Five years into the global economy’s recovery, interest rates remain low by historical standards. As such, investors’ hunt for yield is intensifying. Fixed-income returns are low, and stock market returns are volatile, pushing investors into alternatives such as real estate.

As the recovery in the global economy and real estate markets transitions into a broader cyclical upswing — with activity supported by improving underlying growth prospects, a favorable policy environment, lower energy prices and stronger U.S. consumer spending — the weight of capital targeting property continues to increase, and transaction volumes continue to grow.

The FundTracker database, a product of Institutional Real Estate, Inc., reflects five years of steadily increasing amounts raised for real estate funds around the world, crowned by 2014’s $91.7 billion — nearly twice the $46.8 billion raised in 2010. In addition, global property deal flow rose by 9 percent to $770 billion i