Avison Young establishes real estate and infrastructure offering as it expands its professional services across Canada

Industry leader Scott Pickles joins firm to serve public and private sector client needs

Toronto, ON – Avison Young is growing its professional services offering across Canada, today announcing the addition of a Real Estate and Infrastructure Consulting, announced Sheila Botting, Principal and President Americas Professional Services, and Mark Fieder, Principal and President of Avison Young in Canada. The offering will be led by Scott Pickles, who joins from another professional services firm where he provided strategic, financial and infrastructure advisory services to public and private sector clients across Canada.

“Scott’s broad experience and leadership as an architect, developer and public servant have led him become a trusted strategic advisor across Canada and he’s a perfect fit as we grow our professional services consulting across the country,” said Botting. “He understands all the dimensions and engagement required to make informed strategic real estate and infrastructure investment decisions, which will further help us guide our clients on how to best leverage real estate as a tool of business.”

Pickles brings nearly two decades of experience providing real estate advisory and infrastructure consulting services to public, not-for-profit and private sector clients across Canada. As a Registered Architect, and having worked as a strategic advisor, a sustainable real estate developer, and in various roles within municipal government, he delivers complex, transformational real estate projects that advance strategy, innovation and growth. As a Green MBA and LEED 2.0 accredited professional, he also integrates sustainable development and environmental, social and governance factors to deliver against client goals.

“In today's changing world there are increasing demands on organizations to modernize, be more efficient, respond immediately to changing service demands, and increase their ability to maximize benefits,” said Pickles. “Instead of merely addressing the transactional nature of real estate, Avison Young’s collaborative culture presents a unique opportunity to solve critical problems through creative real estate solutions that are tailor-made for clients’ requirements, whether they be public, not-for-profit, and private entities.” 

The move comes as the firm grows its professional services offerings in other key areas as well, including corporate real estate and workplace consulting, project management, valuation and advisory services, and occupier services. Recently, Avison Young announced expansion of its valuation business in Alberta to serve clients across diverse asset classes throughout Western Canada, which forms part of Avison Young’s global Valuation and Advisory Services offering.

“Through growing our distinct service offerings, we are able to deliver on increasingly complex business imperatives our occupier, owner and investor clients have as they evaluate real estate for their service needs and identify their capital investment requirements,” added Botting. “Scott’s technical expertise combined with practical experience across public, not-for-profit and private sectors adds to our diverse team, who brings knowledge that delivers the insights our clients need to achieve economic, social and environmental outcomes.”