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PRESS RELEASE: Avison Young Continues Growth in Garden State With Addition of Senior Brokerage Professionals

MORRISTOWN, NJ – Jeffrey L. Heller, Principal and Managing Director of Avison Young’s New Jersey office, announced today that the firm continues to strengthen its client-centric service platform in the Garden State with the hiring of several office and industrial real estate professionals with diverse career experience.

The new hires include Bart Oates and Thomas Semler, who have joined Avison Young as Senior Vice-Presidents, based in the firm’s office in Morristown, N.J. Additionally, Matthew Turse and Brian Cass have also joined Avison Young as Vice-Presidents in New Jersey. The four professionals bring more than 80 years of collective experience to Avison Young’s local operations. 

“Our growth strategy is focused on recruiting top talent with varied skill sets that are aligned with the needs of our clients, providing diverse career experiences to deliver better advice and solutions,” comments Heller. “Our newest team members bring significant local market expertise in both office and industrial leasing and sales, as well as key industry relationships. We are confident they will unlock value for our firm, as well as our clients, by providing the intelligent, best-in-class service for which Avison Young is known.”

In his new role, Oates will be responsible for client development, tenant and landlord representation, transactions and execution, as well as talent recruitment. He most recently served as counsel to the firm of Koski & Associates, focusing on real estate tax appeal work, as well as having served as a partner in the title insurance company, All Pro Title.

A three-time Super Bowl Champion, twice with the New York Giants and once with the San Francisco 49ers during his time with the NFL, Oates’ previous positions also include having served as a real estate broker for Gale and Wentworth as well as Cohen Real Estate, where he was named Broker of Record. He earned his law degree from Seton Hall Law School and is active in his community as Chairman of the Hall of Fame of New Jersey, Chapter President of the NFL Alumni Association, and Board Member of the Super Bowl Host Committee, the Colleen Giblin Foundation and the Boy Scouts of America.

“As an evolving firm with a very clear vision for its expansion in this key market, Avison Young is poised for even greater growth as it adds to and strengthens its presence, and I’m excited to be a part of the New Jersey office’s future,” states Oates. “I’m looking forward to leveraging my network to continue the ongoing momentum Avison Young has created throughout the state.”

In addition to Oates, Semler has joined Avison Young to focus on the representation of clients in the acquisition and disposition of corporate facilities, as well as agency representation and lease negotiations. 

Since 1976, Semler has specialized in providing commercial real estate services throughout New Jersey and nationally. He most recently served as Principal of Cresa (1995 - 2013) and before that as Senior Director of Cushman & Wakefield (1976 - 1995). During his career, Semler has acted on behalf of clients in leases and sales totaling in excess of four million square feet. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in economics from Georgetown University. Active within the community, Semler is a member of the Morris County Economic Development Corporation, Leadership Morris Alumni Association, Homeless Solutions Inc, and is Board Member and Treasurer of the Morris County Park Alliance.

“The entrepreneurial spirit of Avison Young is very appealing to me, as it provides a strong foundation for collaboration with top-performing talent at all levels,” says Semler. “No other firm has experienced the level of growth that Avison Young has forged, which is a testament to the power of its unwavering focus on putting the needs of the client first and building tailored strategies around those needs.”

In addition to Oates and Semler, Turse and Cass are also joining Avison Young in New Jersey.

Turse’s focus at the firm includes lease negotiations on behalf of both tenants and landlords as well as client development and industrial talent recruitment. Prior to Avison Young, Turse acted as Associate Vice-President at Cassidy Turley in New Jersey, where he negotiated more than 6.5 million square feet of sales and leases exceeding $277 million.

Cass, who has 16 years of corporate real estate experience, will be responsible for tenant and landlord representation services for both office and industrial real estate at Avison Young. He was most recently a Vice-President with Jones Lang LaSalle in New Jersey, where he focused on tenant representation and corporate solutions assignments. Throughout his career, he has been involved in transactions in excess of 3 million square feet.

In October 2012, Avison Young opened its first office in New Jersey to expand the firm’s reach and business-line coverage in the Tri-State area. The announcement followed the company’s opening of its first office in New York City, with Arthur J. Mirante, II as Principal and Tri-State President. Shortly after the opening of its first New Jersey office, Avison Young announced its acquisition of The Walsh Company, one of the foremost project management firms in the New York Metropolitan Area, and the regarded leader in New Jersey.

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, the company comprises 1,200 real estate professionals in 47 offices, providing value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management, financing and mortgage placement services to owners and occupiers of office, retail, industrial and multi-family properties.