Avison Young has closed the previously-announced acquisition of U.K. firm WHR Property Consultants LLP (WHR) and has opened a new office in Manchester, within the central business district at The Lexicon.

WHR is now rebranded as Avison Young and 35 new members join from WHR. Mark Williams, Gareth Buckley, Mike Rooney and Dan Crossley become will become principals. The Manchester office is Avison Young’s fifth office in the U.K and 11th office in Europe.

WHR is a multi‑disciplinary commercial property consultancy firm with a wide range of offerings, including industrial and office agency, capital markets, property management, asset management, rating and professional services. WHR was founded in 2004 by a group of Manchester-based property professionals and has provided complex professional and consultancy services over the years, including some groundbreaking appeals in the area of business rates.

Williams also becomes Managing Director of the new Manchester office and will play a leading role in the company’s strategic expansion in the North West region while managing the day-to-day operations of the office. He also will continue to work closely with Buckley, Rooney and Crossley and collaborate with principals across the company.

“The combination of our current resources with the leading professionals of WHR greatly strengthens our market share and enhances our support structure to serve our robust client base,” says Avison Young Chair and CEO Mark Rose. “Moreover, the strategic hire of this team of respected professionals will give us further momentum as we continue to build the Avison Young brand throughout Europe and beyond.”