News of the recent sale by The Fallon Co. and Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers of the 465-unit Park Lane Seaport apartment towers to a group of institutional investors comes as no surprise. Neither was the price tag at over $195 million.

Well located and leased commercial properties as well as multifamily rental properties are being bid-up by pension funds, foreign investors and investment funds.  There is plenty of money, but a limited supply of this quality product.

Alan Leventhal

With a limited supply and increasingly restive investors, Boston’s investment market looks ready for a comeback, and expert investors are already showing signs that 2011 could be the year.  I’ll be listening closely at our Annual Meeting next Wednesday, when investing guru Alan Leventhal speaks with NAIOP Chairman Kevin McCall about his company’s plans and predictions.

As reported in the BBJ, Fitch Ratings provided outlooks for 2011 and concluded that Boston is “one of five markets with economic vitality and tenant demand to remain a viable option for investors in real estate debt.”

Alan’s company, Beacon Capital Partners’ investment strategy focuses primarily on office properties in a select number of target markets, including Boston, Washington, D.C., New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, London, and Paris.  They believe that these markets are more resilient to the peaks and valleys of the real estate cycle and offer greater and more consistent strength over the long term.

Beacon has had a great track record in evaluating prospective investments in constrained markets that offer them opportunities to capitalize on the market inefficiencies and to add value through operating expertise.    Let’s see what he has to say about this market and what we can expect to see in 2011. Register to hear A Conversation with Alan Leventhal, part of the NAIOP Annual Meeting, from 8-9:30 on Wednesday, Dec. 15 at the Seaport Hotel.