US investor Karlin Real Estate has added to its UK commercial portfolio with the acquisition of a distribution building in Ellesmere Port and an office building in Solihull in the UK.

US investor Karlin Real Estate has added to its UK commercial portfolio with the acquisition of a distribution building in Ellesmere Port and an office building in Solihull in the UK.

The transactions totalled £18 million (€21 mln), said David Cohen, Karlin Real Estate co-founder and CEO of Karlin Asset Management.

Karlin acquired Phoenix, a 38,000 m2 industrial building leased to Jaguar Land Rover, from Property fund manager Highcross.

Built in 2001, the building is situated on a secured 8.5-hectare site. The property is located within the Hooton Supplier Park along the River Mersey and is served by the Port of Liverpool. Knight Frank represented Karlin and Cushman & Wakefield advised the seller.

In a separate transaction, Karlin acquired the freehold interest in Earlswood Court, a modern two-storey 3,840 m2 commercial office building in Solihull near Birmingham, from Helix Property Advisors. Since its completion in 2002, the building has been occupied by The Paragon Group of Companies, a UK based consumer finance and mortgage lender. CBRE Birmingham represented Karlin and Fineman Ross advised the seller.

In August, Karlin Real Estate, the real estate investment arm of Los Angeles-based Karlin Asset Management, marked its entry into the European commercial real estate market with the €19 mln acquisition of a office building in Peterborough, UK.

The firm, which plans to invest up to $1 bn (€733 mln) in the UK and select European markets, has a portfolio of more than 464,000 m2 of office, multifamily, retail and industrial assets and 120 hectares of commercial land in the US.