AXA Real Estate emerged as the most active real estate investor in Europe in 2013, according to a survey conducted by PropertyEU in January/February 2014.

AXA Real Estate emerged as the most active real estate investor in Europe in 2013, according to a survey conducted by PropertyEU in January/February 2014.

The Paris-based fund manager heads the overall ranking for total transaction volume including acquisitions and disposals.

In total, AXA Real Estate transacted €6 bn in 2013, including €2.8 bn in acquisitions. Its biggest deal last year involved the Ropemaker Place building in London which it acquired from British Land for €573 mln. Deutsche Asset and Wealth Management (DeAWM) ranked second with a total of €4.8 bn. Like AXA Real Estate, it sold more than it bought but the gap between the two was significantly bigger for the real estate arm of Deutsche Bank.

While AXA Real Estate heads the overall ranking and also leads in terms of disposals, the biggest spender last year was Germany’s Patrizia Immobilien. The Augsburg-based company forked out no less than €4.1 bn in 2013, followed at some distance by M&G Real Estate (formerly Prupim) and AXA Real Estate.

Patrizia has been on a veritable spending spree over the past few years. In addition to buying two large residential portfolios in Germany valued at almost €4 bn, it ventured into the UK last year and acquired London-based real estate investment manager Tamar Capital Group.

The company is also expanding fast in terms of assets under management which have doubled over the past two years to €13 bn at end-2013. Overall, however, AXA Real Estate also leads in terms of AUM, with a total of €47.7 bn. The definitive ranking of leading real estate investment managers in Europe based on AUM will be published in October as part of our annual Top 100 Investors publication.

The 2014 PropertyEU ranking of the 50 Most Active Real Estate Investors in Europe is based on a survey sent out in January 2014 to both listed and non-listed investment managers active in Europe. We received just over 50 responses to the survey. Additional data on an additional 100 companies was compiled from our own database and desk research and forms the basis of another Top 50 of unranked players.

The full results of the survey and a total overview of the cities and sectors in which Europe's leading investors were active last year is available in our new publication Top 100 Investors, Cities & Sectors. The publication will be available at MIPIM next week where hostesses will be handing them out at the entrance of the Palais des Festivals. Alternatively, visit our booth at the Frankfurt stand at the Riviera hall R33.07 to pick up your own copy and speak to our team. Premium subscribers can click on the following link to read Top 100 Investors, Cities & Sectors online.