OAKLAND, CA—Avison Young is opening a new office here, it's third in the Bay Area and 10th in California.

Effective immediately, industry veteran Charlie Allen becomes a principal and managing director of the firm's new Oakland office. With 21 years of commercial real estate experience, he will focus on overseeing the growth and development of Avison Young's presence in the Oakland region, servicing new and existing clients, and managing the day-to-day operations of the office.

In addition, Anthony Shell joins the firm as a vice president in Oakland. He has eight years of experience in the sector. Both join Avison Young from Cushman & Wakefield in Oakland, where Allen served as a senior director and Shell as an associate director.

“Opening an Oakland office is another strategic move for Avison Young to become a dominant player in the Bay Area commercial real estate market as we continue to introduce our differentiated brand of Principal-led, client-centric service into key markets in California, as well as the rest of North America and overseas,” said Mark Rose, chair and CEO of Avison Young. “Oakland, with its proximity to San Francisco, is a key market for Avison Young as we expand our business in Northern California. The entirety of the Western U.S. region is a vast real estate market and a focal point for many of our investor and occupier clients. We couldn't be more pleased to have Charlie lead our local efforts to further strengthen our Bay Area presence.”

Over the past five years, Avison Young has grown from 11 to, now, 59 offices in 48 markets, and from 300 to more than 1,500 real estate professionals across Canada, the U.S. and in Europe.

Avison Young opened its first Northern California office in April 2012 in San Francisco, with Nick Slonek joining as a principal and managing director of the Northern California region. The company opened its Sacramento office in June 2013 and its San Mateo office in July 2013.

According to Earl Webb, Avison Young's President, U.S. Operations.

“Avison Young's expansion into Oakland is of critical importance to Avison Young's overall Northern California strategic plan.,” Webb says. “Charlie Allen's depth of client experiences and expertise as a Bay Area insider will significantly expand our footprint in Northern California. Furthermore, we will be able to better service the needs of our clients who have, or are considering, a presence in the Bay Area and other parts of California as the American economy continues to improve.”

Allen will work closely with Slonek to ensure that the Oakland brokerage maximizes its synergies with Avison Young's other Bay Area offices.

Avison Young's new Oakland office is located at the Kaiser Center, Suite 1975, 300 Lakeside Drive in downtown Oakland's Uptown district.

“Avison Young brings the best of both worlds to my career – a national platform of services that will benefit my clients, coupled with a Principal-led, collaborative culture that fosters business across the entire Avison Young organization,” says Allen. “The impressive, selective growth of Avison Young over the last few years has been designed to preserve an environment of client-focused business by adding quality, seasoned real estate professionals who share the same entrepreneurial spirit and integrity. I am thrilled to be part of the Avison Young family.”

In conjunction with Allen and Shell's appointments, Avison Young Principal Kevin Ahaesy and Associate JW Krumpholz will move to the new Oakland office from the company's San Francisco location. Slonek says the hiring of Allen and Shell, along with the re-location of Ahaesy and Krumpholz, are just some of many strategic moves that Avison Young plans to make in Northern California in the near future.

Instant Insights /

Avison Young Opens Third Bay Area Office

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