Adam Haefner and Brian Colson join Avison Young in Chicago

Highly regarded industry veterans become Principals, will help lead and grow firm's industrial practice in Chicagoland area

CHICAGO, IL, July 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Danny Nikitas, Avison Young Principal and Managing Director of the company's Chicago region, announced today the strategic hiring of highly regarded industry veterans Adam Haefner and Brian Colson.

Effective immediately, both Haefner and Colson become Principals of Avison Young with mandates to help lead and grow the firm's industrial brokerage practice group in suburban Chicago and across Chicagoland. They will be based in the company's suburban Chicago office in Rosemont, IL. Haefner will lead a team focused on representing landlords in the I-55, I-355 and I-80 submarkets, and Colson will focus on representing landlords in the O'Hare and West Suburban submarkets.

Haefner and Colson bring 40 years of combined commercial real estate brokerage experience to Avison Young in Chicago. Most recently, Haefner was a director of brokerage services with Darwin Realty, and Colson was an executive vice-president with NAI Hiffman.

"We are very excited to have Adam and Brian joining our Avison Young family," comments Nikitas. "Adam and Brian will play instrumental roles in leading and expanding our rapidly growing industrial brokerage practice in suburban Chicago and across the region. Adam is a seasoned veteran of the industry and a steady, well-respected member of the community. He has built an impeccable reputation as a producer ˗ and as a developer of young brokers, as will be illustrated by his team of up-and-comers that will grow our local footprint."

Also joining Avison Young in suburban Chicago from Darwin Realty are Zeke Rowan, senior associate, and Martin Mikaitis, associate. They will continue to work as a team with Haefner.

Nikitas continues: "Brian's energy and profile in the market are exceptional. He is one of the stalwarts of the O'Hare industrial sector and has the respect and admiration of his clients and the brokerage community. Brian has earned a wealth of loyalty during more than two decades in real estate, including a tenure as an appraiser. He will be a key presence for us in the O'Hare submarket, which represents 110 million square feet of industrial real estate and ranks as one of the biggest and most important submarkets in Chicagoland." 

During his career, Haefner has represented a large array of institutional investors and corporate users, including Prologis, Duke Realty, TA Associates Realty, CIBC, Bridge Development, Venture One Real Estate, Pritzker Realty Group, Deutsche Bank, Becknell Industrial and MWD Logistics. Working with these clients and many others, he has negotiated more than 30 million square feet of transactions worth more than $500 million and has consistently been a top producer at his firm of tenure. Throughout his career, he has assisted corporate clients and institutional owners with landlord and tenant representation, build-to-suits, investment sales, site acquisitions, valuations and sale-leasebacks in the greater Chicago area and nationally.

Haefner is active in the industry as a member of the Association of Industrial Real Estate Brokers (AIRE) and NAIOP. In the community, he supports The Cameron Can Foundation, All in for Ethan and No Kid Hungry. He also coaches Little League baseball and youth basketball. Haefner holds a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from the University of Illinois and participates in the university's Real Estate Forum, an alumni group that fosters a community of real estate professionals.  

"I'm excited to join Avison Young and help lead and grow the company's rapidly growing industrial practice group as it expands across Chicagoland," says Haefner. "Avison Young has the resources necessary to service my team's existing clients and continue to grow our business in Chicago and beyond. I was also attracted to the opportunity to be part of a Principal-led ownership group within a growing company and to have an impact on the firm's growth and direction. Most importantly, the culture is one of collaboration and honesty, and I knew very early on that I would be a fit with Avison Young."

In the last three years, Colson has brokered industrial transactions valued in excess of $250 million. Past and current clients include: CenterPoint, Prologis, DCT, Pritzker Realty Group, Bridge Development Partners and Panattoni Development Corp. Prior to becoming a broker with NAI Hiffman in 1999, he held senior appraiser positions with LaSalle Appraisal Group (1996-1999) and First Real Estate Services (1993-1996). Colson is active in the industry as a member of AIRE and is a Commercial Certified Investment Member (CCIM). In 2004, AIRE honored him with the coveted Frank Mahoney Award for Excellence, which is bestowed upon a top-producing member who has been a broker for five years or less. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Mary's University.

"This is an incredibly exciting time to join this Principal-led, client-centric firm, and I'm really pleased to have the chance to contribute to the company's incredible growth trajectory," says Colson. "Furthermore, Avison Young is known for its innovative and collaborative approach, and that offers me a fantastic platform from which to conduct business in a competitive market such as Chicago. I'm looking forward to collaborating with my new colleagues in Chicagoland and across the company."

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.

For further information/comment/photos:

• Sherry Quan, Principal and Global Director of Communications & Media Relations,
  Avison Young: 604.647.5098; cell: 604.726.0959 [email protected]
  
  
• Danny Nikitas, Principal and Managing Director; Chicago, Avison Young: 312.940.8794
  
  
• Adam Haefner, Principal, Avison Young: 847.637.0704
  
  
• Brian Colson, Principal, Avison Young: 847.886.0228
  
  
• Earl Webb, President, U.S. Operations, Avison Young: 312.957.7610
  
  
• Mark Rose, Chair and CEO, Avison Young: 416.673.4028

www.avisonyoung.com

Avison Young is a 2019 winner of the Canada's Best Managed Companies Platinum Club designation, having retained its Best Managed designation for eight consecutive years.

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Editors/Reporters
• Please click on links to view and download photos of Adam Haefner and Brian Colson:  
https://www.avisonyoung.com/documents/20342/2631393/Adam_Haefner.jpg 
https://www.avisonyoung.com/documents/20342/2631393/Brian_Colson.jpg 

SOURCE Avison Young

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