Barings is a global investment management firm majority-owned by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), operating as a subsidiary since 2005. The modern iteration of Barings was formed in September 2016 when MassMutual merged four affiliate firms—Babson Capital Management, Wood Creek Capital Management, Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers, and Baring Asset Management. The firm traces its roots to 1762 when Barings was established as a merchant banking firm in London. As of December 2025, Barings manages $481 billion in assets globally, with more than $50 billion allocated to its real estate platform.
The firm operates through three primary investment divisions: fixed income, real assets, and capital solutions. Its real estate business encompasses both debt and equity strategies across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific markets. Barings invests in commercial real estate across multiple property types, including multifamily, industrial, office, retail, hospitality, self-storage, senior housing, and medical office. The firm's investment approach spans the risk spectrum, from core and core-plus strategies to value-add and opportunistic investments.
In February 2025, Barings entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Artemis Real Estate Partners, an $11 billion real estate investment firm headquartered in Washington, D.C. This acquisition is expected to push Barings' total real estate assets under management above $60 billion, strengthening its position in the U.S. real estate equity market. Artemis brings expertise in joint venture equity partnerships and has acquired over $17 billion of assets across more than 300 investments since its founding in 2009.
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