US property investment firm Hines has established its Asia Pacific headquarters in a new office in Hong Kong, bolstering its presence in the region.
Hines, which has US$120.6bn of assets under management, has called on co-CEO Ray Lawler to oversee the Asia Pacific region from the new office, the company said in a statement.
“Hines is very enthusiastic about the real estate market in the Asia Pacific region and foresees long-term growth potential in a number of new business opportunities and diverse product categories,” Lawler said.
Ray Lawler (image: Hines)
“We have a long-term commitment to the region and ambitious plans for our expansion.”
Hines opened its first Asia Pacific office in Beijing in 1996.
The firm has since established operations in Shanghai and Sydney, as well as regional offices in Tokyo and Seoul.
Lawler started at Hines in 2007 and most recently served as a senior managing director for the US West region.
He will be joined by managing director Claire Thielke and director Drew Huffman in the Hong Kong office.
Hines has developed and acquired more than 1.1m sq.m. of real estate across Asia Pacific, valued at a combined $2.4bn.
The firm most recently completed the 60-storey One Museum Place tower in Shanghai’s Jing’an district.
Hines’ move to strengthen its Asia Pacific footprint follows expansions into the region by Aberdeen Standard and Bouwinvest Real Estate Investors.