(Mark Your Calendars: RealShare REAL ESTATE 2012, March 22nd in Los Angeles).

LAGUNA BEACH, CA-“There are plenty of opportunities that exist today.” So said Michael Lehman, global head of real estate at BGC/Newmark Knight Frank at Information Management Network’s Ninth Annual Winter Forum on Real Estate Opportunity and Private Fund Investing Conference on Wednesday morning.

“Stop waiting for the buying opportunities…get out there…go do it…get into it,” Lehman encouraged the nearly 1,000 senior real estate executives that were in attendance for event’s opening day. “Do the deals that seem good…they will be great.”

Lehman set the optimistic tone for the day, pointing out that “The returns that you can get on opportunitistic and core assets are through the roof.” According to Lehman, “the apartment and the lodging sectors have experienced rent growth, and cap rates have tightened across all property types,” a point that was also echoed in a recent analysis article on GlobeSt.com on the apartment market.

The three-day conference was held at the Montage Resort and Spa in Laguna Beach, CA. “There is a huge appetite for real estate and for real estate debt,” Lehman added. “There is so much demand and so much capital.”

In terms of money, Lehman said that there is money being raised across all sectors.

As for what investors want, Lehman pointed out that “Investors want sector or geographic specific fund managers with a proven track record; low-risk, core fund managers; value-add etc.”

Check back on GlobeSt.com tomorrow for more reporting from the IMN conference.

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Natalie Dolce

Natalie Dolce, editor-in-chief of GlobeSt.com and GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum, is responsible for working with editorial staff, freelancers and senior management to help plan the overarching vision that encompasses GlobeSt.com, including short-term and long-term goals for the website, how content integrates through the company’s other product lines and the overall quality of content. Previously she served as national executive editor and editor of the West Coast region for GlobeSt.com and Real Estate Forum, and was responsible for coverage of news and information pertaining to that vital real estate region. Prior to moving out to the Southern California office, she was Northeast bureau chief, covering New York City for GlobeSt.com. Her background includes a stint at InStyle Magazine, and as managing editor with New York Press, an alternative weekly New York City paper. In her career, she has also covered a variety of beats for M magazine, Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, FashionLedge.com, and Co-Ed magazine. Dolce has also freelanced for a number of publications, including MSNBC.com and Museums New York magazine.