F&C REIT, which manages €6.9bn in assets, has announced it will rebrand to BMO Real Estate Partners next month.

BMO Real Estate Partners will encompass F&C REIT’s existing real estate fund management services and offices in the UK, Germany, France and Ireland.

A growth strategy F&C had in place prior to its takeover last year by BMO Global Asset Management is being adhered to, a spokesman said.

BMO’s plans to open more offices in Europe may evolve in the longer term, the spokesman said, with new recruits likely to be hired in the coming months.

The F&C REIT division last month recruited Ian Kelley as fund director for Europe and head of France. 

Kelley was previously at CBRE Global Investors.

Leo Noé, executive chairman at BMO Real Estate Partners, said: “Our new name marks an exciting time for the business, with greater scope for developing and distributing our capabilities across BMO’s North American and global teams, whilst maintaining our real estate boutique qualities.”

F&C said its institutional, intermediated retail and wholesale business would be re-branded as BMO Global Asset Management, while no fund names are changing.