Manulife Investment Management Expands Capabilities with New Real Estate Credit Fund

News Release

EMBARGO Until Oct 31, 2024

US$ unless otherwise stated
For immediate release

BOSTON, Oct 31, 2024 — Manulife Investment Management (Manulife IM) has announced the launch of Manulife Real Estate Credit Strategies, a private, closed-end investment vehicle focused on originating commercial real estate (CRE) loans. The fund’s objective is to invest in a diversified portfolio of commercial real estate credit opportunities that seek to generate strong risk-adjusted returns throughout the market cycle.¹

The new fund represents the growth of Manulife IM’s global real estate platform. In 2023, Manulife IM hired Jessica Lee as Chief Investment Officer, Real Estate Credit, to lead the platform.

“In today’s shifting rate environment with a backdrop of a historically high maturity wall, we see an opportunity to become a stable private credit lender,” said Ms. Lee. “While we plan to deploy using a multi-cycle investment approach and are focused on being long-term credit investors, we see a unique opportunity to maximize exposure to the sector’s valuations at an attractive entry point. And as a non-bank lender, we believe our clients could be well positioned for both potential income and consistent yields through exposure to real estate credit.”

The fund presents investors with access to opportunities across real estate credit instruments, including mortgages and subordinate credit that can generate compelling risk-adjusted returns across real estate credit. The strategy will look to focus on U.S. commercial real estate located in markets with expanding economies.

Marc Feliciano, Global Head of Real Estate, Manulife Investment Management, commented, “As we continue to scale our real estate business, we’re focused on providing our increasingly diverse clients a more complete suite of products across asset classes and risk profiles. We are excited to build upon our portfolio with Manulife Real Estate Credit Strategies Fund to offer a holistic strategy with the potential to unlock downside protection for investors through real estate credit’s structural enhancements and subordinated equity cushion.”

Manulife Investment Management's real estate platform provides investment solutions globally as part of its comprehensive private markets' capabilities. Its sustainably operated platform offers core, core-plus, value-add, and opportunistic strategies currently spanning over 81 million square feet of office, industrial, retail, and multifamily assets strategically across Canada, the U.S., and Asia Pacific. The real estate investment team leverages its global platform and regional market knowledge to identify opportunities and drive results for its investment clients.

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1 There is no guarantee that this fund will achieve its investment objective.

This press release is targeted to U.S. accredited investors, qualified clients and qualified purchasers only. It does not constitute an advertisement or an offer to sell any security or the solicitation of any offer to buy an interest in the fund or any existing or future fund or investment vehicle managed or advised by Manulife Investment Management and/or its affiliates or any other security. Nor shall there be any sales of the fund interests in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sales would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

The fund interests will be offered only to “accredited investors,” as defined in Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, “qualified clients” as defined in the Advisers Act and a “qualified purchasers” as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. Prospective investors may be required to meet additional suitability thresholds determined by the General Partner in its sole discretion.

The fund has not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction and may not be offered or sold without registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities or blue sky laws and foreign securities laws.

The fund will be distributed in the United States by John Hancock Investment Management Distributors LLC, a FINRA member and Manulife IM affiliate.

Private market investments are speculative and considered risky, including potential loss of your investment, and may not be appropriate for every investor. Private investments are generally an illiquid asset class; shareholders cannot sell their funds when they want to without potentially facing high losses. 

About Manulife Investment Management

Manulife Investment Management is the brand for the global wealth and asset management segment of Manulife Financial Corporation. Our mission is to make decisions easier and lives better by empowering investors for a better tomorrow. Serving more than 19 million individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members, we believe our global reach, complementary businesses, and the strength of our parent company position us to help investors capitalize on today's emerging global trends. We provide our clients access to public and private investment solutions across equities, fixed income, multi-asset, alternative, and sustainability-linked strategies, such as natural capital, to help them make more informed financial decisions and achieve their investment objectives. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulifeim.com.

Media contact

Elizabeth Bartlett
Elizabeth_Bartlett@manulife.com