Colliers Taps Dahlstrom to Lead Investment Services

By Paul Rosta, Senior Editor

Colliers International has tapped Warren Dahlstrom to lead its investment services group, an appointment that company leaders say signals a new push toward the top of the institutional investment market.

“We’re very bullish,” said Dylan Taylor, Colliers’ CEO in the United States. “We see transaction activity in the institutional category increasing fairly dramatically.” He cited projections indicating that the volume transactions valued at $25 million and up will rise 25 percent year-over-year in 2011. Taylor views the principal competition in the institutional investment arena as global service providers firms like Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. and CB Richard Ellis Inc.

Dahlstrom, who is based in Washington, D.C., most recently was a principal with a firm he founded, Dahlstrom Real Estate Advisors. He will be focusing the company’s expansion efforts on a handful of gateway markets, particularly Boston, New York City, Washington, D.C., Miami, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The company plans to ramp up its market share through aggressive business development and hiring.

The expansion push will also provide added opportunities to provide additional services that can add value to assets, such as property management and leasing. Although the institutional market will provide particularly strong potential for growth, Dahlstrom is not be neglecting the $25 million-and-under category of investment sales, where it already enjoys strong market share, Taylor said.

During a 25-year investment services career, Dahlstrom has been involved with transactions and development valued at $6 billion in all commercial property categories. Among recent highlights are the $60 million development venture he arranged last year between Grosvenor and JBG Companies. Prior to leading his own company, Dahlstrom made stops at Cushman & Wakefield Inc., Carey Winston Co. (now Transwestern) and Grubb & Ellis Co.