Zoe Hughes

The Armonk, New York-based fund manager is eyeing a $350m final close for its second vehicle, which primarily targets US student housing.

The New York-based placement agent has hired Quince Hill’s Rob Kohn and Tom Foster, as well as former Black Creek director Yasmine Uzmez.

The firm expects to hit the fundraising trail this year targeting a similar amount to its $10.9bn opportunity fund, BREP VI, which is 70% invested. President Tony James said Blackstone invested $5bn of equity in real estate in 2010.

The Los Angeles-based investment manager is expected to announce imminently a deal to buy ING REIM’s Europe and Asia businesses, while the management of ING Clarion will lead a buyout of the US arm.

The New York-based firm has appointed Robert Bartlett as managing director of its investor relations department.

The San Ramon, California-based multifamily operating partner has secured an equity investment from 29th Street Capital, a recent platform that invests high-net-worth capital. The firms are targeting a $60m fundraise as they source JV equity for deals in the western US.

With institutional investors underweight to the asset class by roughly 2%, industry professionals argue billions of dollars of additional capital will come back to global real estate, not least from sovereign wealth funds.

The US and Brazil were leading a resurgence of transactions for the Americas with the region seeing a 166% increase in purchases and sales over the past year, compared to 11% increase in Europe and the Middle East and an 11% decline in trades in Asia Pacific.

The Los Angeles-based firm has bought two portfolios comprising 1,500 loans and with an unpaid principal balance of $817m for 24 cents on the dollar. The deal marks the firm’s fifth FDIC structured loan acquisition.

The two listed industrial developers-cum-fund managers are in talks about merging, in a deal that could create a $14bn REIT. Together AMB and ProLogis manage 20 private funds.