Sanlam Property Asset Management MD Banus van der Walt said however that that although Sanlam would have a stake in such a fund, it would not be have a substantial stake. one.
 
"There will be more properties from other vendors than Sanlam," said Van Der Walt.
 
He said Sanlam Property Asset Management had a timetable for the proposed new fund, but would not elaborate on when it would be listed. The fund would have a market capitalisation of more than R1-billion.
 
Van der Walt said they had been "busy" bringing outside vendors (sellers of property) on board to put their property into a fund. He said they were considering the options of listing a property loan stock company or a property unit trust.
 
Sanlam would not take a majority shareholding in the new fund. "The whole idea for a property fund is to have liquidity and tradability. It?s not preferable to have more than a 35% stake."
 
He said Sanlam would be putting some of its properties into the fund.
 
Marriott Property Services and Absa Commercial Property Finance recently announced recently the listing of Ambit Properties, a R1-billion property fund, in the fourth quarter of this year.
 
Before that, RMB Properties announced it would be listing a large property unit trust by the end of September, while Old Mutual Properties MD Ian Watt said the company was considering the option of listing a new fund.
 
These new developments are all indicators of faith in the listed property sector. Recent market talk has indicated that up to five new listings are in the offing in the next six months.
 
There has also been speculation that some of the smaller listed property companies would either merge or bulk up their portfolios in coming months to compete with the leviathans in the listed sector and protect themselves from "predators".