MetLife begins new year with a splash

MetLife Real Estate Investors has hit the ground running in 2014, using a handful of joint ventures to put together more than 4 million square feet in acquisitions in January — a total that could make any investor blush.

“We are certainly off to a strong start in 2014 with our real estate activity, including our partnerships with SunTrust Bank, Norges Bank and others,” says Robert Merck, senior managing director and global head of real estate for MetLife. “We think that the Tier I markets will continue to offer opportunities in the near-term future for high-quality properties.”

MetLife’s joint venture with Norges Bank Investment Management, which manages the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global, one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds,