TORONTO—When the deal closes, the combined investment management teams will have $47 billion of AUM across North America and globally.

NEW YORK CITY—“I see terrific opportunities here,” says Pollack, who joins the asset management giant as CIO of its Blackstone Real Estate Debt Services platform.

TORONTO and DÜSSELDORF, Germany—After the sale closes, the owner of Saks Fifth Avenue in the US will derive about one-third of its revenues from European operations.

WASHINGTON, DC—This month's indices point to “a growing optimism among builders that housing will continue to strengthen in the months ahead,” says David Crowe, chief economist with the National Association of Home Builders.

NEW YORK CITY—Equity Residential's David Neithercut was the only representative of traditional property sectors as he moderated a panel discussion during REITWeek.

MIAMI—Investors in 2015 are being “very disciplined in the way they deploy their funds, whether it's debt or equity,” Akerman LLP's Richard Bezold tells GlobeSt.com.

NEW ALBANY, OH—The news follows the restaurant chain and food manufacturer's announcement that it had retained CBRE to arrange a sale-leaseback of its headquarters and two manufacturing facilities.

DALLAS—With two of the three deals announced Thursday using the key money arrangement, Ashford Inc.'s Monty J. Bennett says the concept will “only be used on a very selective basis.”