ING Funds on Monday announced the launch of the ING International Real Estate Fund, which will invest exclusively in overseas real estate.

With this, the Scottsdale, Arizona affiliate of ING U.S. Financial Services completes a trio of real estate investment offerings designed to give average investors a crack at real estate markets at home and abroad. The ING Real Estate Fund was introduced in December 2002 and contains only U.S. property holdings, while the ING Global Real Estate Fund dates to November 2001, and includes a mixture of holdings inside and outside the country.

This newest offering is especially aimed at investors who have no foreign real estate holdings and want to conveniently diversify. It is also in keeping with a focus ING Funds has lately placed on international investment opportunities for clients. For example, it has sought to draw attention to its ING Diversified International Fund, an equity portfolio contained within a single mutual fund, launched in January 2005. Last year the company also kicked off a "Going Global" campaign to publicize the advantages of international investing.

This week's press release described the international real estate market as "one of the largest, and most attractive investment segments today." The president and CEO of ING Funds Distributor, Inc., Bob Boulware, said his organization is committed to provide better access to such segments.

"The universe of real estate investments is massive and potentially overwhelming for financial professionals and their clients," he said. "We believe that investors may be missing out on a wide range of international investment opportunities - including real estate investments - and the potential advantages of global market dynamics."

As with all ING's retail mutual funds, the minimum investment for the new fund stands at $1,000. For shares purchased within a retirement plan, however, the minimum is $250.

The ING International Real Estate Fund is sub-advised by ING Clarion Real Estate Securities, another affiliate of the Dutch global financial giant, ING. 

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