CBRE Investment Management Acquires $1.6B Net-Lease Portfolio

CBRE Investment Management is placing a big bet on the net-lease business.

CBRE Investment Management — the $155 billion global investment arm of CBRE — announced Wednesday that it acquired Tenet Equity’s $1.6 billion net-lease platform that includes 208 assets in 39 states encompassing 12 million square feet of commercial real estate.

The net-lease portfolio — where the tenants typically pay a lower base rent but must cover a building’s operating expenses, such as taxes, insurance and maintenance — is fully leased to middle-market industrial tenants, with an average lease term of roughly 17 years, according to CBRE.

CBRE IM will partner with Tenet Equity — a sale-leaseback specialist and capital provider — on managing the assets and growing the partnership’s net-lease platform, appointing senior portfolio manager Akash Shivashankara to lead that effort.

Adam Gallistel, co-CEO and chief investment officer of CBRE Investment Management, noted in a statement that the net-lease sector is a hedge against persistent inflation due to its long lease terms and lack of capital expenditures.

“We are excited to deliver compelling investment opportunities to our clients by pairing our portfolio management and execution capabilities — together with the net-lease resources of CBRE Group — with Tenet and its proven track record of sourcing and managing mission-critical real estate,” said Gallistel.

Truist Securities advised CBRE Investment Management on the transaction.