Ares Management Real Estate has acquired a portfolio of industrial and logistics assets across the UK from Royal London Asset Management Property.
Financial details were not disclosed.
The 1.2 million ft2 (111,500 m2) portfolio comprises a mix of multi-let industrial and single-let distribution assets with strong tenant line up, spread across a wide range of industries.
Located in key South East and Midlands logistics markets, such as Hams Hall, Wellingborough and Crawley, these assets boast proximity to major motorways and conurbations. Key tenants represent a diverse range of industries, including wholesale trade, transportation, communications, and utilities.
Royal London Asset Management Property will continue to asset manage the portfolio for Ares, ensuring operational continuity and maintaining its commitment to the success of these assets.
Mark Evans, head of property at Royal London Asset Management Property, said: 'This strategic partnership with Ares aligns with our long-term vision to adapt to evolving market dynamics and elevate the overall performance of Royal London Asset Management Property.
'The current landscape offers an opportunity to allocate capital towards growing our development pipeline across the sectors and larger assets, positioning us for sustained growth and success.
'With a strong tenant line-up and a favourable outlook in the industrial market, we recognise this as a timely and advantageous move. Additionally, there are significant prospects to implement refurbishment strategies that will not only improve asset quality but also drive enhanced performance for Ares.'
Wilson Lamont, co-head of European real estate at Ares, said: 'Our acquisition of these assets underscores our positive outlook for the UK logistics market and our ability to take advantage of evolving industry tailwinds over the long-term. We are excited to work with the Royal London Asset Management Property team in managing these assets.
'Looking ahead, following a period of significant repricing, we are seeing signs of stabilisation in certain pockets of the European real estate markets – starting in the UK – and we anticipate a notable increase in transaction activity in 2024. With almost 30 years of transacting in Europe’s major markets, the Ares team is confident that we are well-positioned to capitalise on attractive opportunities to invest in quality assets in our highest-conviction sectors.'
Royal London Asset Management Property manages over 17 million ft2 of industrial and logistics across the UK, with the majority of sites located in the South East. Recent developments include the refurbishment of Atlantic Park, an 800,000 ft2 highly specified all-electric industrial and logistics space in Liverpool City Region’s Freeport.
