Cresa Acquires Houston Firm Axis Tenant Advisors

A Chicago-based real estate firm has expanded its Houston operations by acquiring a local brokerage that’s a one-man operation.

Cresa acquired Axis Tenant Advisors and brought its founder, Scot Ison, into the company’s tenant representation team, the Houston Business Journal reported.

Cresa and Axis have separate offices, at 1990 Post Oak Boulevard and 777 Post Oak Boulevard. Cresa plans to consolidate the two offices into a larger one this year, Managing Principal David Anderson said.

Axis, which had no other employees at the time of the transaction, has been active in Houston’s office market for decades. Ison founded the firm in 1993 and has led major deals, including Greystar’s 68,000-square-foot lease at Towne Centre Two in 2022. He also represented Tricon in a 23,000-square-foot sublease at 1500 Post Oak Boulevard.

He served on the Texas Business Hall of Fame Foundation’s board and has held positions with the Uptown Houston Broker Advisory Board and the Houston Office Leasing Brokers Association.

The move to Cresa will allow Ison to offer clients additional services, he said.

Cresa has been on an aggressive expansion spree, acquiring seven companies across multiple markets in two years.

The firm took over Fritsche Anderson Realty Partners last June, adding 11 brokers and increasing its Houston headcount to 25.

It recently acquired Seattle-based Pacific Program Management for $40 million, plus NorthStar Owners Representation in Philadelphia. Additional acquisitions include Esrp in Dallas, Axiom Advisory Group in Detroit, and Vicus Partners in New York City.

The firm also recently helped negotiate a lease for Dallas-based architecture firm Corgan, securing an 8,700-square-foot office in Houston’s Greenway Plaza.

— Andrew Terrell