Merrill Lynch's flagship City of London headquarters could be put up for sale, according to attendees at EXPO REAL on Monday.

Merrill Lynch's flagship City of London headquarters could be put up for sale, according to attendees at EXPO REAL on Monday.

The 51,000 m2 office building - just a stone's throw from St. Paul's Cathedral - is expected to attract a lot of investor interest if it comes on the market later this year.

'Private equity capital, such as Blackstone, could be interested,' says Richard Divall, head of cross border capital markets for the EMEA region at Colliers.

An affiliate of GIC Real Estate, the real estate investment arm of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation, acquired the property for the equivalent of €612 mln in 2007. It is expected to sell for at least €640 mln, if it comes to market.

The property has won a number of awards over the years, including the 2002 BCO Best Corporate Workplace Award and the AIA London Chapter Design Award.