investors and their requirements in North America, coupled with his experience in acquiring properties in both the U.S. and Canada, make him a natural choice for this position," says Robin White, Avison Young's Executive Vice-President, Capital Markets Group. "Udo will also be able to assist our North American clientele who are actively seeking European opportunities."

"I had the opportunity to work with Avison Young in various transactions over the years and was always impressed by the high level of professionalism across the board, from Principals to analysts to brokers," says Stoeckl. "The integrated services provided to me as a client were outstanding. Furthermore, an international company of that size that is led by ownership is unique in the real estate brokerage world, and has a higher interest and better understanding of how to sustain client relationships. I look forward to continuing my career at Avison Young."

Founded in 1978, Avison Young is Canada's largest independently-owned commercial real estate services company and the only national, Canadian-owned, principal-managed real estate brokerage firm in the country. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario and ranked among Canada's leading national commercial real estate organizations, Avison Young is a full-service commercial real estate company comprising more than 700 real estate professionals in 23 offices across Canada and in the U.S. The 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.

•Editors/Reporters: please click on link to view and download photo of Udo Stoeckl:
http://www.avisonyoung.com/library/pdf/Media%20Releases%202011/January%202011/Udo_Stoeckl.jpg

SOURCE Avison Young (Canada) Inc.