Carlyle Group has hired two executives from Swiss private equity manager Partners Group to source investment opportunities in the market for second-hand real estate fund stakes, in anticipation of further growth in the sector.

Metropolitan Real Estate Equity Management, the real estate fund of funds unit that Carlyle bought at the end of last year, has hired Sarah Schwarzschild and David Lei as a vice president and associate respectively, according to Metropolitan president and co-chief investment officer David Sherman.