The former Head of European Strategic Partnerships at LaSalle Investment Management Brett is an expert in institutional investing as well as global client services. Also according to the news, one big reason for CBRE creating this new role was the large proportion of commercial investment across the EU in 2012, as well as the percentage of Asian and other offshore investors engaging the London market. Concerning Brett’s new position, Simon Blake, Head of Capital Markets, UK, CBRE had this to offer:

“While global real estate investors continue to acknowledge London as one of the most liquid, stable and prestigious markets, they are now also turning to opportunities across the UK and in other key European markets. This interest is being driven by improving confidence in real estate as well as the emergence of new investors with a wider range of return requirements. Chris’ arrival at our firm will allow us to further strengthen our relationships with these investors and enhance our ability to provide all our clients with the highest levels of service and advice in the market.”

For those unfamiliar, CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG) is a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles. The world’s largest commercial real estate investment firm, the company employs some 37,000 plus professionals in 300 offices worldwide.

For more information about this news, or about CBRE, please visit the links above, or contact Jonathan Tutton – UK Communications Manager, CBRE at:  +44 (0) 2071823337

The new record is also eight times higher that the 2009 amount invested in student accommodation, the market analysis revealed. Last year’s biggest transaction in this real estate investment segment was the the recapitalization of University Partnerships Programme (UPP) Regional Portfolio. Barcap’s 60% stake in UPP’s assets, estimated at £840 million, has been recapitalized by Dutch pension fund manager PGGM.

‘Although the number of student applications and acceptances fell in 2012, capital committed to the sector has grown dramatically over the last 12 months,’ said Jo Winchester, head of Student Advisory, CBRE. ‘Our latest 2012 data shows that student housing is outperforming other asset classes by some margin, as it has delivered 9.6% total returns in 2012. This compares to 4.4% for all offices and 2.2% for all retail over the same period,’ she explained.

The specialist student funds and developers are expanding their domination of the student accommodation investment segment as they deploy larger amounts of money both within London and in other regions across the UK, improving the health of the overall UK market.

‘As an investment, student accommodation is relatively low risk and provides a secure income. Occupancy levels remain high, especially when compared to the vacancy rates in some mainstream sectors, and most university towns remain undersupplied,’ she added.

This new data clearly show an ongoing demand for student accommodation throughout the UK, a demand shown by both students and investors interested in a lucrative, counter cyclical asset class, Ray Withers, chief executive of property company Property Frontiers explained:

‘We have seen no let up in the volume of student property enquiries received in 2012 and are aware of the ever increasing numbers of projects being brought to market. Student property remains attractive as an investment where there is an imbalance between supply and demand but in some cities, supply issues are being met and so investors should, as ever, do their research and select the right place to invest.’

The report shows a great contrast between prime assets in key locations and the rest of CEE countries, the difference only getting bigger. Quality asset in Warsaw, Moscow and Prague are quite attractive, while the rest of the CEE region shows extremely feeble interest when it comes to commercial real estate investments.

Offices are the most liquid segment, amounting for 44% of the volume, according to the report, but that is due to a low supply in quality retail assets. The industrial segment is also showing some increase in investment interest, a trend to watch in 2013.

“Due to high levels of vacancy and relatively low net absorption in recent years, investment in the office segment in Prague has remained low. Prime assets are in demand, however, and are proving difficult to obtain,” said Jos Tromp, Head of CEE Research & Consultancy, CBRE. “The purchase of City Green Court by Deka from Skanska for around €54 million confirmed the prime yield levels quoted for Prague. In Warsaw more offices were traded during 2012; however, investors have also started to price in the risk of vacancy increasing over the next 12-18 months.”

Mike Atwell, Head of CEE Capital Markets, CBRE, added:

“With the pricing of prime office assets relatively stable in most segments and markets, thus far pricing for secondary offices – even in the most liquid cities – has moved by at least 75-100 basis points to date. Some investors have started to show interest for value-add opportunities in prime office locations in order to pro-actively prepare for the anticipated increasing vacancy. The yield gap between prime offices in the capital and regional cities amounts to around 150 bps. Generally the gap between prime and secondary is expected to increase through to the end of 2013.”

Mr. David Block. Image courtesy of Canadien

“We are extremely proud of the success Steven and David have displayed,” said Robert Caruso, MD of CBRE in Westchester/Fairfield when making the announcement. “Their knowledge of the market and client dedication speaks for themselves. Both of them have been major fixers in a number of important deals and fully deserve their promotions.”

For more than 16 years, realtor Steven Greenbush has shown himself to be one of commercial real estate’s leading executive, with his disciplined approach to each transaction he undertakes.

Greenbush specializes in representing owners and tenants, and has made his mark on numerous high-profile transactions for his clients, such as a 100,000 square foot lease by the Metromedia Fiber Network Company, a 146,000 square foot deal for Ascent Media, and Reed Elsevier’s 90,000 square foot lease.

Mr. Greenbush and Mr. Block were behind numerous high profile deals. Image courtesy of Train RE

Mr. Greenbush has also taken part in a number of assignments on behalf of Hines Interest, Hampshire Companies and Oaktree Capital, amongst others. Meanwhile his other achievements include assisting several leading private equity firms, which are renowned for the complexity of their real estate dealings, such as Pequot Capital, Paloma Partners, Ziff Brothers Investments and Alinda Capital.

Mr. Block, who joined CBRE in 1993, has cemented his reputation as one of the top brokers in the real estate industry during his time with the firm. Through utilizing the firm’s global platform, he has been able to provide a service that is simply unparalleled, assisting clients at both national and international levels.

CB Richard Ellis. Image courtesy of Rebuilding Together

Since his move to CB Richard Ellis, Mr. Block has been the prime mover in over three million square feet’s worth of lease transactions, such as the 250,00 square feet deal for the Blue Sky Studios news group, and the 117,000 square feet transaction for the Lindenmeyr Munroe subsidiary company.

A number of prominent agency assignments have also been handled by Mr. Block, such as the 625,000 square feet deal for the Related Properties firm which is based in Purchase, New York, and a 410,000 square feet deal for Carter, based in Norwalk, Connecticut.

In addition to his tenant and owner representation services, Mr. Block has also made a name for himself for his fine achievements in providing clients with assistance with strategic planning, investment sales, consulting and property portfolio management throughout Connecticut and New York.

CBRE’s participation in the ENERGY STAR program is a large part of the organization’s dedication to protecting the environment.  All of its office buildings are registered with ENERGY STAR, covering more than 50,000 square feet.  As a result this type of commitment, CBRE has been recognized as CBRE Partner of the Year for four consecutive years.  The ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award is the highest honor the EPA gives and reflects CBRE long-term dedication.

“We are again greatly honored to be recognized by the EPA, and this award attests to the continued efforts of our clients, employees and tenants who work hard to make a difference,” said David Pogue, national director of sustainability and head of the Company’s green initiative in the Americas region.

As a commercial real estate company, CBRE’s energy efficient practices are handed down to property managers and tenants, and all of them have cooperated in achieving the company’s green goals.

CBRE is the largest commercial real estate services firm in the world, with around 31,000 employees and 300 executive offices.  Its areas of business include properties, facilities, and project management, mortgage banking, research and consultation, corporate services, sales and leasing, and appraisal and valuation.  The company manages 2.4 billion square feet of property.  Because of CBRE’s commitment to corporate responsibility, including energy efficiency, it was named to the “Honor Roll” of Companies That Care.