Avison Young continues aggressive growth of New York City office with hiring of Adam Rappaport

Rappaport joins firm as a Principal to focus on tenant and landlord office leasing assignments

NEW YORK CITY, March 4, 2013 /CNW/ - Greg Kraut, Avison Young Principal and Managing Director of the company's New York City office, announced today that Adam Rappaport has joined the firm to continue the rapid growth of its tenant and landlord representation services platforms.

Effective immediately, Rappaport joins Avison Young as a Principal and will be based in the company's New York City office. The office-leasing specialist comes to the firm after 13 years at Cushman & Wakefield in New York City.

"One of the distinguishing characteristics of Avison Young is our commitment to hiring the next generation of top industry professionals and giving them the opportunity to have equity ownership in a growing company," comments Kraut. "In welcoming Adam to the Avison Young team, we are further strengthening our market position to compete for significant assignments and deliver a better service model for our clients."

Previously a Senior Director at Cushman & Wakefield, where he specialized in representing tenants and landlords in their office leasing requirements, Rappaport has executed numerous significant transactions throughout New York City. Notable deals include SourceMedia, Inc.'s leases at 1 State Street Plaza and 1 Whitehall Street, totaling 142,000 square feet (sf); The DirecTV Group's 138,000-sf lease at 1 Rockefeller Plaza; and Infor Global Solutions' lease at 641 Avenue of the Americas for 43,000 sf. Rappaport also worked on behalf of UBS AG in the company's leases at 101 Park Avenue and 1285 Avenue of the Americas, totaling 143,000 sf; as well as representing BlackRock in transactions totaling 50,000 sf at 40 East 52nd Street.

"In addition to having the opportunity to join the firm as a Principal, what drew me to Avison Young is the strength of the company's infrastructure in New York City, as well as the caliber of the professionals who have been assembled," states Rappaport. "I am excited to be part of an organization that is poised for such tremendous growth, and look forward to leveraging my relationships and expertise to establish new avenues for business development."

Rappaport holds a Bachelor's degree in business administration from Miami University. He is the Chair of the junior board of HELP USA, a non-profit organization that is the leading national developer of housing and provider of jobs and services for homeless and at-risk populations in the country, including families, veterans and victims of domestic violence.

In 2012, Avison Young opened its first office in New York City to expand the firm's market and business-line coverage in the Tri-State area. Over the past four years, Avison Young has grown from 11 to 43 offices and from 300 to more than 1,100 real estate professionals across Canada and the U.S.

Avison Young was a winner of Canada's Best Managed Companies program in 2011 and the company announced last week that it had requalified in 2012 to maintain its status as a Best Managed company.

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 1,100 real estate professionals in 43 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.

For further information/comment/photos:

New York Media Relations:

• Christa Segalini, Vice-President, Beckerman PR: [phone]

• Elliot Baum, Principal and Vice-President of Marketing, New York, Avison Young: [phone]

Avison Young Media Relations:

• Sherry Quan, National Director of Communications & Media Relations, Avison Young: [phone]; cell: [phone]

• Earl Webb, President, U.S. Operations, Avison Young: [phone]

• Mark Rose, Chair and CEO, Avison Young: [phone]

www.avisonyoung.com

Avison Young was a winner of Canada's Best Managed Companies program in 2011 and requalified in 2012 to maintain its status as a Best Managed company.

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http://www.avisonyoung.com/sites/default/files/content-files/Media_Room/Temp/AY_AdamRappaport.jpeg

SOURCE: Avison Young Commercial Real Estate (BC)

Media Relations:              
Christa Segalini, Beckerman PR                 
[phone]; [phone] cell
email: [email protected]

Sherry Quan, Avison Young               
[phone]; [phone] cell
email: [email protected]