NEW YORK CITY-Pension plans will remain the top source of US real estate equity in 2012, according to a new survey from Goodwin Procter. The “Real Estate Capital Markets Snapshot 2012” surveyed a cross section of participants in the commercial real estate capital market to glean insight on the year ahead.

Of those who responded, the bulk--35.3%--identified as investment managers or fund sponsors, while the next largest group self-identified as owner/operators.

Robert Insolia, co-chair of the Real Estate Private Investment Funds Practice at Goodwin Procter, says that the survey results reinforce the role that pension funds, long major players, are anticipated to continue to play going forward.