Omar Thowfeek, Senior Managing Director of Fund Management for Hines, joined Julie Cooling, Founder and CEO of RIA Channel, at iCapital Connect 2026 to discuss the real estate market recovery and building an inflation-hedged portfolio.
Following a multi-year valuation decline, Thowfeek notes that real estate market values are likely bottoming and entering a recovery phase. He emphasizes that periods such as this can create attractive vintages for investors, particularly in the early years. He adds that Hines is bullish on the global living sector. This includes multifamily housing, student housing, and senior living, supported by supply-demand imbalances.
From a portfolio construction perspective, Thowfeek points to real estate’s inflation-hedging capabilities. He explains that shorter-duration leases, such as hotels, storage, and apartments, offer quicker mark-to-market on rents. He adds that longer-duration assets, such as industrial, offices or retail, can push expenses. Ultimately, Thowfeek notes that investors can build an inflation-hedge portfolio that offers fixed-income-like characteristics with equity-like upside.
Hines is a leading global real estate investment manager with $91.7 billion in assets under management. The firm currently has 151 developments underway, with a history of 2,000 proprietors either developed, redeveloped, or acquired.
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