Firm grows landlord and tenant representation team with strategic new hire

Norwalk, Conn. – Sean Cahill, Principal and Managing Director of Avison Young’s Fairfield/Westchester County office, announced today the strategic hiring of John S. Gray as an Executive Director on the landlord and tenant representation team. With over 38 years of commercial real estate experience, Gray will provide brokerage and advisory services for clients throughout the New York City, Westchester and Fairfield County markets. 

“John’s successful track record of completing complex transactions, deep market knowledge and extensive client roster brings significant value to our firm as we look to expand our brokerage platform and recruit and retain the industry’s top leaders,” said Cahill.  

Gray added, “Avison Young provides an excellent opportunity to join a firm with a people first culture, tech-forward resources and entrepreneurial environment designed to better service our clients. I’m excited to be a part of the Avison Young family and look forward to contributing to the firm’s continued growth.”

Gray joins Avison Young from Cushman & Wakefield, where he served as an Executive Director for over two decades. He also previously worked as a Senior Vice President at Jones Lang Wooten and Executive Vice President at Charles Mackall & Co. Throughout his career, Gray and his team have been responsible for completing over 6 million square feet (sf) of transactions for a diverse list of clients that include Siemens Corporation, Merrill Lynch & Co., New York Life Insurance Company and Citibank N.A. in addition to having represented 4 million sf of building agencies for premier properties such as 1211 Avenue of the Americas, One Pepsi Way, Battle House Tower, 740 Madison Avenue and Tower 56.

Gray has been the recipient of numerous industry accolades, earning the Real Estate Board of New York’s Deal of the Year award twice for the 750,000-sf restructuring of 1301 Avenue of the Americas in New York City involving Wasserstein Perella and Siemens Corporation and the Ropes and Gray, NewsCorp and J.P. Morgan Chase transactions at 1211 Avenue of the Americas, which included over 1.4 million sf. Gray also played an instrumental role in his prior firm receiving the Real Estate Board of New York Retail Deal of the Year award for the largest retail deal at 740 Madison Avenue. Additionally, he was also recognized as one of the Top 100 Brokers in the nation and Top 40 New York Brokers at his previous brokerage firm.