By Joshua Burd
Avison Young has deepened its bench in New Jersey with the hiring of a longtime tenant representation specialist.
Jeffrey Heller, who leads Avison Young’s offices in the state, announced Wednesday that Drew Persson has joined the firm as a principal. In the new role, he will continue to focus on representing office tenants throughout the state and the country, working closely with the firm’s New Jersey team to expand its institutional tenant-representation advisory services and market share across the region.
“We are pleased to have Drew join Avison Young’s growing New Jersey office and welcome him as our company’s newest principal,” said Heller, a principal and managing director based in the firm’s Morristown office. “He is recognized as a top producer and his 30 years of success, combined with his strong work ethic and cultural fit, bring a valued and well-respected leader to our office. Our entire team looks forward to drawing on his exceptional track record and leadership skills as we continue to expand our footprint across the state.”
Persson, who most recently served as a senior vice president in Newmark Knight Frank’s Rutherford office, will also serve on Avison Young’s global enterprise solutions team. The group comprises more than 225 members around the globe, serving the needs of multi-location, multiservice clients with research, services, expertise, vendors and resources from across the company’s platform.
Persson was a member of NKF’s global corporate real estate group for nine years, according to a news release. Prior to joining the firm, he was a senior managing director with Colliers International for more than a decade and held other positions with CBRE and Atlantic Real Estate Services in New Jersey.
He has extensive experience in multiple specialty areas, including commercial real estate expansion and relocation feasibility, global location strategy and site-selection methodology, the news release said. Avison Young highlighted other areas of expertise, including supply-chain and real estate process improvement, property acquisitions and dispositions, economic development, ownership services and retention strategic planning.
“I’m excited about joining Avison Young’s talented team of professionals in New Jersey, and to be a part of the company’s principal-led, collaborative culture,” Persson said. “I look forward to working side-by-side with my new Avison Young colleagues in New Jersey and throughout the company’s global network as we create and provide optimal solutions for our clients’ unique real estate and business needs.
“Organizations in all sectors have a growing need for leading-edge enterprise solutions that can be tailored to fit properties and systems in multiple locations, ensuring the success of their overall operations. I look forward to leveraging the success that Avison Young’s enterprise solutions team has achieved in New Jersey and across the globe.”
