UK investment giants eye US real estate as market outlook brightens

Two of the UK’s largest investment firms, Legal & General and Schroders, are gearing up to invest substantial capital in the US commercial real estate market.

Both firms, which collectively manage over £1.9 trillion ($2.5 trillion) in assets, plan to avoid the troubled office sector, instead opting for more resilient asset classes, according a report in Reuters.

The fund managers, Legal & General and Schroders, have been building up their US real estate teams in anticipation of a recovery in property prices, which are expected to rebound as interest rates decline.

Despite a global drop in property prices—especially within the US office sector due to rising borrowing costs and the increased adoption of remote work—Legal & General’s CEO António Simões remains confident in the long-term potential of US real estate.

He emphasized that the fundamentals of the market remain robust, with the US presenting a key growth opportunity for the company, Reuters further reported.

While the US office sector has suffered from an oversupply and reduced demand, recent cuts to interest rates have improved the outlook.

Last week, the Federal Reserve implemented a significant 50 basis point reduction, boosting investor optimism.

Experts suggest that US property markets tend to recover faster than their European counterparts, with lenders and developers responding more swiftly to changing conditions.

Legal & General’s US expansion plans

Legal & General is set to substantially grow its US real estate equity portfolio, aiming to add hundreds of millions of dollars over the coming years.

The company is also expanding its real estate debt business with similar financial commitments.

To support this expansion, Legal & General has established a team of approximately 20 people based in Chicago, focusing particularly on rental housing across the country, which has shown resilience compared to office properties.

Schroders targets growing US real estate portfolio

Schroders, another key player, plans to significantly increase its exposure to US real estate.

Currently, its US equity portfolio stands in the tens of millions of dollars but is expected to grow into the hundreds of millions over the medium term.

The firm’s recent investment in a pan-American data center portfolio signals one of its first moves in this direction.

“We view the Federal Reserve’s journey toward normalized interest rates as unlocking pent-up demand,” Michelle Russell-Dowe, co-head of private debt and credit alternatives at Schroders Capital, told Reuters.

The firm is also exploring opportunities in the real estate debt market, a space left underserved as banks face stricter capital requirements.

The shift in lending dynamics presents a unique opportunity for non-traditional lenders.

“The scale of the opportunity is massive,” noted Jeffrey Williams, a US-based investor at Schroders.

As banks pull back from commercial real estate lending, there is a financing gap that Schroders and other investors are poised to fill.

However, Schroders has not ruled out investments in office properties entirely, provided they are high-quality developments in strong locations.

Phoenix Group joins the fray

Phoenix Group, another prominent British insurer, has also indicated its intention to ramp up investments in US real estate through its asset management arm, which oversees around £290 billion.

While the company declined to provide specific details, it confirmed plans for considerable investments in the sector.

With the US real estate market poised for recovery, British investors are positioning themselves strategically, ready to capitalize on opportunities as interest rates fall and demand resurges.

The post UK investment giants eye US real estate as market outlook brightens appeared first on Invezz