Paris-based AXA Real Estate Investment Managers was the leading real estate investor in Europe in 2011, according to PropertyEU’s annual ranking of top-50 investors by acquisition volume. With an acquisition volume of EUR 2.6 bn, including EUR 900 mln committed to development, AXA RE edged ahead of US private equity firm Blackstone (EUR 2.3 bn) and French investors AEW Europe (EUR 1.9 bn) and BNP Paribas Real Estate (EUR 1.6 bn).