Nuveen hits over AUD $400 million first close for Australian real estate debt strategy

Nuveen, one of the largest asset managers with over $1.2tn AUM, has closed its first commingled Australian commercial real estate debt strategy with anchor investments of over AU$400M from the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) and Temasek, a global investment company headquartered in Singapore. These commitments are expected to grow via additional investments from other global investors who are currently progressing due diligence.

The strategy is focussing on institutional senior and junior secured real estate loan investments in Australia. It primarily will look to the industrial, logistics and residential sectors, with a selective approach to retail, office and alternatives across major cities in Australia.

The strategy leverages both Nuveen Real Estate’s global debt platform, which currently has over 55 dedicated specialists, and the 60+ team at Nuveen Real Estate in Asia. The strategy is led by Dugald Marr, Head of Debt Australia & New Zealand, together with an experienced team who have a long track record of originating and structuring high-quality loan investments in this market. The team has already secured a large seed loan portfolio and pipeline with the backing of TIAA for the benefit of current and future investors.

Investments will also be influenced and aligned to Nuveen Real Estate’s comprehensive responsible investment processes and ESG factor analysis. This includes waste reduction and energy consumption, climate risk analysis and social aspects with the ability to structure Green Loans or Sustainable Linked Loans where applicable to incentivise ESG targets on behalf of its clients.

Dugald Marr, Head of Debt – Australia at Nuveen Real Estate, said:
“We believe investment in Australian commercial real estate debt offers investors a compelling blend of stability, attractive yields and strong collateral protection.” “Australia’s mature market, supported by robust economic foundations, strict regulatory requirements for banks and the need for more alternative capital sources provides a good foundation for long-term investment in this space. Our focus is institutional borrowers, conservative lending parameters and prime assets or projects in sectors that benefit most from Australia’s high population growth and limited supply.

Those market fundamentals and strategy, coupled with Nuveen Real Estate’s extensive real estate debt platform, presents an enticing opportunity for institutions to diversify their portfolios whilst looking to achieve stable returns. Through continued partnerships with like-minded clients, we are excited to continue taking advantage of opportunities in Australasia and beyond.”

Gracee Teo, Head of South East Asia Institutional at Nuveen, said:
“This milestone for the strategy, and partnership with such high calibre investors in the region, truly showcases Nuveen’s pedigree in real estate investment and our ability to bring regionally tailored solutions across both equity and debt platforms. We believe Nuveen’s offering across real assets more broadly is well-positioned to help clients across Asia navigate volatility alongside managing their responsible investment goals.”