Following a second quarter slowdown, fundraising activity stormed back in the third quarter, raising $41.3 billion, the highest third quarter total ever — surpassing the $37.2 billion raised in Q3/2018 — and the fifth-highest quarterly total ever recorded in this 15-year data series, according to Institutional Real Estate, Inc.’s IREI.Q database. The only quarters to post higher totals were Q1/2019 ($66.6 billion), Q2/2008 ($57.2 billion), Q2/2007 ($48.1 billion) and Q2/2020 ($47.1 billion).

Through the first nine months of the year, 156 new funds have launched, equaling the last year’s 12-month total. A total of 51 new investment funds were launched during third quarter 2021, the highest number of fund launchings since third quarter 2017 when 51 funds were launched. The new investment funds are seeking to raise an aggregate of approximately $46.2 billion, close to second quarter’s fundraising target of $46.6 billion and first quarter's fundraising target of $48.2 billion.