Avison Young bolsters London Capital Markets team with five new hires

The team from BNP Paribas includes two Principals Global commercial real estate advisor Avison Young will add five specialists to its Capital Markets team in London, as the firm continues to recruit top talent to drive the growth of the business group and the expansion of its service lines.

The group joins Avison Young from BNP Paribas and includes Fergus Keane, Principal, Larry Young, Principal, Aman Panesar, Director, Oscar Holmes, Associate Director and Hugo Campbell Harris, Associate Director.

The announcement follows a year of significant investment in the Capital Markets team, both in London and nationally, as the firm builds out a market-leading offer for global investors seeking to deploy capital into UK real estate.

Over the past 12 months, Avison Young has assembled a high-calibre leadership team to drive the expansion of its UK Capital Markets platform, with key appointments including Chris Pilgrim (Head of Capital Markets UK), Richard Day (Head of Debt Advisory), Guy Spencer (Head of National Capital Markets), and Graham Barnes (Head of Corporate Finance).

Most recently, the business appointed Govinda Singh as Head of Hotel Capital Markets. A senior executive with deep advisory experience across multiple markets, including Asia, the Middle East, the UK and the US, his arrival marks the creation of a new specialist service line for the business.

The addition of five senior leaders from BNP Paribas, who will join Avison Young in the Autumn, represents another significant milestone in the rapid growth of the Capital Markets business, and a substantial investment in building a robust offer that brings together transactions, debt financing and corporate advisory expertise.

Chris Pilgrim, Principal, Managing Director and Head of Capital Markets UK at Avison Young, said:
“Building out a high-performing Capital Markets team has been one of my key priorities since joining the business last year. By broadening our insight and expertise, and drawing on the specialist knowledge of our colleagues, we’ve been able to enhance our services to clients and deliver the very best advisory offer for investors navigating an increasingly complex market.

“These five senior hires will be absolutely paramount to the growth we’re continuing to target in Capital Markets at Avison Young. The UK remains the most actively invested in real estate market for foreign capital, and London continues to benefit from a safe-haven status for real estate investors. I’m confident that we are the team best equipped to meet those investors’ needs.”

George Roberts, Principal and President, UK and Ireland at Avison Young, added:
“Capital Markets is one of our fastest-growing business groups and is a central part of our ambition to build the leading real estate advisory platform in the UK. Over the past year, we’ve made a number of strategic investments in leadership, specialist expertise and new service lines, creating a business that is increasingly differentiated in the market.

“The addition of these five senior professionals is another important step in that journey and further strengthens our ability to provide clients with exceptional consultancy. We are attracting some of the industry's best talent precisely because of the platform we are building, the opportunities ahead of us and the collaborative culture we have created.”