Commercial real estate brokers Karyn McFarland and Matthew Twombly, formerly of Boston firm Grubb & Ellis, have joined Avison Young’s brokerage operations in Boston.
Effective immediately, McFarland joins Avison Young as a principal, continuing her practice representing both tenants and landlords in the Downtown Boston office market. Twombly joins as a vice president in the Boston office.
"We are very pleased to welcome another top-notch team to the Avison Young organization, and one that focuses on the Downtown market," said John Fenton, Avison Young principal and managing director of the company’s Boston office.
He added: "Karyn and Matt have a great track record and a solid partnership. Their background and professionalism will blend perfectly with our company’s partnership culture. Their coming on board is a significant first step in helping us build a noteworthy presence in the Downtown Boston office market."
During her 32-year commercial real estate career, McFarland has completed more than $700 million in lease transactions and brokered more than $200 million in investment sales. She has a well-established expertise in the North Station, where she has a leading market share of landlord listings, according to a statement.
While at Grubb & Ellis, McFarland served as a senior vice president and co-manager of the Downtown Boston brokerage team. She was the team’s top producer and achieved the company’s Circle of Excellence designation, a distinction awarded to brokers producing in the top 10 percent nationwide.
McFarland began her real estate career at Spaulding & Slye and then founded McFarland & Finch, Boston’s first female-owned commercial brokerage company, which she operated for 15 years. McFarland is also a leader in the region’s real estate community, recently accepting an appointment on the board of directors of the Commercial Brokers Association.
Twombly, a six-year veteran of the industry, joins Avison Young after a steady ascension working with McFarland, first at McFarland & Finch and then as a senior associate at Grubb & Ellis, where he earned the Rookie of the Year Award for the firm’s Boston office in 2007. Twombly also ranked among the top 25 percent of Grubb & Ellis’ brokers nationally and has completed more than $100 million in lease transactions, according to a statement.
"I was very impressed by Avison Young’s senior leadership and its unique strategy," said McFarland. "Collectively, the members have successfully led the largest real estate firms in the world. Now, they have taken their experience and created a partnership of specialists at Avison Young, collaborating to deliver superior client service. Their vision to build the leading global real estate solutions company is embraced by more than 900 real estate professionals across the U.S. and Canada. I’m thrilled to now be continuing my career at Avison Young."
"I don’t think there is another brokerage firm in Boston where the opportunity exists for someone like me, at this stage of my career, to have a defined path to partnership," adds Twombly. "And more importantly, Avison Young’s principal-led model is a new innovation in the commercial real estate industry that ultimately puts clients at the core of how services are delivered. The benefits to both the company and our clients are clear and inextricable."
