As part of its international development plan, BNP Paribas Real Estate has launched two Asian platforms in Hong Kong and Singapore with the aim of attracting Asian investment into the European property markets.
BNP Paribas Real Estate, one of the leading international real estate providers, offers its clients a comprehensive range of services that span the entire real estate lifecycle: property development, transaction, consulting, valuation, property management and investment management. It is present directly in 18 countries and employs 3,300 people.
Three senior appointments have been made as part of this strategy.
Mark Kumarasinhe, aged 39, joins as Managing Director of North Asia, based in Hong Kong. He was previously both a Director at Macquarie Bank and the Chief Investment Officer of Macquarie Office Trust (a $US7bn global REIT). More recently, he joins from CBRE Capital Advisors where he was the Head of Asia. In addition, Mathieu Brummer, aged 35, will take up the position of Deputy Head in Hong Kong. He was previously an international investment Director with BNP Paribas Real Estate’s Frankfurt office after spending several years with Morgan Stanley Real Estate.
Yo-Hann Tan, aged 41, joins as Managing Director of South Asia, based in Singapore. He was previously the Deputy-CEO of Aareal Bank Asia Limited where he established and managed the bank’s real estate lending business in Asia. He joins from the Singapore-based investment firm Richard Chandler Corporation, where he was the Senior Vice President managing several billion dollars. A second senior person is being recruited in Singapore.
Philippe Zivkovic, Executive Chairman – BNP Paribas Real Estate: ‘These platforms will help Asian investors source and manage real estate assets in Europe through a trusted contact based in their local market, using on-the-ground experts. We plan to do the same for investors in the Middle East by opening a platform in Dubai in the coming months. Despite a challenging economic environment, real estate remains a safe haven with investors looking for long term returns in core markets. As the leading adviser in Europe, it makes sense to focus on bringing investment from growth areas to these core markets and using the power of BNP Paribas’ global positioning and access to clients to do it.’