NEW YORK CITY—Continuing Blackstone's recent foray into multifamily, the sale of the 32-property portfolio is "a testament to our core competency of sourcing underperforming assets and creating value," says Greystar chairman Bob Faith.

LONDON—The acquisition of a stake from Irish Life Assurance illustrates Madison International Realty's strategy of allowing global real estate investors to partially monetize the value of their ownership stakes," says the firm's Alex Lukesch.

PHILADELPHIA—However, that doesn't necessarily spell the end of Pep Boys' $835-million merger agreement with Bridgestone Retail Operations, first announced in October.

FRAMINGHAM, MA—Staples and Office Depot said Monday that the Federal Trade Commission's challenge to their merger was based on "a flawed analysis and misunderstanding of the intense competitive landscape" in which they operate.

NEW YORK CITY—The consolidation of its ownership interests at the 36-story Midtown office property was one of several sales and leasing transactions the REIT announced Monday morning.

MEXICO CITY—Emile Sarraf and Guillermo Sepulveda have been hired from the former DTZ Mexico office to run the new operation, expanding Avison Young's coverage to all of North America.

NEWPORT BEACH, CA—"Cap rates look low when they're compared to corporate bond yields," says Peter Rothemund at Green Street Advisors.

SAN FRANCISCO—In the single-family housing sector in particular, new construction falls well short of "the job-driven demand that's coming back into the marketplace," Marcus & Millichap's Hessam Nadji told CNBC interviewers.