South Africas big three property unit trusts (PUTs), Grayprop, Martprop and Sycom, are preparing to launch a joint take over bid for listed property loan stock (PLS) fund Primegro. It could be the first of a number of such deals in the property sector this year.

IT IS not every day that a property portfolio of the quality of Richway Retail Properties is available for sale at attractive capitalisation rates, say Primegro joint MDs Martin Ettin and Derek Greenberg, who have secured the portfolio.

Listed property group Primegro has finalized an agreement to acquire the retail property portfolio of Richway for 1.175 billion rand in one of the country's biggest property deals, the company announced on Friday. The transfers are expected to be registered immediately in Primegro's favor, excluding Long Beach, bringing the value of its property portfolio to 2.34 billion rand.

PRIMEGRO SET TO DOMINATE RETAIL PROPERTY OWNERSHIP

TWO events shook the listed property sector of the JSE Securities Exchange SA last week: the merger between Grayprop and Grayvest, and Primegro's acquisition of Richway's retail properties.