Nick Cook, UK Managing Director of Avison Young, the world’s fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm, has announced that it has acquired market-leading UK firm North Rae Sanders (NRS).
The acquisition provides Avison Young with a Midlands office, the fourth in the UK and the eighth in Europe, and is an additional important step in the firm’s ongoing aggressive growth and expansion strategy.
Founded in 1991, NRS is one of the U.K.’s leading commercial property service providers, with a focus on the logistics/warehousing, manufacturing, office and mixed-use sectors. The company works on behalf of major investors, developers and occupiers and is currently instructed on over 20 million sq. ft. across the UK. This includes some of the market’s most important projects. Clients include: ProLogis, Goodman, Roxhill, Segro, Wilson Bowden, M&G, Aberdeen, CBREI and Threadneedle.
NRS is ranked seventh in terms of National industrial disposals, first in the West Midlands and second in the East Midlands. The firm has a growing presence in the London and South East markets.
Effective immediately, NRS is rebranded as Avison Young and eight new members join from NRS. Robert Rae, Andrew Jackson, Peter Keir and Tom Kimbell become Principals of Avison Young.
Nick Cook, a Principal of Avison Young and UK Managing Director said: “we’re thrilled to welcome the NRS team to Avison Young, which will provide us with a centre of excellence in the industrial marketplace and firmly cement us as a dominant player in this important sector. This acquisition is another important step towards the expansion of our growing UK operation, with a number of other strategic hires yet to be announced, in London, which will significantly bolster our office and retail sector capability and exposure. Avison Young will continue to offer clients a nationwide service offering that spans the entire property lifecycle, with access to overseas markets and resources of the wider firm. It will also continue to look for and recruit the best talent in the UK in order to deliver the highest level of service to our clients. NRS is a great example of recruiting the best talent and they will provide us and clients with unparalleled insight and market knowledge at a local level”.
Cook continues: “Robert, Andrew, Peter and Tom are well-respected leaders within the commercial property industry, and their combined experience and approach to the delivery of client projects will be extremely beneficial to Avison Young. Moreover, the recruitment of the eight members of the NRS team will further strengthen our existing high-performing UK team and their presence will also enable Avison Young to attract key talent operating in the logistics and industrial sectors on a national basis”.
Cook adds: “With an increasing flow of Canadian and U.S. occupiers and investors seeking to develop their property and business interests in the UK, the addition of the NRS business and team will provide Avison Young’s global clients with a deeper range of capabilities and services.”
“Our entire team looks forward to working with our new colleagues at Avison Young,” states Robert Rae, one of the founding members of NRS. The Avison Young brand will enable us to grow our business and provide access to a broader range of resources.”
He adds: “Our team also welcomes the opportunity to be part of Avison Young’s Principal-led ownership model and collaborative culture. We recognised that to compete effectively in today’s dynamic UK and global marketplaces, we needed to join a leading firm to further develop our business. Our team members know that we can better serve clients by collaborating with our colleagues across Avison Young, and we look forward to helping our clients expand their businesses and property holdings.”