INREV, the European Association for Investors in Non-Listed Real Estate Vehicles, a non-profit association incorporated in the Netherlands, was launched in 2003 with the goal of increasing the role of non-listed real estate funds in institutional real estate portfolios by promoting greater transparency, accessibility, professionalism and standards of best practice. INREV is now the leading platform for the sharing and dissemination of knowledge concerning the European non-listed real estate fund market.

You can run but you can’t hide. Policymakers and legislators in the European Union have a long memory and a long reach. They also have a nasty habit of coming back for you if they don’t get you first time. If you see them coming, you might as well give in. It’s a bit like being pulled up by the traffic police — you’ve got flashing blue lights behind you, they think they’ve seen you commit a transgression, they check your documents, issue a fixed penalty notice and always think they’re right.

Asian pension and sovereign wealth funds have become increasingly active in US and European real estate markets in recent years. Distressed deals thrown up by the global financial crisis have served only to whet their ongoing appetite for involvement in these overseas markets as they adjust their portfolio strategies in order to best manage their liabilities in these uncertain economic times.