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Real estate sector sets new highs  The real estate sector continued to perform well in the first quarter, up 41 percent on 2009 to reach a record 22,059 transactions, according to a Bank Audi report sourcing the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadaster (GDLRC). Sales transactions to foreigners surged by 19 percent, while there was a significant increase in the overall value of property sales, up 110.3 percent to a record high of $2.1 billion. Average value per property has correspondingly spiked, up 49.3 percent to $950,000. Beirut saw the highest increase in property prices, attributed to the shortage of land. However, the 87 percent surge seen in the first quarter is likely due to there being a small number of overall sales but at a high value. With property prices rising, so have rents. According to a study by Cushman & Wakefield, the capital’s retail market has steadily