Cushman & Wakefield has appointed Hassan Farran as a Partner to head its Middle East Desk in the EMEA Capital Markets team, based in London.
Farran joins Cushman & Wakefield from Savills where for the past eight years he has played a key role, based both in London and Dubai, in establishing the firm’s cross border investment presence in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and leading the advisory teams on transactions for Middle Eastern clients. Prior to this role, Farran worked for Bena Properties in Syria advising on viable funding structures for real estate developments.
A Norwegian national, Farran’s considerable experience in advising Middle Eastern capital includes advising Rasmala Investment Bank Limited on its recent acquisition of the DuPont development in Leiden Bio Science Park, Netherlands. Other transactions include advising an Emirati private family on the acquisition of the MM25 office building in Rotterdam, and another Emirati investor on the acquisition of New Cobham House and Regis House, both in London.
Jan-Willem Bastijn, Head of EMEA Capital Markets at Cushman & Wakefield, said: “We are seeing a rise in the number of Middle Eastern investors, including potential new entrants, around Europe looking to invest in the right assets. Hassan has a proven track record unlocking those opportunities and we are delighted to welcome him to the team.”
Hassan Farran, Partner, Head of Middle East Desk, EMEA Capital Markets at Cushman & Wakefield, said: “In the context of a changing economic landscape in Europe Middle East is once again an increasingly important source of capital for the real estate sector. Our vision is to be recognised as an international market leader. I look forward to deepening relationships with our current and potential clients and offering the collaborative culture and deep sector expertise for which Cushman & Wakefield is known.”
In 2018 Cushman & Wakefield acted on more than $34 billion of transactions across EMEA, covering more than 117 million sq ft.