Avison Young adds Montreal capital markets team from JLL
Avison Young, a global commercial real estate services firm, has added a capital markets team in Montreal from rival firm JLL: principals Mark Sinnett, Sebastien Gatti, Yann Charles, and Marie-Claire Laflamme-Sanders. The Toronto-headquartered company also promoted Jessica Toppazzini to managing director of its Vancouver market.
The newly hired team will enhance Avison Young’s capital markets practice in Quebec, working closely with private and institutional clients to optimize investment decisions in retail, office, multi-family, and industrial assets.
“We are thrilled to welcome this talent to our existing team of outstanding capital markets leadership, not only in Montreal but across the entire country,” said Mark Rose, chair and CEO, Avison Young. “Mark, Sebastien, Yann, and Marie-Claire have been among the top producers in Canada over the past five years – and with access to our broader team of industry experts and data platform, AVANT by Avison Young, we believe they will be even better positioned to deliver superior results and solutions for clients.”
Sinett brings 22 years of experience advising private and institutional clients on strategic acquisition and disposition of real estate. He has facilitated more than 650 transactions worth a combined $5+ billion.
Gatti has over 10 years of experience specializing in multi-family and office transactions. He has closed over $1.5 billion in investment transactions since 2016.
Charles has over a decade of experience focusing on originating and executing retail and industrial assets. He has represented and counseled numerous private and institutional investors, and has closed over $1.5 billion in investments since 2016.
Laflamme-Sanders has 15 years of management experience and has overseen more than $5 billion in investment deals across multifamily, office, retail, and industrial sectors.
“Expanding and building upon the strength of our capital markets team in Montreal and across the country is an important step for our business and a critical part of our growth strategy in Canada, allowing us to enhance our value to clients,” said Mark Fieder, principal and president, Avison Young Canada.
Avison Young significantly expanded its Montreal presence in 2021, buying corporate real estate brokerage Devencore during the pandemic-era downturn in the office market. The office vacancy rate in metropolitan Montreal reached a record 17% as of the end of 2022, according to data from CBRE.
The Devencore deal expanded the firm’s Montreal team from 30 to over 100 people. Former Devencore partner Patrick Laurin was recently named managing director for Montreal.
Avison Young also announced the promotion of Jessica Toppazzini to managing director for Vancouver. Toppazzini has over a decade of experience in valuation services, with a focus on expropriation, development land, purpose-built rental housing, and social housing.
She joined Avison Young in 2022 as part of the hiring of a five-person team from Garnett Wilson Realty Advisors. Toppazzini spent the past year leading the British Columbia valuation and advisory services practice.
She is Avison Young’s first female managing director at the market level in Canada. Toppazzini joins 10 other female managing directors leading major markets in the US, UK, and Germany.
