Aberdeen hires head of Americas property research

Aberdeen Asset Management has appointed Melissa Reagen as head of property research, Americas. In this new position, Reagen will be responsible for researching real estate data across the Americas. 

According to the global real estate investment management firm, Reagen will join the Philadelphia office on 20 July and report directly to Andrew Allen, director of global research, property. She joins a global research and strategy team that now consists of 13 individuals based in eight countries. 

Allen said in a statement that the addition of Reagen will further enhance the firm's “real estate research and strategy team”, adding that it will also boost its “on-the-ground capabilities in the Americas”.

Up until recent months, Aberdeen's real estate investor base had centred on Europe. Now, however, the firm is garnering interest for its property business from potential LPs in Asia and the Americas. The hiring of Reagen is part-and-parcel with the firm's growing ambitions to seek out real estate opportunities in the Americas.

A spokesperson for Aberdeen told PERE the firm has had property researchers for all other regions, but this is the first time it's had one for the Americas. “Her analysis will help us identify markets in the US, Canada and Brazil that are the best investment opportunities,” the spokesperson added.

Reagan joins Aberdeen from LaSalle Investment Management where she worked since 2005. Melissa's research and strategy responsibilities included being the lead strategist on the firm's US multifamily portfolio and providing multi-sector advice to the $2 billion LaSalle US Property Fund.

Separately, the hiring of Reagen immediately follows the announcement that the firm hired Roberto Varandas as global head of its property business development arm. Varandas has joined Aberdeen to work with its wider business development and distribution teams to better deliver on its existing funds to potential LPs. 

Based in Aberdeen, Scotland, with offices in 23 countries, Aberdeen manages $32 billion in property assets as of 31 March.