Events

The global head of real estate at The Blackstone Group told delegates at PERE’s sixth annual conference how the firm’s competitors have dissipated just as the world’s real estate markets throws up compelling opportunities.

One of the highlight’s of this year’s PERE Forum: Asia in Hong Kong was an onstage interview with Mark Burton, the former chief investment officer of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and the Abu Dhabi Investment Council.

LPs see improved security by investing with smaller, real estate-focussed fund managers than with large bulge bracket firms, delegates heard on the second day of PERE’s annual event in Hong Kong.

At the PERE Forum in Hong Kong today, delegates heard how $140bn would be raised for real estate globally in 2011 but that club structures would be regarded as the most capable of vehicles to compete on transactions. Conference polls showed how fund sizes would shrink and opportunistic returns would decrease also.

Events in China’s economy increasingly are rivalling those in the US, according to this year’s roundtable participants. Still, they are more preoccupied with how the investor community at large is eyeing their industry. PERE Magazine December/January 2010/2011 issue.

The alternative to the PIIGS – the Nordic region appears to have survived the global financial crisis better than most other European countries. PERE Magazine July, August 2010 issue

Participants at last month’s UK Roundtable say the incoming directive on Alternative Investment Fund Managers will lead to a more professional sector and is not something that should be feared, however a lobby effort on some of the more draconian elements would be welcome.

Investors have been asking selected fund managers to launch real estate funds, according to Ernst & Young’s Dean Hodcroft. He explained his experience at this month’s PERE UK Roundtable discussion.

Jim Quille, chairman and chief executive officer of MGPA added his name to the growing list of fund managers who doubt how widespread ‘investment club’ structures will become. Today, he shared his thoughts with PERE on-stage

Jing Ulrich, JP Morgan’s chairman of China Equities and Commodities warned delegates at PERE’s third annual conference in Hong Kong to expect investment volumes in China to fall up to 15% as the government tightens policy.