BNP Paribas Real Estate has appointed Chris Pilgrim from Avison Young to the newly created role of UK head of advisory.
He succeeds Nico Keller, who has served as interim UK head of advisory, and will report locally to Gary Higgins, interim UK CEO, and to Marcus Zorn, CEO of BNP Paribas Real Estate advisory.
Pilgrim will join the business in early 2027 from Avison Young, where he was head of capital markets UK and a senior leader within the firm’s global capital markets platform. Prior to that, he spent 15 years at CBRE and Colliers in senior global capital markets roles.
Zorn said: “Chris is an exceptional professional with a proven ability to originate and execute complex transactions across markets. His commercial judgement, international perspective and deal-making expertise will be a real asset as we continue to grow our Advisory business and deliver the best of our European platform for clients.”
Pilgrim added: “This is a hugely exciting opportunity to build on the strength of an already talented team and add further capability as we grow and invest in the advisory business across the UK. I am looking forward to working closely with colleagues across Europe and the wider BNP Paribas Group to connect clients with the full breadth of our expertise and create new opportunities.”


