Today, Occasio Funds announced that it has launched its first real estate fund solely focusing on luxury residential resort real estate. The private equity firm intends to capitalize on the booming USD24 billion industry in villa rental via partnerships with world-class brands in order to lease and manage properties in the near future as vacation rentals.

Occasio has over USD1 billion potential deals in the pipeline already, and this would be achieved via proprietary relationships and industry expertise that the firm has established in the last decade. Occasio Growth Fund I seeks to raise USD100 million, and is accepting institutional and accredited investors.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Occasio Ben Rule said its new fund, "We are pioneering a new asset class and a new way to invest in residential real estate. We believe the real estate market - particularly luxury resort real estate - has reached its bottom and that professionally operated resort real estate presents a new, powerful opportunity to diversify and strengthen investment portfolios."

In a 2012 Companies & Markets report, the luxury travel market was depicted as the fastest growing segment in the travel industry. Travel research firm PhoCusWright said the villa rental industry was an opportunity worth USD24.3 billion in the US alone.

Occasio Funds said in its statement that the new fund will be professionally manage acquisitions in top-tier real estate markets, and has the institutional investment-level private equity to do so.

"We are acquiring the best possible properties in the most central and coveted resort locations. It's these properties at established top-tier resorts that have the highest nightly rental demand and the best long-term appreciation prospects. And through our unique relationships with the largest and most successful operators, we have the ability to effectively and efficiently manage these assets in a way that has never been done before," Rule added.