AUSTIN—Ryan Lang's hiring occurs as sovereign wealth funds are showing increasing interest in partnering with public colleges and universities to fund student housing projects.

NEW YORK CITY—Macroeconomic volatility globally leaves the domestic economy, and less directly US commercial real estate, more vulnerable to shocks, say TIAA-CREF's Martha Peyton and Edward F. Pierzak.

HUNT VALLEY, MD—With a pure-play focus on the skilled nursing facility segment, the combined company owns a portfolio of more than 900 properties located in 41 states and run by 81 different operators.

GREENWICH, CT—The sale of 62 assets to a Starwood Capital-led group marks Duke Realty's exit from Raleigh, NC and other suburban office markets.

PHOENIX—The appointment of the Berkadia chairman as non-executive chairman for ARCP follows last month's hiring of Glenn Rufrano as the net lease REIT's new CEO.

LOS ANGELES—Now known as Colony Capital Inc., the combined company represents about $19 billion in assets under management and $13 billion of equity under management.

CALABASAS, CA—A Gas Savings Index from Marcus & Millichap charts markets where the peak-to-current decline in gasoline prices is putting discretionary cash into the pockets of motorists.

DALLAS—Annual effective rent growth, absorption and investment sales all defied the conventional wisdom of a seasonal slowdown in the first quarter, according to reports from Axiometrics and other research firms.