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SMBC Group to Bring 2,000 Office Jobs to Charlotte for New Banking Hub

John Nelson — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:38:50 +0000

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC Group), one of Japan’s largest financial institutions, has announced it is bringing approximately 2,000 new jobs to Charlotte. The Tokyo-based banking firm is investing $50.5 million over the next six years to establish its second North American headquarters, according to the office of North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein. The governor and North Carolina economic development officials met with SMBC leadership at a Tokyo conference in fall 2025 as part of the deal. Specific details of the new hub were not disclosed, but Charlotte Business Journal reports that SMBC Group will occupy more than 200,000 square feet of office space at 301 South College, a 42-story tower in the city’s Uptown district formerly known as One Wells Fargo Center. The outlet reports that SMBC will sublease space that Wells Fargo vacated in 2024.

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Ares to Acquire Whitestone REIT for $1.7B, Take Company Private

Hayden Spiess — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:13:00 +0000

LOS ANGELES AND HOUSTON — Investment firm Ares Management Corp. (NYSE: ARES) has entered into a definitive merger agreement with Whitestone REIT (NYSE: WSR) to purchase the company. Ares will acquire all outstanding Whitestone common shares and operating partnership units for $19 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at roughly $1.7 billion. Upon closing of the transaction, which is expected in the third quarter, Whitestone will become a private company and will no longer trade on the New York Stock Exchange. Houston-based Whitestone is a real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on open-air neighborhood retail markets. As of March 2026, Whitestone’s portfolio comprised 56 retail properties totaling approximately 3.9 million square feet, including retail centers in Phoenix; Austin, Texas; the Dallas-Fort Worth metro; Houston and San Antonio. “Whitestone’s portfolio provides an attractive opportunity to further diversify Ares Real Estate’s footprint with necessity-based retail centers in high-demand, supply-constrained metro regions across Arizona and Texas,” says David Roth, global head of real estate strategy and growth with Ares Real Estate. Whitestone’s board of trustees unanimously approved the transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by Whitestone’s shareholders. “We believe this transaction with Ares is a testament to the…

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Sun Life to Acquire Bell Partners, Combine With BGO Following Buy-Out of Remaining Equity Stake

John Nelson — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

TORONTO, MIAMI AND GREENSBORO, N.C. — Sun Life Financial Inc. (NYSE: SLF), a Toronto-based financial services organization with $1.6 trillion in assets under management as of year-end 2025, has announced it will acquire Bell Partners, a multifamily investment and management firm based in Greensboro. The acquisition was valued at $350 million and is expected to grow Sun Life’s U.S. multifamily segment. Founded in 1976, Bell Partners has approximately $10 billion of assets under management as of March 1 and manages approximately 70,000 apartments in 12 regions across the United States. The firm operates nine U.S. offices and has close to 1,800 employees. Last year, Bell Partners closed more than $1.3 billion in multifamily acquisitions. “This opportunity will extend Bell’s operating and investment expertise across a larger residential platform and strengthen our depth and reach,” says Lili Dunn, CEO and president of Bell Partners. “It is a natural step in our evolution, preserving the essence of what has made us successful, while also opening new opportunities for the future.” In a separate transaction, Sun Life acquired the remaining 44 percent equity stake of Miami-based BGO, a global real estate investment management firm formerly known as BentallGreenOak, in a deal valued at…

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Landmark Properties Enters Seniors Housing Sector

John Nelson — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 13:21:46 +0000

ATHENS, GA. — Landmark Properties, an Athens-based residential developer primarily known for its nationwide portfolio of student housing communities, has announced its expansion into the seniors housing sector. The firm plans to pursue both ground-up development and acquisition opportunities in the senior living space. “Seniors housing sits at an attractive inflection point, having made a meaningful recovery from a unique black swan event and now exhibiting a pronounced supply-demand imbalance,” says Walt Templin, president and chief investment officer of Landmark. “This dynamic creates a compelling entry point for Landmark to leverage its vertically integrated platform.” Landmark has appointed Shashank Goel to lead the company’s entry into seniors housing. Goel will serve as senior director of U.S. seniors housing investment management. Goel, who has more than 10 years of experience in seniors housing, most recently served as assistant vice president at Harrison Street.

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AH Realty Trust Agrees to Sell 11-Property Multifamily Portfolio to Harbor Group for $562M

John Nelson — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

VIRGINIA BEACH AND NORFOLK, VA. — AH Realty Trust (NYSE: AHRT), a Virginia Beach-based real estate investment trust (REIT) that changed its name from Armada Hoffler two weeks ago, has agreed to sell 11 of its 14 apartment properties to Norfolk-based Harbor Group International LLC for $562 million in an all-cash transaction. The deal marks an effort by AH Realty to pivot away from the multifamily sector. Harbor Group has provided a $15 million nonrefundable deposit for the transaction, which the companies say is not contingent on financing. The portfolio sale is expected to close in mid‑2026, subject to customary closing conditions. “HGI is acquiring a strong, stable portfolio that has served our company well,” says Shawn Tibbetts, chairman, president and CEO of AH Realty Trust. “By realizing the value of these assets, AH Realty Trust is able to simplify our business, strengthen our balance sheet and continue executing our strategy with clarity and purpose.” According to multiple media outlets, including the Baltimore Business Journal, the assets in the portfolio include: AH Realty Trust will retain Smith’s Landing, a five-story, 284-unit property in Blacksburg, Va. The firm will also keep The Everly and Solis Gainesville in Gainesville, Ga., with the intention…

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Public Storage Agrees to Acquire National Storage Affiliates in $10.5B Deal

Taylor Williams — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 11:57:00 +0000

FRISCO, TEXAS AND GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLO. — Public Storage (NYSE: PSA) has entered into an agreement to acquire National Storage Affiliates (NYSE: NSA) in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $10.5 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, which is expected to close in the third quarter, NSA shareholders will receive 0.14 of a share of Public Storage common stock for each NSA share they own. The same arrangement applies to shareholders of operating partnership (OP) units of NSA. The price represents a total consideration of $41.68 per share based on Public Storage’s closing per-share price of $297.72 on March 13, 2026. “Public Storage is the ideal strategic fit for our company given their best-in-class brand, operating platform and future growth profile, said David Cramer, CEO of NSA. “By joining PSA, we ensure that the entrepreneurial spirit of our regional partners is preserved within a global platform capable of driving unprecedented scale.” Immediately prior to closing, Public Storage and limited partners in NSA’s OP will form a joint venture that will consist of 313 properties on NSA’s operating platform comprising 19.6 million rentable square feet across 28 states and Puerto Rico. The estimated value of this joint venture is approximately $3.3…

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Savills Agrees to Acquire Eastdil Secured for $1.1B

Hayden Spiess — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 11:48:00 +0000

NEW YORK CITY — London-based real estate brokerage firm Savills has entered into an agreement to acquire global advisory firm and real estate investment bank firm Eastdil Secured for roughly $1.1 billion. The transaction is expected to close following the satisfaction of customary regulatory and closing conditions. Under the terms of the agreement, Savills will purchase all of the equity of Eastdil, which has its U.S. headquarters in New York City. Originally founded in 1967 and acquired by Wells Fargo in 1999, Eastdil Realty merged with real estate investment banking firm Secured Capital Corp. in 2006, forming Eastdil Secured. In 2019, Temasek and Guggenheim Investments acquired Eastdil, with Wells Fargo retaining a minority ownership interest. Eastdil Secured will continue to operate its existing business model within Savills Group, serving as the company’s global real estate investment bank and maintaining headquarters in New York City, Santa Monica, California, and London. In connection with the acquisition, Eastdil has announced changes to its executive leadership, effective immediately. Roy March, CEO, has been appointed executive chairman. D. Michael Van Konynenburg has been appointed CEO, and James McCaffrey will now serve as president. Van Konynenburg and McCaffrey will also join the Savills Group executive board. …

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Yamaha Motor Co. to Move U.S. Headquarters to Kennesaw, Georgia

John Nelson — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 13:58:19 +0000

KENNESAW, GA. — Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd. has announced plans to move its U.S. headquarters to the northern Atlanta suburb of Kennesaw after nearly 50 years of operation in Cypress, Calif. Yamaha Motor, which manufactures ATVs, boat engines, jet skis and other motorized products, has a strong presence in Georgia already. The Japanese-based company employs 2,300 Georgians at its 1.3 million-square-foot factory in Newnan and its marine and motorsports divisions in Kennesaw, which includes the 75,000-square-foot Marine Innovation Center that opened in 2023. Yamaha Motor Co. will begin its corporate relocation from California to Kennesaw this year and complete the process in 2028.

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New State Capital Partners Acquires Vast Coworking Group

Abby Cox — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 14:13:57 +0000

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. AND WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. — Private equity firm New State Capital Partners has acquired West Palm Beach-based Vast Coworking Group, which operates more than 200 coworking offices across the world, spanning roughly 2.7 million square feet and serving 70,000 members. The coworking company’s brands include VentureX, Office Evolution and the Intelligent Office. Jason Anderson will continue to serve as CEO of Vast. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP was New State Capital’s legal counsel, while Ice Miller LLP and Boxwood Partners represented the seller, United Franchise Group. Additional terms of the transaction were not disclosed. This purchase marks New State Capital’s second major investment from its fourth investment fund.

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Six Flags to Sell Seven Theme Parks to EPR Properties for $331M

Abby Cox — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 12:45:00 +0000

CHARLOTTE, N.C. AND KANSAS CITY, MO. — Charlotte-based Six Flags Entertainment Corp. (NYSE: FUN), the world’s largest regional theme park operator, has entered into a definitive agreement to sell seven of its amusement parks for $331 million in cash. Kansas City-based EPR Properties (NYSE: EPR), an experiential and entertainment real estate investment trust, was the buyer. The parks total more than 1,600 acres combined and draw approximately 4.5 million visitors annually. “Consistent with our strategy, this divestiture enables us to concentrate our capital, leadership and operational focus on the properties that we believe generate the strongest returns and offer the greatest long-term upside,” says John Reilly, president and CEO of Six Flags. Six Flags will sell a list of parks including Valleyfair in Minneapolis; Worlds of Fun in Kansas City; Michigan’s Adventure in Grand Rapids, Mich.; Schlitterbahn Waterpark Galveston in Galveston, Texas; Six Flags St. Louis in St. Louis; Six Flags Great Escape in Queensbury, N.Y.; and Six Flags La Ronde in Montreal. Florida-based Enchanted Parks, a newly formed owner-operator entity that was formerly known as Innovative Attraction Management, is partnering with EPR Properties to lease and operate the six U.S. parks, while La Ronde Operations Inc. will lease and operate…

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Doherty Industrial Group Rebrands as DSD Industrial

Amy Works — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 14:11:38 +0000

LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas-based Doherty Industrial Group has rebranded as DSD Industrial. The new name formalizes the team’s longstanding operational structure, led by Daniel Doherty, Paul Sweetland and Jerry Doty. DSD Industrial specializes in industrial leasing, investment sales and land transactions. The firm says its significant market activity provides its team with real-time data on pricing and demand shifts enabling a disciplined, transaction-based approach to client advisory. DSD Industrial is supported by the global platform of Colliers.

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Affinius Capital-Led Consortium Agrees to Acquire Veris Residential in $3.4B Go-Private Deal

John Nelson — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 12:59:00 +0000

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — An investor consortium led by Affinius Capital has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire Veris Residential Inc. (NYSE: VRE), a multifamily real estate investment trust (REIT) based in Jersey City. As of Dec. 31, 2025, the company’s portfolio spanned more than 6,500 units in the Northeast, as well as $35 million in land bank holdings. Under the terms of the agreement, the consortium, which also includes Vista Hill Partners, will purchase Veris in an all-cash transaction for $19 per share of the REIT’s common stock, with represents an implied enterprise value of $3.4 billion. As a result of the transaction, Veris will no longer be publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Mahbod Nia, CEO of Veris, says the merger represents the culmination of a multi-year transformation of the company that began in 2020, when the firm, then known as Mack-Cali Realty Corp., established its ESG committee. “Over the past five years, we have undertaken meaningful steps to pivot away from office, simplifying and focusing the business, strengthening our balance sheet and enhancing our operational platform,” says Nia. The transaction price reflects a 23.2 percent premium to Veris’ unaffected closing share price on Wednesday,…

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Brookfield to Acquire Peakstone Realty Trust in $1.2B Transaction

John Nelson — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 13:00:00 +0000

NEW YORK CITY AND EL SEGUNDO, CALIF. — Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE: BAM) has entered into a definitive agreement in which one of the firm’s private real estate funds will acquire the outstanding shares of Peakstone Realty Trust (NYSE: PKST), an industrial REIT that has a strategic focus on the industrial outdoor storage (IOS) sector. The El Segundo-based company, which sold off its final office assets in December, currently owns 76 industrial properties, including 60 IOS assets. At a proposed price of $21 per share, the all-cash transaction represents an implied enterprise value of approximately $1.2 billion. The price represents a 34 percent premium relative to Peakstone’s share price on Jan. 30, the last full trading day prior to the announcement. “This transaction recognizes the value of our industrial portfolio and the progress we have made expanding our IOS platform,” says Michael Escalante, CEO of Peakstone. At the conclusion of the acquisition, Peakstone will be a privately held company and will be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange. Founded in 2009 as Griffin Realty Trust, the company was rebranded as Griffin Capital Essential Asset REIT in January 2023 and then as Peakstone Realty Trust in 2021. For Brookfield, the…

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Makarora, Ares Complete $2.1B Acquisition of Plymouth Industrial REIT

Taylor Williams — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 16:16:47 +0000

NEW YORK CITY AND BOSTON — Affiliates of New York City-based investment firm Makarora Management and global investment firm Ares Management Corp. (NYSE: ARE) have completed the $2.1 billion, all-cash acquisition of Boston-based Plymouth Industrial REIT. Under the terms of the deal, which was announced last fall, Plymouth shareholders will receive $22 for each share of common stock they own, and Plymouth will no longer be traded or listed on any public securities exchange. The transaction also calls for the acquiring entities to assume certain pieces of Plymouth’s outstanding debt. The purchase price represents a premium of approximately 50 percent to Plymouth’s unaffected closing common stock price on August 18, 2025. That date marks the last trading day prior to the filing of a Schedule 13D by affiliates of Sixth Street Partners LLC disclosing a nonbinding proposal to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Plymouth’s common stock.

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MCB Real Estate Completes Acquisition of Epic Real Estate Partners

John Nelson — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 15:45:52 +0000

BALTIMORE AND AUSTIN, TEXAS — MCB Real Estate, a privately held commercial real estate investment management and development firm based in Baltimore with more than $4 billion in assets under management (AUM), has completed the acquisition of Austin-based Epic Real Estate Partners. The transaction includes the operation of 15 grocery-anchored shopping centers totaling just over 2 million square feet of retail space across 10 states, with a total portfolio value exceeding $575 million, as well as the operating company encompassing 13 professionals. The assets were cumulatively 92 percent leased and occupied at the time of the merger, and the ownership structure of all property-level limited partnerships stayed intact as part of the transaction. The new AUM, which average 150,000 square feet in size, include: “The Epic Real Estate Partners portfolio, consisting of institutional-quality and high-performing grocery-anchored retail shopping centers, aligns perfectly with our existing national portfolio, while also providing a strong foothold and strategic presence into new submarkets with extremely favorable long-term growth opportunities,” says P. David Bramble, co-founder and managing partner of MCB. “We have known and respected the Epic team for years, and it was extremely important to retain the professional talent at Epic as part of this transaction,…

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Franklin Street Acquires Hospitality Brokerage Firm Hodges Ward Elliott

John Nelson — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 15:18:09 +0000

TAMPA, FLA. AND ATLANTA — Tampa-based commercial real estate services firm Franklin Street has acquired Hodges Ward Elliott (HWE), a global hospitality brokerage firm based in Atlanta with offices in London, New York City, Miami, Tampa and Dallas. HWE will continue to provide its services under its current name and brand and will keep its leadership and brokerage teams intact. “HWE’s experience with executing institutional deals will benefit Franklin Street as we expand our reach and market share,” says Tony DeSisto, president and chief operating officer at Franklin Street. The company opened offices in Nashville and Dallas last year and recently hired a new regional managing director in Miami. HWE will join the Franklin Street platform and have access to the company’s multiple business verticals, including insurance, project management, capital advisory, leasing and property management. HWE team members have joined existing Franklin Street offices in Atlanta, Dallas, Nashville, Orlando and Tampa. Over the past five years, HWE has completed $17 billion in closed transactions, with 30 deals exceeding $100 million. In 2025, the firm closed $1.5 billion in transactions, including the sale of W London and Viewline Resort Snowmass, Autograph Collection in Colorado.

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Aldi to Open 180 New U.S. Grocery Stores This Year

John Nelson — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 12:55:00 +0000

BATAVIA, ILL. — Aldi, a German discount, small-format grocer, plans to open 180 new stores across 31 states this year. By the end of the year, Aldi will operate approximately 2,800 U.S. grocery stores, including its first Maine location in Portland and 10 new stores in the metro Phoenix area. The grocer has operated stores in the United States for 50 years and has gained a loyal following in recent years as the demand for discount grocery items increases in the face of inflation. The company disclosed that 17 million Americans shopped at Aldi for the first time in 2025. “One in three U.S. households shopped at Aldi this past year, and in 2026, we’re focused on making it even easier for customers to shop our aisles first,” says Atty McGrath, CEO of Aldi U.S. Aldi, whose U.S. headquarters is in Batavia, plans to continue its expansion over the next five years in the Southeast and West regions. In the Southeast, Aldi continues to convert former Winn-Dixie retail locations following Aldi’s acquisition of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket from Southeastern Grocers in 2023. Aldi plans to reposition 80 former Winn-Dixie stores by the end of the year and 200 total by 2027.…

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SoftBank Agrees to Acquire DigitalBridge in $4B Deal

John Nelson — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 14:54:39 +0000

TOKYO AND BOCA RATON, FLA. — SoftBank Group Corp. has agreed to acquire DigitalBridge, a global asset manager based in Boca Raton that invests in data centers, cell towers and fiber networks. The Tokyo-based investment firm is looking to grow its AI and digital infrastructure platforms and capabilities with this acquisition. SoftBank has agreed to indirectly acquire all outstanding shares of DigitalBridge (NYSE: DBRG) for $16 per share, giving the acquisition a total enterprise value of approximately $4 billion. The acquisition price is a 50 percent premium to the unaffected 52-week average closing price as of Dec. 4, 2025. Upon completion of the transaction, which is expected for the second half of the year, DigitalBridge will continue to operate as a separately managed platform led by Marc Ganzi. The board of directors at DigitalBridge has unanimously approved the transaction.

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Joint Venture to Acquire Alexander & Baldwin in $2.3B Deal, Take Hawaiian Company Private

John Nelson — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 12:48:00 +0000

HONOLULU — A joint venture formed by locally based MW Group Ltd. and funds affiliated with Blackstone Real Estate (NYSE: BX) and DivcoWest has entered into a definite merger agreement with Alexander & Baldwin Inc. (NYSE: ALEX), a Honolulu-based owner-operator of shopping centers and other commercial real estate properties. The deal is valued at $2.3 billion, inclusive of outstanding debt, and would take Alexander & Baldwin private. The joint venture plans to acquire all outstanding shares of Alexander & Baldwin for $21.20 per share in an all-cash transaction. The company’s stock price closed last week at $15.22 per share, giving the acquisition price a nearly 40 percent premium. Alexander & Baldwin is the largest owner of grocery-anchored shopping centers in Hawaii. The firm’s overall portfolio spans approximately 4 million square feet and includes 21 retail centers, 14 industrial assets and four office properties, as well as fee interests in 146 acres of ground lease assets. Upon closing of the deal, which is scheduled for the first quarter of 2026, Alexander & Baldwin will become a privately held company but will retain its Honolulu headquarters and maintain its name and brand. The new investment group has announced it will invest $100 million…

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Justice Department, RealPage Settle Lawsuit Over Use of Revenue Management Software in Apartment Rental Pricing

John Nelson — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 16:01:44 +0000

RICHARDSON, TEXAS AND WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Justice Department’s Antitrust Division has reached a settlement with RealPage Inc. as part of its ongoing enforcement against algorithmic coordination, information sharing and other anticompetitive practices in rental housing markets across the country, according to details disclosed in a North Carolina federal court on Monday. The proposed consent judgment, which still requires court approval before it can be implemented, would help restore free market competition in rental markets for millions of American renters, the Justice Department stated in a press release. “Competing companies must make independent pricing decisions, and with the rise of algorithmic and artificial intelligence tools, we will remain at the forefront of vigorous antitrust enforcement,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. Headquartered in Richardson, Texas, RealPage is a provider of revenue management software and services for the conventional multifamily rental housing industry. In a civil antitrust claim filed in North Carolina in August 2024, the Justice Department and the attorneys general of eight states alleged that RealPage’s revenue management software relied on nonpublic, competitively sensitive information shared by landlords to set rental prices. The plaintiffs also alleged that RealPage’s software included features designed…

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