HSBC has re-hired a senior real estate banker in London and is looking to expand its European property financing business. Ahsan Ellahi has returned to the bank as a managing director, replacing Wendell Harris, who will step down from HSBC in January.

Ellahi says HSBC is reviewing its European real estate business "with a view to expanding." The bank, which provides financing for real estate projects and acquisitions, expects to step up its presence in markets that have been active recently, such as Italy.