Lehman Brothers has named Steve Hash global head of real estate investment banking, a position that the bank had been looking to fill for more than six months. The post was created to enhance cooperation between Lehman's investment banking and real estate fixed income divisions, bankers said.

Hash has been head of U.S. research since 1999 and head of global equity research since 2003. Prior to that, he was an Institutional Investor ranked REIT analyst from 1991-1999. Hash said the group will focus on opportunities in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Specifically, there are strong opportunities in the lodging and game building industry, he noted.

After a number of years away from real estate, Hash said he is excited to return to the sector from a different perspective. Ravi Mattu, currently Lehman's director of global fixed income research, will also take over equity research