Thursday, June 18, 2026
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SMBC Group to Bring 2,000 Office Jobs to Charlotte for New Banking Hub

by John Nelson

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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AcquisitionsCompany NewsRetailTexasTop StoriesWestern

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

by Hayden Spiess

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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AcquisitionsAffordable HousingCompany NewsFloridaMultifamilyNorth CarolinaSoutheastTop Stories

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

by John Nelson

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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Company NewsGeorgiaSeniors HousingSoutheastStudent Housing

Landmark Properties Enters Seniors Housing Sector

by John Nelson

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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AcquisitionsCompany NewsGeorgiaMarylandMultifamilyNorth CarolinaSoutheastTop StoriesVirginia

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

by John Nelson

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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Company NewsIndustrialSelf-StorageTop Stories

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

by Taylor Williams

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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Simon-Shaw
AcquisitionsCompany NewsTop Stories

Savills Agrees to Acquire Eastdil Secured for $1.1B

by Hayden Spiess

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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Company NewsGeorgiaIndustrialOfficeSoutheast

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

by John Nelson

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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AcquisitionsCompany NewsFloridaSoutheast

New State Capital Partners Acquires Vast Coworking Group

by Abby Cox

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
AcquisitionsCompany NewsMidwestMissouriNorth CarolinaRetailSoutheastTop Stories

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

by Abby Cox

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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