Sector Investment 3 Days

Last updated: April 18, 2026, 8:30 AM ET

Real Estate Fundraising Slows Amid Manager Shifts

Overall fundraising volume for real estate assets plunged 50% year-on-year in Q1 2026 1, marking a significant contraction in capital deployment for the sector. However, the underlying quality of capital formation suggests underlying investor commitment remains strong, as a greater proportion of funds successfully hit or exceeded their capital targets 1 and achieved final close faster than in previous periods. This shift in dynamics is pronounced due to the absence of major players 2 like Blackstone and Brookfield, creating space for smaller, more nimble managers to secure commitments more quickly. Reflecting a targeted effort to capture renewed activity in specific strategies, CBRE IM appointed former Hines executive Paul White 3 to lead its Europe Value Partners series, marking the firm's first dedicated effort in that value-add segment since 2018.

Infrastructure Capital Deployments Test Market Depth

The infrastructure fundraising environment returned to earth 6 during the first quarter, with unlisted, closed-end vehicles securing only $$26.4$ billion, making it the second-lowest tally recorded across the past six years. Despite this slow start, market watchers anticipate a rebound, given that several large-cap infrastructure funds are slated for closings 6 in the latter half of the year. Amid this backdrop, investment managers are grappling with geopolitical uncertainty; I Squared founder Sadek Wahba expressed caution over AI infrastructure risks 4, specifically pointing to underappreciated dangers stemming from the ongoing conflict in Iran. Separately, the consolidation within the information sector continues as PEI finalized its acquisition 5 of Scientific Infra & Private Assets, aiming to deepen its proprietary quantitative research capabilities across private markets coverage.