The European real estate market is expected to see over 鈧8bn assets released back into the sector as funds reach their end of life this year and the next, according to a report.  

According to INREV鈥檚 Funds Termination Study 2020, 21 funds, worth 鈧3.8bn plan to terminate in 2020, with a further 14 funds with 鈧4.7bn in net asset value (NAV) expected to terminate in 2021. Between 2020 and 2023, 57 funds with a total NAV of 鈧12.4bn, are expected to terminate.

The real estate association鈥檚 study, which includes 265 closed-end vehicles managed by 92 managers, revealed that 94.7% of the respondents indicated that current market circumstances are the main issue affecting fund termination decision, followed by quality of the portfolio (63.2%) and the relation between current performance and target performance.

Funds expected to terminate in 2021 are the largest in size 鈥 with an average 鈧334.8m, in comparison with those terminating in 2020, 2022 and 2023, with a combined average of 鈧185.7m NAV.

INREV鈥檚 five-year analysis revealed that funds with a planned termination date in 2022 recorded the highest average annual return of 9.3%, while those scheduled to terminate in 2020 and 2021 generated average annual returns of 3.9% and 8.3%, respectively.

鈥淭he performance of funds on schedule to terminate in 2020 is notably weaker when looked in the long-term context as well, and this may well be down to the sectoral mix of the underlying vehicles as retail strategies dominate the termination landscape in 2020 with close to 80% share of the single-sector funds by NAV.鈥

INREV said among termination options, liquidation remained as the preferred option by most, regardless of the fund style.

鈥淣onetheless, respondents indicated that other options like extension, rollover into a new structure and 鈥榦ther鈥, including an IPO, sale or merger, were increasingly considered.鈥

According to INREV, most of the funds due to terminate between 2020 and 2023 have the provision to extend their termination date and given the current market conditions it is likely those due for a termination in 2020 to be exercising that option.

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