Global firm commits to Canada’s commercial mortgage brokers

Avison Young will be sponsoring commercial brokers at the Canadian Mortgage Awards for the next four years.

Among the most world’s most recognizable names in commercial real estate, Avison Young is growing its operations serving commercial mortgage brokers and, according to Matthew McWatters, Avison Young’s principal and senior vice president of valuation and advisory services, the CMAs is but one vessel through which it intends to do that. After sponsoring the Award for Commercial Broker of the Year last year, McWatters says signing on for four more years is a no-brainer.

“Being an award-winner provides industry recognition, and winning a national award such as the Avison Young Commercial Broker of the Year provides even more status,” said McWatters. “After attending the event for the first time last year, it was incredible to see the support the nominees received when their names were announced and, ultimately, how the winner was received. Having not only the support of your company but also the support of your peers in the industry is truly priceless and an outstanding honour.”

Avison Young knows a thing or two about commercial real estate, and McWatters says the industry takes keen interest in award winners.

“We want to work with best- in-class and that includes not only the winners but the nominees, as well as others who have had incredible years and may have just missed out on the award,” he said. “Our long-term commitment shows that we are not only here for the most recent award winners and nominees, but for all of the future ones as well. I’m sure there were a lot of motivated people in the room last year establishing goals for themselves to be on that stage in 2020 and those are people we want to get behind and grow with.”

Avison Young has major growth plans over the next half-decade, part of which involves a deeper dive into the commercial mortgage world where the firm is already fairly prominent. Thanks to robust relationships with myriad financing institutions, including non-bank lenders, Avison Young originates fixed- and floating-rate mortgages for all property types and property owners. Its burgeoning appraisals division is also becoming popular with brokers.

“Our appraisal group continues growing across Canada and we wanted to increase our exposure profile throughout the mortgage industry, and we couldn’t pick a better place to do it than the CMAs,” said McWatters. “Mortgage brokers are knowledgeable, professional and adapt to trends as well as anyone, and we see this as mutually beneficial to our businesses and our abilities to service clients.”