Davis tells GlobeSt.com that he will focus on retention and recruitment at the firm, which has more than 140 professionals at 13 offices in Southern California. He says Colliers has no specific goal in terms of number of new brokers it expects to recruit, explaining that the firm simply "will be looking for the best people we can find, regardless of the position."

Davis, who will be based in the company's downtown Los Angeles office, tells GlobeSt.com he expects to spend much of his time in the Colliers offices working with owner-managers.

He tells GlobeSt.com the biggest challenge he sees for brokerage firms today is "the drop in velocity in the number of transactions, especially leasing" although the pace of owner-user sales remains brisk because of low interest rates and readily available capital. He says the brokerage industry is undergoing a transitional period in which many brokers are evaluating their career options, trying to determine which firm will offer the best opportunities when the market turns.