Four Principals and team of 13 build on firm’s investment in consulting expertise

Toronto, ON – Mark Rose, Chair and CEO of Avison Young, today announced the strategic acquisition of a leading consulting team in the U.S., headed by Jeff Estep, Todd Ohlandt, Matt Ryder and Rick Ybarra, who join Avison Young as Principals, alongside a team of 13. The group immediately scales the firm’s consulting expertise for the Americas.

The team will partner closely with Sheila Botting, who recently joined Avison Young as Principal and President, Professional Services, Americas, to build an Americas Consulting practice as part of the firm’s accelerated Professional Services platform. The additions are part of the firm’s investment to expand its integrated services offerings to meet clients’ business goals, including investments in technology and innovation to drive the insights that inform real estate strategies.

“Among the impacts of the rapidly changing COVID-19 pandemic is a re-imagining of how real estate can help solve for the evolving needs of people and business, and the consulting team joining us in the U.S. brings a depth of experience that will benefit clients as they navigate through today’s needs and tomorrow’s strategies,” said Rose. “This great team is part of how we are delivering an interdisciplinary service offering closely aligned with our transaction teams and our investments in technology and innovation that is unique in our industry.”

The data-driven team brings diverse expertise and perspective in how to leverage real estate as a tool to help clients with workplace intelligence; location strategy and incentives negotiation; real estate consulting; supply chain and distribution integration; and portfolio optimization. The team employs integrated business intelligence and data visualization tools to help clients proactively manage their business, operations and real estate portfolios seamlessly throughout the decision-making process and implement informed strategies.

“Our team delivers thoughtful business consulting that aligns operations, labor, technology and real estate to achieve real-world, implementable solutions,” said Estep. “We were drawn to the entrepreneurial and Principal-led culture at Avison Young, and are excited about collaborating with our colleagues across the country to help view a clients’ needs through multiple lenses.”

The team previously operated as Honour Consulting. Estep, Ohlandt, Ryder and Ybarra bring a combined 70+ years of industry experience and each member of the team is recognized as a leader in their respective disciplines. Estep’s expertise includes strategic planning and portfolio optimization, location strategy and economic incentives, workplace intelligence, labor analytics, and supply chain optimization. Ohlandt specializes in decision modeling and strategic planning to help clients drive sustained profitability and growth through location strategy, economic incentives negotiation, supply-chain optimization and operational alignment initiatives. Ryder focuses on location strategy and economic development incentives negotiation. Ybarra focuses on helping clients optimize their real estate portfolios and assets, workplace intelligence, business intelligence and data analytics, program and change management.

The team complements a strong consulting practice and team in the U.K., where a substantial base of the firm’s work is in the consulting services space. The continued acceleration of its Professional Services platform ensures the firm offers end-to-end services to any client, anywhere.