(Bloomberg) -- Blackstone Inc. has emerged as the frontrunner to buy a mixed-use office complex in Tokyo being sold by Seibu Holdings Inc. in a deal that could be worth around ¥400 billion ($2.6 billion), according to people familiar with the matter.
Seibu has chosen to work with the US alternative investment firm for the sale of its Tokyo Garden Terrace Kioicho after a months-long bidding process, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the matter is private.
The price being negotiated is around ¥400 billion, and could change as the talks also include an agreement for Seibu to continue operating and managing the complex, the people said. Any sale around that amount would make it one of the most expensive single real estate transactions in Japan.
The parties are aiming to sign an agreement by the end of this year, according to the people. Still, discussions are ongoing and they may decide against proceeding with a deal, the people added. Other final bidders included KKR & Co. and BentallGreenOak, separate people said.
Seibu has been discussing the sale of Tokyo Garden Terrace Kioicho as part of its midterm plan and would like to finalize a deal by the end of the year but nothing has been decided, it said in an emailed statement.
Shares of Seibu jumped as much as 5.1% before erasing the gains to trade 1.2% lower at 1:40 p.m. in Tokyo.
Representatives for Blackstone and KKR declined to comment. BentallGreenOak didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Seibu said in May it would sell Tokyo Garden Terrace Kioicho, which includes a 36-story office tower, rental apartments, a hotel and various retail and dining offerings. The property, which was developed by Seibu and opened in 2016, is centrally located in the Japanese capital near an area filled with government buildings and the prime minister’s office.
A sale to Blackstone would be the US asset manager’s biggest real estate deal in Japan and likely the largest purchase by a foreign fund. Overseas investors have become more active in the market, drawn by the cheap yen, low borrowing costs and strong performance of properties such as apartments, offices and hotels in metropolitan areas.
Commercial real estate investment volume in Japan jumped 21% year-on-year to ¥2.6 trillion in the first half, according to Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. Tokyo was the most active global city, ahead of New York and London, JLL said.
Seibu has been selling its vast real estate portfolio as part of a shift toward an “asset-light” strategy. A May filing showed that activist investor 3D Investment Partners Pte had a 5.01% stake in the conglomerate. The Singapore-based firm is known for urging companies to unlock value from their property holdings.
--With assistance from Yuji Okada.
(Updates with Seibu shares in the sixth paragraph)
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