John Bralower joins Avison Young in New York City

Industry leader to expand real estate firm's capital markets and hospitality platforms

NEW YORK, Feb. 2, 2016 /CNW/ - Mitti Liebersohn, Avison Young Principal and President of the firm's New York City office, announced today that industry veteran John Bralower has joined the company in New York City.

Effective immediately, Bralower becomes a Principal of Avison Young and will focus on expanding the firm's capital markets and hospitality platforms in New York City and globally. In the process, he will work closely with Avison Young's deep bench of professionals in New York City and throughout the company.

Bralower brings more than 30 years of commercial real estate experience to Avison Young, most recently with The Carlton Group where he served as President of the hospitality practice and a Managing Director of Carlton Advisory Services.

"With several decades of experience, John Bralower has distinguished himself across the industry with his deep understanding of the capital markets arena and his strong leadership capabilities," comments Liebersohn. "With a diverse background that has given him exposure to all facets of the business both domestically and internationally, John is uniquely qualified to expand our capital markets team, cementing our growing status in the New York region, nationally and internationally as a global full-service real estate company."

Bralower has also served as President/shareholder and management committee member of real estate investment banking firm Sonnenblick-Goldman Company and Managing Director/shareholder and co-head of global real estate investment banking at Houlihan Lokey. 

His career has combined legal training with a diverse background in debt and equity, structured finance, investment sales, investment banking/advisory and real estate principal activities. He has been involved with more than $40 billion worth of individual asset, portfolio and entity-level transactions. His many years of globetrotting have created an impressive grasp of international markets, customs and business practices, and deep connections with a wide array of sources, including high-net-worth individuals, sovereign wealth funds and under-the-radar investors.

Notable sale, joint-venture, advisory and financing transactions include the Savoy Hotel Group, London; the Westin St. Francis, San Francisco; Compagnia Italiana Grandi Alberghi, which comprised hotels in Venice, Paris and Rome; the Plaza Palace and Trump Soho Hotels in New York City; the Boca Raton Hotel and Club; the Hyatt Regency and Westin, Maui; the Four Seasons in Santa Barbara, CA and Austin, TX; Ritz-Carltons in Boston, New York and Washington, DC; Park Hyatt, Washington; St. Regis Aspen; Sofitel Beverly Hills; Grand Sheraton Chicago; Loews Universal Studios Hotels, Orlando, FL; the Jupiter Island Club, Los Suenos Resort, Costa Rica; City Hotels, Brussels and Amsterdam; Westin Hotels in Cancun, Puerta Vallarta and Cabo; and the Westin Montreal. He has also arranged sales or financing transactions for numerous other Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, Marriott and Hyatt hotels.

Additionally, Bralower completed the $750-million capitalization for Manhattan House in New York, which ranks as one of the world's largest single-building residential acquisitions; and the sale and/or capitalization of several billion dollars of non-hospitality properties throughout the world.

"The addition of John to our office is a testament to the reputation Avison Young has earned in the New York City market as a firm in growth mode that thrives on employee collaboration and mutual respect," states Arthur Mirante, Avison Young Principal and President of the firm's Tri-State region. "In addition to his extensive hospitality background, John's legal education and his experience in closing billions of dollars of large and often complex transactions in other real estate asset classes are indicative of the full range of real estate intelligence that he possesses. His knowledge and diligent work ethic will be key to the build-out of our hospitality platform, the expansion of our capital markets practice and the overall growth of the New York City office."

Bralower has been a featured speaker at major industry conferences and has been widely quoted in industry and mainstream publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and Fortune. He is currently on the advisory board for the Lincoln Center Corporate Fund Realty and Construction Council, and is a full member of the Urban Land Institute and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

He also serves as Chair of the Village of Oyster Bay Cove planning board, is a founder and Vice-Chair of the North Shore Land Alliance, and a past advisory board member of the Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism and Sports Management at New York University. A graduate of the George Washington University and Fordham Law School, Bralower is a member of the New York State Bar.

"With Avison Young's meteoric rise in New York and its major global expansion, I was eager to assume this post and become a part of a successful and focused team with an eye towards long-term growth," says Bralower. "The opportunity to work on a day-to-day basis with Mitti Liebersohn and Arthur Mirante, two industry legends who are widely respected and admired, made this an irresistible opportunity. Under their leadership, Avison Young's New York City office has quickly become a premier real estate advisor, renowned for its strong level of client services. I look forward to working with my colleagues locally and globally to help increase the value we offer to many of the biggest names in the real estate industry."

After entering the New York City market in 2012, Avison Young has rapidly expanded its New York City presence. The firm has opened offices in New Jersey, Long Island and Fairfield/ Westchester in addition to New York City, and has experienced rapid growth through a series of high-profile hires and strategic acquisitions.

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 2,100 real estate professionals in 75 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.

• Editors/Reporters
Please click on link to view and download photo of John Bralower:
http://www.avisonyoung.com/sites/default/files/content-files/Media_Room/Temp/John_Bralower.jpeg

For further information/comment/photos:

• Ryan Smith, Vice-President, Beckerman PR: 201.465.8023
• Arielle Herzfeld, Senior Director of Marketing, Tri-State, Avison Young: 212.729.7465
• Sherry Quan, Principal, Global Director of Communications & Media Relations, Avison Young: 604.647.5098; cell: 604.726.0959

www.avisonyoung.com

Avison Young was a winner of Canada's Best Managed Companies program in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and has demonstrated its commitment to the program and successfully reapplied for the designation as a Gold Standard winner in 2014.

Follow Avison Young on Twitter:
For industry news, press releases and market reports: www.twitter.com/avisonyoung

For Avison Young listings and deals: www.twitter.com/AYListingsDeals 

Follow Avison Young Bloggers: http://blog.avisonyoung.com

Follow Avison Young on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/avison-young-commercial-real-estate

Follow Avison Young on YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/AvisonYoungRE

SOURCE Avison Young Commercial Real Estate (BC)

Related Links

www.avisonyoung.com