NEW YORK CITY-Exploring ways to unlock this value, either for reinvestment into the business or other uses, could have a highly positive impact on both efficient use of capital and market perception.

NEW YORK CITY-A new and increasingly challenging environment is emerging within the real estate private equity funds sector.

A trend that began slowly several years ago has started to gain momentum. Increasingly, businesses with a substantial amount of real estate have been approaching the IRS for a private letter ruling, granting them permission to realign their businesses under a REIT structure.

Rent-to-buy has been a fragmented business restricted largely to individuals buying and renting out second homes as vacation homes. Now, the numbers point to a new trend among sophisticated real estate investors.

The landscape in which real estate private equity funds operate is changing, and these changes are directly impacting their terms and operating models.

The increasingly sophisticated investor needs to watch global trends as attractive investment opportunities can emerge from anywhere around the globe.