Real estate used to be just buildings. It is now a financial asset and, over the past decade, real estate has become a significant global financial asset. Since the mid-1990s, there has been significant growth in the aggregate size and number of global property funds.And, while the REIT market has experienced steady growth as the leading markets have passed the necessary legislation, the more dramatic growth has been in the universe of unlisted real estate vehicles.
Source : ULI