La Caisse’s Real Estate Assets in Europe
Just over a year ago, real estate investment activities were integrated into La Caisse’s specialized portfolios—a strategic shift that continues to shape our global approach.
In Europe, our efforts are led by Christina Forrest, Managing Director, Real Estate. Christina oversees our investment strategies, transactions, and portfolio management across the continent, supported by a dedicated team focused on long-term value creation.
Christina, can you walk us through our strategy for real estate activities in Europe and how it relates to the overall Real Estate portfolio?
Our strategy in Europe is built around focus, scale and smart partnerships. We're doubling down on joint ventures and platforms, which allow us to collaborate with best-in class local partners who have boots on the ground.
We’re highly selective—investing where we can achieve meaningful scale. For niche sectors or regions where that’s not possible, we allocate approximately 20–30% to specialist funds, such as Pimco Edco Fund (data centres), that can deliver alpha or manage higher risk in these areas.
At the same time, we’re sharpening our edge by actively streamlining our portfolio to exit less strategic assets and relationships. It’s about value creation and downside protection. We’re building a more focused portfolio designed to deliver long-term value for our depositors.
What are the most promising real estate sectors?
We’re focused on sectors shaped by macro trends, like demographics, technology and supply chain reconfiguration. We seek demonstrated structural resilience: less exposure to volatility, market disruptions or geopolitical uncertainty.
That’s why we’re concentrating on residential, logistics, data centres and self-storage. They respond to real structural needs such as ageing populations, digital acceleration and evolving consumption patterns. They offer both resilience and growth, especially when approached through scalable platforms and strong local partnerships.
What are some key assets of our Real Estate portfolio?
We back standout assets that reflect our strategy in action. For instance, Stonecutter is a prime, next-gen, sustainable office in central London.
Our investment in Brussels-based Cohabs gives us exposure to the fast-growing coliving sector around the world through a scalable platform.
We have also developed a high-performing logistics portfolio across Europe, comprising assets located in key logistics’ hubs, through our platforms PLP, Hub & Flow and URBZ Capital. These are strategic moves driving long-term value in prime sectors and locations.
