Allan Saunderson is managing editor of Property Finance Europe and a contributor to GlobeSt.com.

LONDON-More major banks around the world are likely to hive off non-core real estate holdings in the next two years, says Russell Platt, founder and CEO of Forum Partners, a private equity firm that in July hired Citi Alternative Investment's global real estate securities team and its $450 million portfolio, boosting its assets under management to about $2.5 billion.

"There's a window of 12 to 24 months where we will see a reshuffling of the industry, and banks like Citi and others dispose of some of their real estate investment activities," Platt told Reuters in an interview.

London-based Platt, who once managed global real estate at Morgan Stanley Asset Management, said Forum is also looking out for further deals. He expects a massive reshuffling among private RE investment firms. Steep losses brought by market turmoil mean a lot of businesses are no longer viable under current management.