Dominique Moerenhout, CEO of EPRA, participated in a video interview at Nareit’s REITworld: 2019 Annual Conference in Los Angeles.
Moerenhout says EPRA expects to see continued growth of European listed real estate in 2020 due to mergers and acquisitions as well as the rapid growth of the alternative sector, which includes the health care and logistics segments.
At the same time, generalist investors are showing a growing appetite for listed real estate, he said. “It’s going to be a long-term exercise,” he said, but the interest is clearly there.
Meanwhile, Moerenhout said EPRA’s advocacy efforts regarding Solvency II legislation have paid off. Since June 2019, insurance companies in Europe have been able to invest more in the listed real estate sector, he noted. That’s important, he explained, because unlike in the United States, the insurance industry in Europe is three times larger than the pension fund industry.
Moerenhout also said EPRA is working with Nareit and FTSE to develop a new index series.