2015 was a banner year for real estate M&A, with a $79.3B total dollar volume across 34 deals, more than twice the deals registered in '14, SNL Financial data reveals.
Blackstone (naturally) was the king of real estate 2015 M&A. The private equity giant's $8B takeover of BioMed Realty Trust marked the largest REIT privatization in 2015, GlobeSt reports.
Blackstone also picked up shopping center REIT Excel Trust for $2B and Strategic Hotels & Resorts for $6B.
The biggest deal of the year came from the lodging sector with Marriott International's $14.4B November acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, forming the largest hotel company in the world.
November's $12B merger of Weyerhaeuser and Plum Creek Timber marked the biggest deal in the REIT sector, putting the timber REIT at a $23B valuation. [GS]
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