Purchase represents Avison Young’s first acquisition in San Diego, 13 members join; Damian McKinney becomes Principal and Managing Director of firm’s San Diego office

Toronto, ON – Mark E. Rose, Chair and CEO of Avison Young, the world’s fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm, announced today that it has acquired San Diego-based brokerage and property management firm McKinney Advisory Group, Inc.

The purchase represents Avison Young’s first acquisition in San Diego and further expands the company’s full-service platform across Southern California. The purchase also enhances the firm’s national corporate services, particularly enterprise solutions and property management, as well as its tenant representation and investment sales business-line coverage in San Diego and throughout the United States.

Founded in 2010, McKinney Advisory Group ranks among San Diego’s most renowned real estate brokerage and property management firms. Since its inception, the company has represented a variety of local, national and international organizations, ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 firms, while providing customized solutions that optimize the value of real estate assets. The team comprises advisors with multiple specialties, including brokerage, tenant representation, asset management, portfolio management, investment analysis and development.

Effective immediately, McKinney Advisory Group is rebranded as Avison Young; Damian McKinney becomes a Principal of Avison Young and Managing Director of the company’s San Diego office, and a total of 13 new members join the firm.

“We’re thrilled that Damian and his highly regarded team have chosen to join the Avison Young family in our rapidly growing San Diego market,” comments Rose. “Damian is well-respected in the Southern California and national real estate communities, and this team brings to Avison Young and to our clients a robust and best-in-class platform. Our depth in the market has just significantly increased.”

Rose continues: “Damian has grown one of the strongest and most talented real estate advisory and property management operations in the region. The team’s sophisticated market knowledge, positive client relationships, outstanding leadership skills and entrepreneurism will be of tremendous benefit to our company, clients and partners alike as we continue to expand our full-service business-line coverage in Southern California and across the United States.” 

McKinney brings 35 years of commercial real estate experience to Avison Young, most recently as the founder, President and CEO of McKinney Advisory Group. He will oversee the San Diego office’s day-to-day operations, as well as the local brokerage practice. He will also continue to oversee his property management clients, who will be added to Avison Young’s existing San Diego practice, which includes 1.7 million square feet of office, tech and retail property in Greater San Diego currently managed by Avison Young. In addition, he will direct Avison Young’s ongoing strategic expansion across the San Diego marketplace and help grow the firm’s enterprise solutions and property management platform across Southern California.

McKinney will collaborate with Christopher Cooper, Avison Young Principal and Managing Director of the company’s Southern California region, and also contribute to the firm’s ongoing overall strategic expansion in SoCal.

“Damian is an expert at identifying value-added investment opportunities and occupancy solutions that fit the needs of our investor and occupier clients, respectively,” says Cooper. “Moreover, Damian’s exceptional reputation in the Southern California real estate community will provide leverage in connection with Avison Young’s aggressive recruiting effort in the San Diego marketplace. We now have the ability to provide agency leasing, tenant representation, project management, investment sales, lease administration and property management services to all types of clients in San Diego and throughout Southern California. The addition of this team further demonstrates Avison Young’s commitment to serving clients with diverse property holdings.”

Also joining Avison Young in San Diego from McKinney Advisory Group are: Nour-Dean Anakar, senior vice-president; Julie Dunlap, senior vice-president; Jamie Endres Keller, senior vice-president; Chris Ly, senior vice-president; Andrew Meyers, senior vice-president; Phil Aitken, senior associate; Tyler Repstad, transaction manager; Tresa Dalton, director of marketing operations; Divya Sarah Mammen, marketing manager; Bryn Burrows, marketing co-ordinator; Crystal Lai, associate; and Kara Pedersen, client service co-ordinator.  

“We are very excited to have this talented group join Avison Young as we continue to expand our enterprise solutions and property management practices in Southern California and nationally,” states Earl Webb, Avison Young Principal and President, U.S. Operations. “This acquisition is a critical step in fulfilling our full-service delivery platform in Southern California. The name Damian McKinney is synonymous with servant leadership, client services, creative solutions and collaboration – all of which are consistent with our approach here at Avison Young.”

Avison Young entered the San Diego market in March 2013 through the opening of a newly formed office. The McKinney Advisory Group team members will relocate to Avison Young’s existing San Diego office at 4655 Executive Drive. Avison Young has six offices throughout Southern California.

“The opportunity to join a privately held, Principal-led company that offers local decision-making autonomy – versus a publicly traded firm with many decision-making layers – was a key motivation in our decision to join Avison Young,” says McKinney. “Avison Young’s resources and international capabilities will allow us to grow our business and serve our clients more effectively and with a greater reach in the industry. Essentially, we keep the same collaborative, family and servant-leadership culture and local independence, but have access to a plethora of resources spanning not just Southern California, but the rest of the U.S. and the globe.”

Today’s announcement follows Avison Young’s acquisition of Hamburg, Germany-based Völckers & Cie Immobilien GmbH Real Estate Advisors on July 2, 2019 and U.K.-based GVA on February 1, 2019. 

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Biography

Damian McKinney

McKinney brings more than 35 years of commercial real estate brokerage and company management experience to Avison Young, most recently as the founder, President and CEO of McKinney Advisory Group. During his career, McKinney has co-ordinated lease and sales transactions valued in excess of $2 billion while advising clients on properties in all asset classes. In addition, he has invested in real estate on behalf of clients, which range from local occupiers to institutional investors with large multi-market portfolios. Prior to forming McKinney Advisory Group, he co-founded eRealty Commercial and eRealty Fund. He has also held partner, executive, CEO and sales positions with Pacifica Investments, McKinney Travers Industrial Realty, Travers Realty, McKinney & Company, McKinney Brown and The Rader Company.

McKinney sits on the board of the Academy of Our Lady of Peace and is a past board member of the San Diego Center for Children; the Los Angeles chapter of All Kids Inc., which he co-founded; Kids Included Together; San Diego North EDC; and the Los Angeles Chapter of the America Cancer Society. He was named one of the San Diego Top 500 Influential Business Leaders by the San Diego Business Journal (2016-2018), a San Diego Daily Transcript Top Influential Business Leader (2014), Costar Power Broker (2015-2018), and San Diego Business Journal Most Admired CEO Finalist (2016-2018). His other industry and community service accolades include the San Diego Leadership Forum's 2019 Mark Fingerlin Award (2019), San Diego Leadership Forum Servant Leadership Award (2016), Corporate Alliance’s Carma Award (2014), the Center for Wealth and Legacy Award (2014), and Brigham Young University’s N. Eldon Tanner, Mr. Integrity Award (2014). McKinney holds a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from the University of Southern California.

Avison Young is the world’s fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Avison Young is a collaborative, global firm owned and operated by its Principals. Founded in 1978, with legacies dating back more than 200 years, the company comprises approximately 5,000 real estate professionals in 120 offices in 20 countries. The firm’s experts provide value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management and financing services to clients across the office, retail, industrial, multi-family and hospitality sectors.