Family Offices Continue to Increase CRE Allocations
Family office real estate expert DJ Van Keuren provides an update on what those investors want in their property portfolios.
May 13, 2021 | Beth Mattson-Teig | Wealth Management
Family offices control a staggering amount of wealth globally, and they have a strong appetite for commercial real estate. And although a growing number of private equity funds and sponsors are counting family offices among their investor bases, getting a foot through the door to reach those investors remains no easy task.
Family offices have become a popular catchphrase over the last few years, notes DJ Van Keuren, co-managing member of Evergreen Property Partners, a private real estate investment platform created for family offices to invest together. Definitions of a “true” family office vary with the minimum threshold for wealth between $100 million and $250 million depending on the source. According to the Global Family Office Report 2019, published by Campden Research, there are 7,300 families globally and 3,100 in North America with estimated wealth greater than $150 million.
“As funny as it sounds, if you get a family that is worth $50 million or $100 million, they are really just ultra-high net worth. So, it has become a bit of a loose phrase, but everyone wants to find those big whales,” says Van Keuren. “There also is a misperception on how much a family office will invest. Everyone thinks they are going to write a $15-million to $25-million check. It does happen, but it is not the norm,” he adds.
