2017 Year in Review: Martin Cottingham, Avison Young

Name & Title: Martin Cottingham, Principal

Company Name: Avison Young

Address: 1166 Avenue of the Americas, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10036 

What was your most notable project, deal, transaction or professional achievement in 2017?

I specialize in office leasing in NYC and 2017 has been another productive year. However, I was involved in two transactions that stood out.  

Along with my Avison Young colleagues Michael Gottlieb and Corey Dicker, we arranged a 15-year lease for Vital Strategies, a nonprofit global health organization that believes every person should be protected by a strong public health system. We competed with many top brokerages to land this business and successfully doubled their space with a 30,000 s/f lease at 100 Broadway and generous tenant improvements package. Our client was thrilled, which was particularly special because of the great work they do.

In addition, I helped arrange a 15-year lease for the NBA Players Association at 1133 Avenue of the Americas. We’ve been working with them since 2013 and have designed an entire “campus” for them at this building including a basketball court and training facility. The organization is launching a new entity, the NBA Players Inc., and we secured a new lease occupying an entire floor. The result was another successful deal and happy client.

What was the best decision you made in 2017 and why?

The best decision I made this year is one I make every year – I never try to get comfortable in anything I do. It’s my personal motto and what has fueled my career as well as my personal life. Never taking relationships for granted and trying to always stay out of my “comfort zone” has been the driving force behind my success and I’ll continue to adhere to that guiding principle in 2018.

Who or what contributed to your success in 2017 and why?

Any successes I have enjoyed in life would never happen without the constant support of my family as well as my colleagues and partners at Avison Young. I work with some of the best in the business and the full-service business model that Avison Young offers is second to none. The organization has established itself as one of the premier players in the New York City real estate market in less than five years with a client-focused, silo-free approach that is unique in our business.

What trends will impact your business in 2018?

There are several issues that will impact my business, as well as the commercial real estate profession overall, but there are three that I believe will have the strongest influence: the stock market and any shifts in the economy will sway investment decisions both positively and negatively; the growth of the tech sector, which continues to have a major impact on our business. Tech companies are rapidly expanding and have unique office space needs; and finally, the unpredictability of the current geopolitical climate and any related concerns will have certainly have an effect on real estate for next year and beyond.