History and evolution
There is a long history of institutional investment in real estate both through direct ownership of property and through pooled investment funds. Initially institutional real estate investments were in core real estate, however, market conditions in the early 1990s led to the emergence of opportunistic funds which aimed to take advantage of falling property prices to acquire assets at significant discounts. Private equity real estate emerged as an independent asset class in the beginning of the 21st century and has experienced huge growth in recent years.Private equity real estate funds generally follow core-plus, value added, or opportunistic strategies when making investments.
Core Plus: This is a moderate risk/moderate return strategy. The fund will generally invest in core properties however some of these properties will require some form of enhancement or value-added element.
Value Added: This is a medium-to-high risk/medium-to-high return strategy. It will involve buying a property, improving it in some way, and selling it at an opportune time for a gain. Properties are considered value added when they exhibit management or operational problems, require physical improvement, and/or suffer from capital constraints.
Opportunistic: This is a high risk/high return strategy. The properties will require a high degree of enhancement. This strategy may also involve investments in development, raw land, and niche property sectors. Investments are tactical.
Core Plus: This is a moderate risk/moderate return strategy. The fund will generally invest in core properties however some of these properties will require some form of enhancement or value-added element.
Value Added: This is a medium-to-high risk/medium-to-high return strategy. It will involve buying a property, improving it in some way, and selling it at an opportune time for a gain. Properties are considered value added when they exhibit management or operational problems, require physical improvement, and/or suffer from capital constraints.
Opportunistic: This is a high risk/high return strategy. The properties will require a high degree of enhancement. This strategy may also involve investments in development, raw land, and niche property sectors. Investments are tactical.
