Warburg Pincus has acquired a 20 percent stake in 7 Days, a budget hotel chain in China. The investment has been made from the firm’s first global real estate fund which closed on $1.2bn in October.
1 min read · 23 January 2013
The acquisition of Equity Office Properties has been the talk of the real estate world for a few weeks now—and rightly so. Huge deal, well-known players and the usual holiday dearth of news has understandably kept the story at the forefront of the national business press.
2 min read · 01 February 2013
A signature building 2006-12-01 Staff Writer Today, the John Hancock Tower is where the “city checks its reflection in the tower's signature skin,” according to the <italic>Boston Globe</italic>. Thirty years ago, however, the skyscraper was seen as a stain on Boston's skyline, irreparably markin
3 min read · 23 January 2013
In recent years, environmentally friendly hybrid cars have become increasingly prevalent in North America and Europe. Are green offices, home, hotels and shopping centers next? By Alison Granito
8 min read · 23 January 2013
Private equity real estate investors are rushing into Brazil in search of heavenly returns. But amid the aura of political and economic stability, the emerging market risks continue to loom large. By Paul Fruchbom
10 min read · 23 January 2013
Although the theme of the fall 2006 PREA conference was “Back to Basics,” delegates found the current state of the real estate industry anything but. By Alison Granito
7 min read · 23 January 2013
In the mid-1990s, Chicago-based Heitman became one of the first major property players to invest in Central Europe. The firm formed a JV in 1996 to develop the Warsaw Financial Center, a 32-story office building that was the tallest building in Eastern Europe. In 2000, the firm launched Heitman Central Europe Property Partners to focus on Poland and the Czech Republic, which closed on $125 million. Slovakia and Hungary were added to the mandate for the second fund, which closed on €175 million in 2002. By the time Heitman launched its third vehicle on €350 million in 2005, it was also looking for opportunities in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Romania and Bulgaria. Otis Spencer, the firm's Warsaw-based portfolio manager, spoke with PERE about the evolution of Heitman's strategy in the region and where the firm is looking for value as competition grows.
4 min read · 23 January 2013
As Romania and Bulgaria gear up for EU accession, their real estate markets are becoming increasingly active, but that doesn't mean a shortage of risks. By Aaron Lovell
8 min read · 23 January 2013
A social phenomenon is taking place in Poland as residents trade up from Soviet-style homes to Western apartments. Private equity real estate investors are following the trend, in Warsaw and beyond. By Robin Marriott
8 min read · 23 January 2013
As yields continue to decline in Central and Eastern Europe, real estate investors are looking for new strategies and geographies to exploit. But some question whether the risks are worth the reward?
1 min read · 23 January 2013
