Avison Young appoints Talal Khreis to senior leadership role

In its third senior appointment this year, Avison Young has named Talal Khreis as a Senior Director and Head of Business Development and the Asset Services practice.

Talal Khreis has more than 20 years of real estate experience, gained across the residential, commercial and segments. He joined Avison Young in late 2024, after the firm he established and led, ZMS Property Services, became part of the global real estate group. Under his leadership, ZMS Property Services grew into a player with more than 4,000 units under management across the UAE.

Based out of Abu Dhabi, Khreis will in his new role be responsible for business development strategies and activities across all Avison Young’s verticals including property management, valuation, advisory & consulting, and transaction advisory.

Commenting on his appointment, Khreis said: “The real estate market within the UAE continues to defy global expectations and shows robust year on year growth, and our clients are continuing to commit to local and international projects and increasingly looking to discuss how they can be supported to achieve their objectives.”

“The growth in foreign direct investment within the region continues and many of the incoming developers and investors are seeking property and asset management services that is aligned with international best practices. The Avison Young platform enables us to provide market leading services to our clients locally with our strong UAE presence, within the wider MENA region and globally through our access to more than 5,000 colleagues.”

Headquartered in Canada, Avison Young is one of the largest real estate service companies globally with more than 100 offices in 21 countries. The MENA business, which is led out of Abu Dhabi, is led by Simon Townsend.

“It was essential for us to ensure that we have market leaders as part of our senior leadership team, and I am very pleased to see Talal appointed into this key role as we move to the next phase of our growth within the region,” noted Townsend. “I will be working very closely with Talal as we move forwards and am excited for what 2025 and beyond will bring.”