Avison Young opens first office on African continent
Full service real estate professional group Empact Corporate Real Estate Services rebrands as Avison Young as firm expands across EMEA
TORONTO, June 3, 2021 /CNW/ - Avison Young today announced an expansion of its service delivery to clients across EMEA with the addition of Empact Corporate Real Estate Services (Empact CRES), a full-service commercial real estate services firm in South Africa. It will rebrand as Avison Young and provide customized real estate solutions throughout South Africa and in sub-Saharan Africa.
"The team in South Africa share a fundamental belief in delivering the positive impact that commercial real estate can make in people's lives across the African content," added Mark Rose, Chair and CEO of Avison Young. "When we look at top talent that we want to bring in to the Avison Young fold, we look beyond the business fundamentals, which are a given, to the cultural values we hold and I am proud to welcome our new teammates as we advance the way commercial real estate is delivered, pairing our data and technology with insight to provide value to our clients."
The Empact CRES team provides forward-thinking, end-to-end strategic services to occupiers and investors, applying its market knowledge and understanding of the trends that impact the built environment.
"We are constantly learning and applying new methods and innovative thinking to give our clients the support they need, all while considering health, safety and environment," said Mark Latham, now a Principal of Avison Young in South Africa. "In joining up with Avison Young, it was clear we share a passion for building meaningful relationships, delivering exceptional service, a deep commitment to people and culture, and making a positive difference to the lives that we touch directly and indirectly every day."
Empact CRES is part of the Empact Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Thebe Investment Corporation, which was founded in 1992 as a pioneering Black-owned company to support broad-based community education, empowerment and contribute to the socio-economic transformation of those communities at the grass roots level. The sole shareholder at the time was a community-based trust where Nelson Mandela served as chairman, Walter Sisulu and Reverend Beyers Naude were original trustees, and Dr. Enos Mabuza served as first chairman. Operating as Avison Young, the team will retain its position within the Empact and Thebe structure, operating as a Level 1 B-BBEE contributor continuing to drive economic, social and environmental progress.
The team in South Africa delivers this impact through: investor services spanning capital markets and development advisory to B-BBEE (Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment) sale of assets and Empowerment Funds; occupier services spanning tenant representation and lease management to workplace strategy and PropTech; and facilities management services ranging from business and building systems services to cleaning and catering. They join a growing Avison Young services platform across EMEA that also includes operations in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Poland, Romania and the U.K.
Avison Young creates real economic, social and environmental value as a global real estate advisor, powered by people. As a private company, our clients collaborate with an empowered partner who is invested in their success. Our integrated talent realizes the full potential of real estate by using global intelligence platforms that provide clients with insights and advantage. Together, we can create healthy, productive workplaces for employees, cities that are centers for prosperity for their citizens, and built spaces and places that create a net benefit to the economy, the environment and the community.
Avison Young is a 2021 winner of the Canada's Best Managed Companies Platinum Club designation, having retained its Best Managed designation for 10 consecutive years.
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Kate Murphy, Global Director, External Communications: +1 312 316 6821, [email protected]; Mark Latham, Principal, South Africa: +27 (0)72 053 9797, [email protected]
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