Matilda Battersby

The real estate management subsidiary of BNP Paribas Real Estate now has more than 25m square metres of commercial real estate under management in Europe.

The Los Angeles-based real estate investment and services firm will target real estate opportunities in the Middle East from its Bahrain office.

The Chicago-based investment firm has rounded up $5.6m for its latest fund.

Following last week’s suspension of trading in its open-ended International Property Fund, UK real estate fund manager New Star is in talks with banks over a reported debt for equity swap.

The European private equity real estate group will raise a fund of funds focused on retail, commercial and residential developments in second and third tier cities in India and China. ING hopes to hold a $250 million first close early 2009.

The Washington DC-based private equity giant has invested in China’s education sector, in a week that has also seen the firm close its Warsaw office and Sydney-based Asian leveraged finance group.

UK fund manager New Star has been forced to take action following mass redemptions at its international property fund in the past few weeks.

Lehman’s European real estate assets have received over 300 expressions of interest since the company went into administration in September.

The Australian firm, which manages more than 40 shopping malls in its home market, is hoping to invest in Japanese retail and Singapore office space.

The International Private Equity and Venture Capital Valuation board has said GPs should be asked to comply with its mandate by investors. The committee chairman Herman Daems stressed the importance of transparency and fair comparison.