Avison Young boosts occupier services team with Tom Bruister as Principal and Senior Director

Bruister to focus on firm’s expansion of occupier services across North America

San Francisco, Calif. – Global commercial real estate advisor Avison Young today announces the appointment of Tom Bruister as Principal, Senior Director for the firm’s occupier services platform. Based in the San Francisco office, he will spearhead the expansion of business development opportunities across North America, collaborating closely with the firm’s sales teams in the U.S. and Canada.

Bruister will join forces with Keith Knox, Principal and President, Occupier Services to bolster Avison Young’s growing service line, empowering companies to simplify and enhance the efficiency of their commercial real estate transactions, management and operations.

“Tom will be responsible for leading and supporting complex, multi-market, multi-service line occupier pursuits across U.S. and Canadian markets,” said Knox. “Today's occupiers seek data-driven, strategic real estate advice. Tom will be pivotal in delivering this value, focusing on strengthening relationships and expanding business with current and potential clients. We're excited to welcome Tom to the Avison Young team, and we are confident that he'll add significant value to our organization.”

Bruister brings more than 20 years of experience in commercial real estate and most recently served as Chief Revenue Officer at LiquidSpace, a global technology firm that connects users with flexible office space and provides software solutions for managing hybrid and distributed workforces. Other previous roles include serving large enterprise clients in transaction management at JLL and WeWork. He has led transactions and has overseen all real estate functions on the occupier side as well, giving him a well-rounded perspective from both the service provider and occupier viewpoints. Bruister’s diverse background spanning service, technology, and occupier perspectives equips him with a distinctive and holistic insight into the real estate sector.

“Avison Young is not just an organization of talented real estate professionals; it's a community of exceptional individuals,” added Bruister. “We are at a pivotal moment in the real estate ecosystem, where occupiers require strategic, holistic guidance to navigate complex challenges— from shifting macroeconomic conditions to evolving workforce strategies shaped by the post-pandemic era and technological disruption. This is the ideal time for me to join the team and contribute to building solutions that address the real issues occupiers face today.”