Real Estate has bought retail assets in Germany and Scotland.

The investment manager said it has paid 鈧51.9m for a 23,000 sqm retail park in Dreieich, near Frankfurt.

Real Estate sold Dreieich Nordpark from its Herald Fund.

The asset was bought for M&G鈥檚 core European strategy and is anchored by a Real hypermarket and sports retailer Decathlon.

Fund manager Simon Ellis said with economic growth gaining momentum and the European Central Bank鈥檚 quantitative easing programme lending further support to real estate, the firm sees a 鈥渧ery positive environment for continued investment鈥.

鈥滲alance this with the large weight of capital for prime assets and prices are likely to continue to strengthen, given the limited supply,鈥 Ellis said. 鈥滻nvestor appetite remains strong for core, well leased assets of this nature.鈥

In Scotland, M&G is understood to have paid 拢37.5m (鈧52.6m) for the Ayr Central asset, sold by a joint venture between Sovereign Land and funds managed by Ares Management. The town-centre asset was bought for the M&G Property Portfolio.

The 178,145 sqft shopping centre, which opened in 2006, is anchored by Debenhams and Primark.