Complaints to the UK Property Ombudsman up 16% last year

Complaints to the Property Ombudsman increased by 16% in 2018 and more than £2million is returned to consumers in compensatory awards, the latest annual figures show. Overall there was a record number of enquiries in 2018 at 29,023, up 22% on 2017. Of these, 4,246 went on to be formal complaints, which also rose significantly year on year by 16%. The Ombudsman supported 2,782 complaints, of which 2,381 required a financial award to be paid and for the first time, compensatory awards paid by agents to consumers reached in excess of £2 million at £2.17 million, a total which has more than doubled since 2016.

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GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum Names GID Industrial among its Influencers in Industrial Real Estate

PR Newswire | September 14, 2023

GID, a real estate owner and fiduciary that invests in multiple asset classes, has announced that its industrial team, GID Industrial, has been named a 2023 Influencer in Industrial by GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum. This award recognizes distinguished individuals, teams, and companies for notable achievements within the industrial real estate sector. "GID Industrial is honored to receive this prestigious recognition," says Rene Circ, co-head of GID Industrial. "In the three years since we formed our team, we have built an impressive portfolio that has sustained occupancy and offers potential for continued rent growth. We aim to continue our portfolio expansion, targeting opportunities that offer strong potential for long-term growth." GID has been active in the industrial sector since 1986 and officially launched its industrial platform in 2020. In the three years after the platform's launch, the team has accomplished significant growth within the sector, executing stabilized, value-add, and development transactions. This diverse mix allows the team to provide its partners with investment opportunities tailored to their unique risk and return preferences. The platform currently operates more than 25M square feet of industrial space in top markets across the country. "GID Industrial's key differentiator is the expertise and passion of our team," says Michael Wenaas, co-head of GID Industrial. "With 30 individuals boasting an average of 21 years of experience in the sector, our team is well equipped to provide unique value to our partners by offering a practiced, holistic perspective on the state of the industry. Our achievements over the last three years are a credit to the powerhouse team that we have assembled." GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum Influencers in Industrial are selected by its editors based on nominations that outline the nominee's accomplishments and impact on the sector. About GID GID is a leading real estate investment and management firm that operates a diverse portfolio of multifamily, industrial, and mixed-use developments across the United States. With over 60 years of experience across multiple asset classes, GID is an established real estate private equity investor and fiduciary supported by an integrated operating platform with approximately 54,000 multifamily units and over 25M square feet of industrial and commercial space of assets under management. The company also operates a credit platform that aims to provide commercial real estate debt solutions for institutional borrowers.  With corporate offices in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, New York City, and San Francisco, GID employs over 1,200 real estate professionals and operates an expansive portfolio of existing and under-development properties valued at over $30.1 billion1 as of June 2023.    1 Assets Under Management is calculated in compliance with the definition for Assets Under Management ("AUM") prescribed in INREV's Global Definitions Database.

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Real Estate Technology

Capital Square and ITOCHU Corporation Announce Partnership to Acquire Build-for-Rent Community in Texas

PR Newswire | October 10, 2023

Capital Square, one of the nation's leading sponsors of tax-advantaged real estate investments and an active developer and manager of housing communities, announced today the formation of a joint venture partnership with ITOCHU Corporation to acquire Creekside Terrace, a 100-unit build-for-rent (BFR) single-family community currently being developed by Pulte Homes, the third largest home builder in the country. ITOCHU Corporation is one of the largest Japanese sogo shoshaa, or general trading and investment companies, founded in Japan in 1858. According to the 2023 Fortune Global 500 list, ITOCHU is the 96th largest company in the world, with annual revenue in excess of $103 billion.1 "Capital Square is thrilled to partner with one of the largest corporations in the world to acquire Creekside Terrace, a build-for-rent community near San Antonio, Texas," said Louis Rogers, founder and co-chief executive officer of Capital Square. Creekside Terrace is a 100-unit purpose-built single-family BFR rental community, located just minutes from Interstate 35. Part of an exceptional master-planned development of new homes, the community features a pool, pavilion and park with convenient access to nearby shopping and dining. These three- and four-bedroom, open-concept homes offer upscale interiors and contemporary amenities for growing families in the burgeoning New Braunfels, San Antonio area. The community will provide a high-quality rental housing option to the almost 19,000 new residents who moved to San Antonio last year. "Capital Square continues to invest in the acquisition and development of build-for-rent communities throughout Texas and the Sunbelt," said Dave Platter, managing director and co‑head of private equity at Capital Square. "As a firm, we continue to source opportunities in the I-35 corridor between Austin and San Antonio. We believe Creekside Terrace will present a welcoming community for young families looking for the benefits of single-family living without the high costs and headaches associated with homeownership today." Build-for-rent communities, comprised of single-family homes purpose-built for renting, have become an increasingly popular asset class among institutions and individual investors. Demand for this rental option is growing exponentially among residents who seek a single-family lifestyle, the financial and leasing flexibility of a rental with the amenities and convenience of a professionally managed property. The U.S. has chronically underbuilt housing since the Great Financial Crisis and requires an additional 4.3 million housing units by 2035 to meet the demand for rental housing, according to the National Multifamily Housing Council. Demand for build-for-rent homes continues to increase with professionally managed communities offering one of the best solutions for the shortage of quality, affordable housing. Institutionally owned and operated build-for-rent communities represent less than 5% of the overall U.S. housing stock, paving the way for long-term, sustainable growth for the asset class. "We are pleased to partner with Capital Square on Creekside Terrace and look forward to working with Capital Square on future acquisitions," said Hideyuki Matsukawa, senior vice president and general manager of general product and realty division at ITOCHU International Inc. Since its formation in 2012, Capital Square has raised more than $3 billion in equity from investors for its tax-advantaged real estate investment offerings. The company has consistently ranked as one of the leading sponsors of Delaware statutory trust (DST) investment programs for investors seeking the advantages of Internal Revenue Code Section 1031 exchanges and is also an active sponsor of qualified opportunity zone funds, development LLCs and Capital Square Apartment REIT, a real estate investment trust that invests in multifamily communities throughout the Southeast. About Capital Square Capital Square is a vertically integrated national real estate firm specializing in tax-advantaged real estate investments, including Delaware statutory trusts for Section 1031 exchanges, qualified opportunity zone funds for tax deferral and exclusion and a real estate investment trust (REIT). In recent years the company has become an active developer of mixed-use multifamily properties in the southeastern U.S., with eight current projects totaling approximately 2,000 apartment units with a total development cost in excess of $600 million. Since 2012, Capital Square has completed more than $7.5 billion in transaction volume. Capital Square's related entities provide a range of services, including due diligence, acquisition, loan sourcing, property/asset management and disposition, for a growing number of high-net-worth investors, private equity firms, family offices and institutional investors. Since 2017, Capital Square has been recognized by Inc. 5000 as one of the fastest growing companies in the nation for seven consecutive years. In 2017, 2018 and 2020, the company was also ranked on Richmond BizSense's list of fastest growing companies.

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Real Estate Technology

Barings and Foulger Pratt Close Acquisition of $50+ Million Build-to-Rent Community in Raleigh, NC

Business Wire | October 19, 2023

Barings, one of the world’s largest diversified real estate investment managers, today announced its joint venture with Foulger Pratt to acquire a 172-unit build-to-rent (BTR) community in the Raleigh, N.C. metropolitan area. The $50+ million acquisition marks Barings’ entrance into the BTR market and builds on the firm’s $12.5+ billion* U.S. real estate equity platform. The transaction brings Foulger Pratt’s BTR portfolio to 700 homes and approximately $250 million in investment across North Carolina and Maryland. “We believe build-to-rent is one of the fastest growing segments of the housing market given demographic trends, evolving consumer preferences, and a national housing shortage,” said Joe Gorin, Barings’ Head of U.S. Real Estate Equity. “We are excited to partner with the well-established team at Foulger Pratt on our first BTR acquisition and look forward to deploying more capital into attractively priced assets as we scale our capabilities in this segment.” “Foulger Pratt is excited to continue its investment in the Carolinas through the delivery of quality rental housing in partnership with Barings – one of the world’s leading investment managers,” said Cameron Pratt, Chief Executive Officer of Foulger Pratt. The community will consist of 89 townhomes and 83 single-family detached units situated on 39 acres in Wendell, N.C. – just east of Raleigh. The initial deliveries of homes are expected to be available for lease in H1 2024. “We anticipate strong job, population, and household growth in this emerging submarket and believe this property will be well-positioned to offer an affordable rent alternative, a high quality of life, as well as easy access to key employment centers and top-tier universities,” said Kevin Miller, Barings’ Head of Real Estate Acquisitions, Eastern U.S. Barings has been investing in U.S. real estate equity for nearly 30 years and today has $35.5 billion* in U.S. real estate AUM across equity and debt, with nearly 130 dedicated real estate investment professionals across six U.S. offices managing more than 550 assets.

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Real Estate Investment

Shopoff Realty Investments Sells Fully Entitled Moss Street Townhome Development in Chula Vista

PR Newswire | October 05, 2023

Shopoff Realty Investments ("Shopoff"), a national manager of opportunistic and value-add real estate investments, announced today that the company has successfully sold its 141-unit Moss Street Townhome project to Shea Homes. "This townhome development will be a wonderful addition to this evolving neighborhood of Chula Vista that will also soon be home to the $1 billion Chula Vista Bayfront Redevelopment Project, located less than one mile away," explained Shopoff Realty Investments President and CEO William Shopoff. The 6.94-acre property is located in Chula Vista, California, at the intersection of Moss Street and Industrial Blvd. Formerly approved for light industrial uses, Shopoff worked diligently with the City of Chula Vista to secure project entitlements. The entitlements allow the property to be developed into a gated housing community featuring 141 three-story attached townhomes. "Future residents will be able to enjoy the area's robust amenities for years to come, and we are proud to see this property move forward towards development, bringing some much-needed housing to the area," Shopoff added. About Shopoff Realty Investments Shopoff Realty Investments is an Irvine, California-based real estate firm with a 31-year history of value-add and opportunistic investing across the United States. The company primarily focuses on proactively generating appreciation through the repositioning of commercial income-producing properties, the entitlement of land assets and development projects. The 31-year history includes operating as Asset Recovery Fund, Eastbridge Partners and Shopoff Realty Investments (formerly known as The Shopoff Group). Performance has varied in this time frame, with certain offerings generating losses.

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