Purchase expands Avison Young’s Washington, DC area presence; five new Principals added

TORONTO, July 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ – Mark E. Rose, Chair and CEO of Avison Young, Canada’s largest independently-owned commercial real estate services
company, announced today that it has acquired Millennium Realty Advisors, LLC, a Virginia-based brokerage firm that provides agency leasing and
tenant representation services.

The acquisition further expands Avison Young’s market coverage in
Northern Virginia, the largest market in the Washington, DC region. The
change in ownership will add nine employees – including five new
Principals – to Avison Young’s U.S. Capital Region operations. Terms of
the acquisition were not disclosed.

Millennium Realty Advisors was founded in 1997 by John McEvilly and Mike Shuler, who have a combined 55 years of experience in the commercial real
estate industry. Effective immediately, McEvilly, Shuler, Douglas Eliot, James Palmer and Robert Walters join Avison Young as Principals. Nathan Krill and Joseph Pilch join as Vice-Presidents, Brokerage Services, Virginia; Sophrona Chinoy as Director; and Ulyana Radisavljevic as marketing assistant.

“We are thrilled to have John and Mike and the rest of the Millennium
team join the Avison Young organization,” comments Rose. “This
acquisition represents the next step in our company’s expansion
strategy, and reinforces our commitment to invest in the firms and the
top talent who believe in our Principal-led, client-focused service
model. This strategic acquisition will give Avison Young an even
broader client-service platform in the DC area as we continue to expand
our capabilities throughout the U.S. With this acquisition, Avison
Young has now built one of the leading landlord-representation
platforms in the Washington, DC region in less than 18 months.”

Millennium Realty Advisors performs all aspects of commercial brokerage
including landlord and tenant representation, disposition, investment
sales, equity and joint-venture financing, and site and development
consultation. Millennium has brokered more than $6 billion in
transactions over the past 13 years. The company’s agency leasing and
tenant representation business currently comprises approximately 6.5
million square feet (msf) in listings.

Past and current clients include: Prudential Real Estate Investors, JBG
Companies, Apollo, BPG Properties, Akridge, Crescent Resources, Dupont
Fabros, Monument Realty LLC, Zumot Real Estate Management, Liberty
Property Trust, COPT, Thomas Properties, J.A. Loveless Company,
Powerloft Data Centers, Crimson Partners, Bernstein Management, RESI
Management, and Washington Real Estate Investment Trust. Significant
lease transactions include: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) –
435,000 square feet (sf); Oblon Spivak – 207,000 sf; CACI International
– 229,000 sf; Qinetiq – 131,000 sf; Fannie Mae – 230,000 sf;
Airbus/EADS – 125,000 sf; and ITT Industries – 167,000 sf.

“We are very pleased to acquire Millennium Realty Advisors and to have
the opportunity to leverage its proven track record with Avison Young’s
core skills and relationships,” adds Earl Webb, Avison Young’s President, U.S. Operations. “By bringing this talented
and highly-regarded team on board, we are gaining like-minded leaders
who embrace our culture of honesty and integrity and clients-first
strategy. Their market leadership in Northern Virginia is key to our
expansion in the DC region, as they bring to Avison Young exceptional
senior leadership and a deep and loyal client base.”

Over the past two and a half years, Avison Young has grown from 11 to 23
offices and from 300 to more than 750 real estate professionals across
Canada and in the U.S.

“John and Mike built Millennium into a first-class organization with
great people, clients and culture, and this acquisition is an excellent
fit for our firm,” says Keith Lipton, Avison Young Principal and Managing Director of the Washington, DC
Capital Region. “I am very excited about the opportunity to work with
Millennium’s experienced real estate professionals. This important
acquisition will add substantially to our ability to service clients in
Northern Virginia by bringing both market depth and geographic coverage
to Avison Young.”

Lipton continues: “The acquisition of Millennium and the addition of its
respected professionals will give us further momentum as we continue
building the Avison Young brand in the Washington metropolitan region.”

Millennium’s current office at 8300 Greensboro Drive in McLean, VA will
merge with Avison Young’s existing Tysons Corner, VA office at a new
location in the near term.

“Avison Young has a compelling story that, as real estate professionals,
we could no longer ignore,” comments McEvilly. “After considerable
investigation and analysis, Mike and I concluded that Avison Young’s
philosophy of providing its producers a platform of highly-integrated
services to serve its clients, as well as the company’s focus on
long-term growth and participatory ownership, was the best path for our
clients and for our Millennium professionals moving forward. We are
delighted to join Avison Young’s team in metropolitan Washington, DC
and to be able to contribute to this company’s promising future.”

Biographies

John P. McEvilly
Co-founder of Millennium Realty Advisors, McEvilly has brokered more
than $4 billion of Northern Virginia commercial real estate since 1977.
Accomplishments include: office space leases totaling nearly 10 msf; 55
corporate tenant assignments in 210 transactions totaling 4.5 msf;
sales of 1,900 acres of commercial land, of which 800 acres were to
user/corporations; 23 office and industrial building sales comprising
1.75 msf with an aggregate value of nearly $200 million; joint-venture
partnership transactions that developed the mixed-use Tysons II and
Reston Town Center projects; build-to-suit office projects for KPMG
Peat Marwick (Bearing Point), the Aerospace Corporation, the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and a number of smaller
associations; and the prelease of 435,000 sf to the EPA to kick-off the
Potomac Yard office project.

McEvilly has received numerous commercial real estate industry and civic
activity awards over the years. Prior to his real estate career,
McEvilly marketed business equipment for Xerox Corporation. He earned
his B.A. degree from DePaul University in Chicago and was immediately
commissioned a reserve officer in the U.S Marine Corps, completing
one-and-a-half tours in Vietnam and receiving multiple decorations for
his distinguished service and leadership.

Membership associations include: loan committee, Virginia Asset Financing Corporation; past president,
McLean Rotary Club; member, National Association of Industrial and
Office Properties (NAIOP); past member, Northern Virginia Technology
Council (NVTC); past commissioner, Fairfax County Youth Basketball
League; past member, executive board of directors, Fathers Association
Potomac School; past member, advisory board of directors, Bank 2000;
lector, St. John’s Catholic Church (McLean, VA); member, American
Legion Post 270; member, Marine Corps Reserve Officers Association.

Michael A. Shuler
Shuler has more than 25 years of experience in the Northern Virginia
commercial real estate market, with combined sales and leasing activity
totaling $2 billion. Prior to co-founding Millennium Realty Advisors,
Shuler worked with large national institutional ownerships that
foreclosed on real estate, guiding them through a successful
repositioning of their assets. It is these contacts that Shuler has
utilized to negotiate joint-venture partnerships between local
developers and larger equity sources to develop new speculative
development. Most recently, Shuler sold 1.8 msf of buildable office
building rights and created joint ventures between local ownerships and
Wall Street funds in excess of $800 million.

Shuler has consistently placed in the Greater Washington Commercial
Association of Realtors’ (GWCAR) top three for leasing and financing
production. In 2000, he earned the top leasing award for the metro area
and finished fourth in financing for the Washington area. In 2004,
Shuler was involved in two of the largest lease transactions in
Northern Virginia when the EPA leased 435,000 sf in Crystal City, VA
and ITT Industries leased a 167,000-sf building in Herndon, VA. Shuler
also spent 14 years at the Carey Winston Company and, prior to that,
was a top national account salesperson in the relocation industry. He
holds a B.A. in economics from the College of William and Mary.

Membership associations include: past board member and Virginia
president, Greater Washington Board of Realtors; fundraising and
advisory member, Vanguard Foundation; member, NAIOP-Northern Virginia
chapter; and former board member and president of softball, Great Falls
Little League (VA). Shuler is also the recipient of: 1999 GWCAR Donald
C. Rosinski Award for commercial leasing; 1999 GWCAR finance
transaction of the year (750 9th Street, $77 million); 2000 GWCAR Top
Leasing Award Metropolitan Washington, DC; 2000 GWCAR Top Leasing Award
Northern Virginia; 2001 GWCAR # 8 leasing; 2002 GWCAR Life Member for
Sales; 2002 GWCAR Life Member for Leasing; 2003 GWCAR # 6 leasing;
2005 GWCAR # 2 leasing.

Douglas A. Eliot
After a successful business management career in the Department of
Defense (DoD) and Intelligence community, Eliot transitioned to real
estate brokerage. His knowledge of tenant requirements, including
construction costs, communications requirements, and the Sensitive
Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) accreditation process, are a
direct result of hands-on experience.

Eliot has established a solid track record of success with landlord
representation, which has included more than 4 msf. He has been
directly involved in several of the largest lease transactions in
Northern Virginia, including EPA – 435,000-sf prelease in Crystal City,
Exodus – 605,000-sf prelease, CACI – 220,000 sf, and the Aerospace
Corporation – 60,000 sf. Similarly, with more than 50 tenant
representation assignments and the recent 75,000-sf Carfax headquarters
expansion, Eliot has a firm understanding of tenant needs. Eliot’s
direct involvement in development projects also provides an
understanding that benefits both landlords and tenants. Projects
include a 46,000-sf speculative flex product, a 96,000-sf industrial
product, a 60,000-sf mid-rise office, a 70,000-sf office-to-condo
conversion, and an 80,000-sf flex redevelopment.

Prior to brokerage, Eliot served as business director for the Aerospace
Corporation. During his tenure there, he was selected for a
Congressional Fellowship where he performed legislative work for a U.S.
Senator during the 106th session. Previously, Eliot served as an
officer in the U.S. Air Force, managing the acquisition of intelligence
and communications systems. He holds a B.A. in economics from Stanford
University and an M.S. in finance from Boston College. Eliot earned the
GWCAR Leasing Rookie of Year Award in 2000.

James T. Palmer
Drawing from experience within the U.S. Intelligence community and the
DoD procurement process, Palmer is uniquely positioned to represent
tenants and landlords in the Northern Virginia office market. Recent
corporate assignments include Carfax, Butler International Club
Corporation, Aerovironment, NovaDatacom and RadiantBlue Technologies.
Despite market challenges during 2009-2010, Palmer executed more than
120,000 sf of leasing in the Route 28 South submarket alone.

Prior to joining Millennium, Palmer was a leasing broker with Grubb &
Ellis, achieving Rookie of the Year honors. Prior to brokerage, Palmer
owned and operated Palmer Engineering Company, a precision
manufacturing firm serving heavy equipment, automotive and aerospace
companies, and the federal government. Prior to entering the private
sector, he served 14 years as an officer in the U.S. Air Force as a
procurement and budget officer during active and reserve duties.

Palmer is a 1990 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy; earned
a Masters of Business Administration from Chapman University in 1994;
and is a graduate of Price Waterhouse California Entrepreneurial
Academy. Membership associations include: Volunteer of the Year, Armed
Forces Communications & Electronics Association (AFCEA)-Northern
Virginia (2008); YMCA of Fairfax Board of Directors (2005-2007); and
Air Force Academy Society of Washington, DC Board of Directors
(2005-2008). He was also named Volunteer of the Year by the Scottsbluff
County YMCA in 2003 and was honored with the Los Angeles City Council
Angel Heart Award in 1994 for raising money and awareness for Ronald
McDonald House.

Robert Walters
Walters has 14 years of commercial real estate experience,
initially on the acquisition and development side of the business. He
currently focuses on the sale and leasing of office and flex product
throughout Northern Virginia. Since joining Millennium in 2002,
Walters’ combined sales and leasing activity totals more than $700
million. Recent accomplishments include: 100,000-sf lease with
Blackbird Technologies, 220,000-sf lease with CACI, 120,000-sf lease
with Qinetiq, and the prelease of 435,000 sf to the EPA to kick off the
Potomac Yard office project.

Prior to joining Millennium, Walters worked as an analyst/development
project manager for Monument Realty LLC, where he focused on the
acquisition and development of office product in the Washington,
DC metropolitan area. His responsibilities included valuation of both
income-producing property and ground-up development, obtaining
third-party financing, construction management, asset management,
budgeting and financial and physical due diligence. Projects included
the development of Presidents Park and the first three phases of
Monument @ Worldgate totaling 1.2 msf.

Prior to that, Walters worked as a financial analyst for CB Richard
Ellis’ investment properties group, where he was responsible for the
valuation and marketing of $2.5 billion of office, industrial, retail
and multi-family space nationwide. Walters holds a B.A. in economics
from the University of Virginia. Membership associations include
president, DC Real Estate Group; board member, GWCAR; and member,
NAIOP-Northern Virginia chapter.

Joseph Pilch
Pilch specializes in the leasing and sale of office, medical, R&D and
industrial space in the Washington, DC area. His knowledge of market
conditions, trend analysis and complex transaction processes allow him
to create maximum value for his clients. His combined sales and leasing
activity is approaching $300 million after nine years in commercial
brokerage. Pilch has successfully represented and leased properties for
Normandy Real Estate Partners, Prudential Real Estate Investors,
Vardell Realty Investments, Archon Group, Guardian Real Estate
Management and MacDonald Properties. Tenant representation clients
include Cross Match Technologies, BDS (CACI), Olympus Imported Auto
Parts, and Keller Williams Realty.

Prior to joining Millennium, Pilch was an account executive in the
technology industry for Sterling Software, Inc. and WebMethods, Inc.
During this time, he managed relationships with Fortune 500 companies
as well as small businesses seeking to integrate their business systems
and re-engineer their existing processes to satisfy business and
technical requirements. Clients included Levi Strauss & Co., Est e
Lauder, and General Motors.

A native of Northern Virginia, Pilch earned a B.A. from Yale University,
where he was an all-American lacrosse goalie and varsity football
player. He is a member of NAIOP-Northern Virginia chapter and coaches
youth and high school lacrosse.

Nathan Krill
Krill focuses primarily on the Northern Virginia market, representing
both tenants and landlords and specializing in office and flex
properties. Recent accomplishments include: office space leases
totaling nearly 400,000 sf, including a 64,000-sf renewal for SunMicro
Systems; and sales totaling nearly $20 million.

Prior to joining Millennium, Krill was a national sales leader for the
Cintas Corporation, initiating and managing relationships with Fortune
500 companies as well as small businesses seeking to improve and
outsource many of their facility services and operating needs. During
his employment with Cintas, Krill developed business relationships with
more than 300 clients, including Transwestern, Carr America and Grubb &
Ellis whereby he attained strong cold calling, client management and
follow-up skills.

A native of Northern Virginia, Krill received his B.A. from Duke
University where he was a member and captain of the varsity football
team. He then went on to play for the Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL.
Krill is a member of GWCAR and NAIOP. He also coaches youth and high
school football, and youth league basketball.

Founded in 1978, Avison Young is Canada’s largest independently-owned commercial real estate services
company and the only national, Canadian-owned, principal-managed real
estate brokerage firm in the country. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario
and ranked among Canada’s leading national commercial real estate
organizations, Avison Young is a full-service commercial real estate
company comprising more than 750 real estate professionals in 23
offices across Canada and in the U.S. The company provides value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing,
advisory, management, financing and mortgage placement services to owners and occupiers of office, retail, industrial and
multi-residential properties.

•Editors/Reporters: please click on links to view and download head
shots of new Avison Young Principals:
http://www.avisonyoung.com/library/pdf/Media_Releases/Temp/John_P_McEvilly.jpg
http://www.avisonyoung.com/library/pdf/Media_Releases/Temp/Michael_A_Shuler.jpg
http://www.avisonyoung.com/library/pdf/Media_Releases/Temp/Douglas_A_Eliot.jpg
http://www.avisonyoung.com/library/pdf/Media_Releases/Temp/James_Palmer.jpg
http://www.avisonyoung.com/library/pdf/Media_Releases/Temp/Robert_Walters.jpg

SOURCE Avison Young (Canada) Inc.