People Property Place

This week, I sat down with Pavel Streblov to unpack how one of Central Europe's most established private real estate groups is entering the UK market, why London still matters, and what it really takes to build and deliver at scale as a developer in today's environment. Pavel is Business Director at Penta Real Estate, a privately owned investment group founded by five university classmates, with major interests spanning healthcare, banking, media, and large scale urban real estate. Pavel leads Penta's UK platform and is responsible for its expansion into London, bringing institutional capital, long term thinking, and a developer led mindset into a market facing structural supply constraints. In this conversation, Pavel explains why Penta chose to expand beyond its home markets in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, how the group reached scale domestically, and why development requires a fundamentally different approach to buying standing assets. We explore why building a credible pipeline matters more than one off success, and how local knowledge, council dynamics, and delivery track record determine whether a developer is taken seriously. We discuss Penta's first major UK move, a joint venture with Ballymore across two residential schemes totalling around 700 homes and approximately £700 million of development value. Pavel shares how Penta thinks about quality, amenity, and long term ownership, and why entering the market at the bottom of the cycle can create asymmetric opportunity when supply is constrained. The conversation also goes deep on the UK market itself. Pavel offers a blunt comparison between the UK and the Czech Republic, explaining how stamp duty, transaction costs, and mortgage pricing actively discourage ownership and push local buyers into renting. We unpack Gateway 2, viability pressure, delivery delays, and why flexibility and speed of decision making have become critical advantages in a market full of stalled and so called zombie projects. We close by looking ahead. Pavel explains how Penta is already using AI in early stage design and option testing, and why being a developer ultimately requires optimism. If you fully price every risk, nothing ever gets built.   Key Topics Covered in This Episode   ✅ Why Penta Chose the UK How scale limits in home markets pushed Penta to expand and why London stood out. ✅ Development Versus Standing Assets Why development is a long term commitment that requires local conviction and pipeline depth. ✅ The Ballymore Joint Venture 700 homes, £700m of value, and why scale matters from day one. ✅ Ownership, Stamp Duty and Market Friction Why UK tax structures discourage buying and reshape demand dynamics. ✅ Gateway 2 and Viability Pressure How regulation and delays are constraining supply and reshaping opportunity. ✅ Zombie Projects and Flexible Capital Why creativity, speed, and structure now unlock returns. ✅ AI and the Developer Mindset How technology supports decision making and why optimism still matters.   And of course, I asked Pavel the big question: Who are the People, what Property, and which Place would you invest in if you had £500 million to deploy? If you have thoughts or questions about this episode, drop them in the comments. I'd love to hear your take. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne, recruiting leadership talent for real estate funds, owners, investors, and developers.   🔊 LIKE ➡ SHARE ➡ SUBSCRIBE 👉 http://peoplepropertyplace.com/

Ryan Prince established Realstar's UK operation in 2002 and since this time the company has acquired and developed over £3B of assets, including a portfolio of 73 Holiday Inn hotels comprising of 13,000 rooms, over 6,000 rental residential and student accommodation assets and a national portfolio of primary healthcare centres. Most recently the company has created UNCLE - a new kind of rental housing brand. Rated #1 on Trust Pilot in the UK, UNCLE''s mission is to offer 'renting as it should be'.  From a standing start in 2017, UNCLE now has 12 locations open and under construction in London, Leeds and Manchester and through its joint venture with QuadReal, is seeking to at least double in size of the next 3-5 years. I sat down with Ryan to discuss a broad range of subjects which covered some of the following topics: Early career moves & reason for moving to the UK Ditching venture and how he got into the real estate game His first real estate deal, and  how he got the UK business off the ground Scaling Realstar to a £3bn 5000 unit UK business Ryan's 'strategyless' approach to business Views on the UK housing targets & government Importance of brand in a commoditised world and the creation of UNCLE Approach to raising, and retaining capital partners Advice for those wanting to set up your own business Current market trends Future growth plans Oh and one last question - who are the People, what Property, and in which Place Ryan would invest should he have £500m of capital at his disposal. Catch the full episode which will be live on Youtube, Spotify and Apple NOW! The People Property Place Podcast 🎙️ is powered by Rockbourne - the team recruit Leadership & Future Leadership hires for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. #realestate #podcast #peoplepropertyplace #property

This week, I sat down with Emma Cariaga, Chief Operating Officer at British Land, to unpack what it really takes to run one of the UK's largest listed real estate businesses during a period of structural change, capital market pressure, and sector consolidation. Emma is COO of British Land, a FTSE 100 property company with over 170 years of history and a portfolio concentrated in retail parks and London campuses. Having built her career from trainee land buyer to development director at Landsec before joining British Land, Emma brings deep operational and development experience across residential, mixed use, large scale regeneration and campus strategy, including the transformation of Canada Water into a major London campus. In this conversation, Emma explains how real estate has fundamentally shifted from a passive, rent collecting asset class into an operational business requiring agility, data, customer centricity and active asset management. We explore why British Land continued developing while others paused, how limited supply of prime London office space is driving rental growth, and why retail parks have repositioned themselves into a 99% occupied format built around affordability, flexibility and convenience. We also discuss the increasing importance of scale in listed real estate, the wave of M&A activity across the REIT sector, and whether smaller platforms can realistically survive in today's capital constrained environment. Emma shares insights on leadership, transitioning from being "on the tools" to operating at executive level, and why building non executive experience alongside an executive career can sharpen judgement. Finally, we look at British Land's strategic positioning, its new headquarters move onto one of its own campuses, and what the next chapter may look like for the listed real estate sector.   Key Topics Covered in This Episode ✅ From Land Buyer to FTSE 100 Leadership Emma's route into real estate and the lessons learned along the way. ✅ The Return of Prime London Offices Why top quality space near transport nodes is in limited supply and delivering rental growth. ✅ Retail Parks Repositioned How omni retailing and cost efficiency have driven 99% occupancy. ✅ Real Estate Has Become Operational Flex products, shorter leases and a more customer focused asset model. ✅ Scale, M&A and The Future of Listed Real Estate Why scale may now be essential in public markets. And of course, I asked Emma the big question: Who are the People, what Property, and which Place would you invest in if you had £500 million to deploy? If you have thoughts or questions about this episode, drop them in the comments. I'd love to hear your take. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne, recruiting leadership talent for real estate funds, owners, investors, and developers. 🔊 LIKE ➡ SHARE ➡ SUBSCRIBE 👉 http://peoplepropertyplace.com/

This week, I sat down with Michela Hancock to unpack the journey from psychology graduate to property entrepreneur, and how she helped pioneer institutional build to rent in the UK long before it was widely accepted. Michela is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hilltop Property Partners. Before launching Hilltop, she worked across US and UK real estate, including early exposure to multifamily housing in the United States, and later bringing that institutional rental mindset into the UK market at a time when many believed renting would never become a lifestyle choice. In this conversation, Michela shares how growing up in a family business shaped her entrepreneurial mindset, and why she made the difficult decision to pivot away from a career in clinical psychology after years of study. That willingness to change direction led her into real estate development, where she combined US multifamily experience with a long term conviction around UK rental housing. We explore the early days of institutional build to rent in the UK, when pension funds and advisors were sceptical, and Michela was repeatedly told that everyone in Britain wanted to own rather than rent. She explains how she built conviction around demographic change, quality rental supply gaps and the concept of renting as a lifestyle choice. The conversation then moves into Hilltop's strategy, targeting the so called squeezed middle and key worker demographic, where the need for high quality, attainable rental housing is most acute. Michela outlines the viability pressures facing mid market rental delivery today, and why building now into a supply constrained environment could create long term opportunity. We also discuss capital raising in a global market where UK development competes for attention and allocation, and why resilience, persistence and finding the right partner can be more important than finding hundreds of investors. Michela shares candid lessons on entrepreneurship, including the advice she received that starting a business is like being in a rowboat with no oars, and why she chose to do it anyway. This is a conversation about conviction, mid market housing, entrepreneurship and building through difficult cycles. Key Topics Covered in This Episode ✅ From Psychology to Property Why Michela pivoted careers after years of study and what that taught her about risk and conviction. ✅ Early Institutional Build to Rent How she introduced US multifamily thinking into a sceptical UK market. ✅ Renting as a Lifestyle Choice Challenging the assumption that everyone wants to own. ✅ The Squeezed Middle Opportunity Targeting key workers and mid market rental housing in a viability constrained environment. ✅ Raising Capital in a Global Market Why alignment and persistence matter more than volume. ✅ Building Hilltop Property Partners Entrepreneurship, partnership and long term platform thinking. ✅ Resilience and Founder Mindset The "never leave your chair" philosophy and showing up every day. And of course, I asked Michela the big question: Who are the People, what Property, and which Place would you invest in if you had £500 million to deploy? If you have thoughts or questions about this episode, drop them in the comments. I'd love to hear your take. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne, recruiting leadership talent for real estate funds, owners, investors, and developers. 🔊 LIKE ➡ SHARE ➡ SUBSCRIBE 👉 http://peoplepropertyplace.com/

This week, I sat down with Andrew Hynard to unpack a corporate career that spans more than three decades at JLL, the chief executive leadership of one of London's most prestigious estates, and a post-executive chapter advising some of the most interesting property businesses in the UK. Andrew spent the majority of his career at JLL focused on Capital Markets, ultimately becoming Deputy Chairman of the UK business. He later became Chief Executive of The Howard de Walden Estate, overseeing 90 acres in Marylebone with a portfolio heavily weighted toward private healthcare in and around Harley Street. Today, he advises businesses including Clipstone Investment Management, Howard Group, Orega, Taurus Developments and Love Ventures, a VC investor in early stage technology companies   In this conversation, Andrew reflects on growing up as the son of a surveyor in Hastings and deciding at just ten years old that property would be his path. We explore his early decision to specialise in investment rather than rotate through departments, and why he later regretted not gaining broader technical grounding despite accelerating his capital markets career. We go deep into his time at JLL, including the cultural and strategic forces behind the merger with King Sturge, how he navigated internal politics without burning bridges, and why playing the long game and treating people with decency became his defining leadership philosophy. Andrew also shares the transition from advisory to client side when he became CEO of Howard de Walden, what it really means to run a £3–4 billion estate in one of London's most complex submarkets, and why attracting world class healthcare operators like Cleveland Clinic was a defining moment. We then turn to today's market. Andrew gives a candid view on the state of UK real estate, the leadership reset across major advisory firms, where growth is actually coming from, why income will dominate returns for the foreseeable future, and why he believes we are approaching an inflection point rather than a falling knife moment. Finally, we explore his portfolio of advisory roles, his work in venture capital, and why mentoring the next generation is one of the most important investments he now makes.   Key Topics Covered in This Episode ✅ From Hastings to Deputy Chairman How Andrew set his sights on property at age ten and built a 30+ year capital markets career. ✅ The King Sturge Merger The first conversation that led to one of the most significant UK advisory mergers of the past two decades. ✅ Advisory vs Client Side What changes when you move from broker to principal and how to make that transition successfully. ✅ Leading the Howard de Walden Estate Healthcare, tenant mix strategy, stakeholder management and long term estate stewardship. ✅ The State of the UK Market Flat growth, tentative optimism, income driven returns and why 2025 could be a turning point. ✅ Leadership Change Across UK Agencies Why so many CEOs have changed and what the next generation must get right. ✅ Building a Post Executive Portfolio Advisory roles, venture capital, mentoring and giving back to the industry. And of course, I asked Andrew the big question: Who are the People, what Property, and which Place would you invest in if you had £500 million to deploy? If you have thoughts or questions about this episode, drop them in the comments. I'd love to hear your take. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne, recruiting leadership talent for real estate funds, owners, investors, and developers. 🔊 LIKE ➡ SHARE ➡ SUBSCRIBE 👉 http://peoplepropertyplace.com/

This week, I sat down with Dr. Kate Jarvis to unpack a journey that spans childhood instability, academic rigour, early machine learning, and the building of an AI native platform designed to fundamentally change how real asset decisions are made. Kate is CEO and co founder of Fifth Dimension, a technology company powering decision making across real assets, underwriting, asset management and portfolio strategy for some of the world's largest real estate and investment organisations. With a PhD from Stanford and more than fifteen years building machine learning backed businesses across the US, UK and Europe, Kate sits at the intersection of deep technical expertise and real world operational experience. In this conversation, Kate shares how growing up with her family home repossessed at a young age shaped her relationship with risk, security and institutions, and why those early experiences still influence how she builds businesses today. We explore her path through linguistics and early AI research, long before machine learning became mainstream, and how understanding language, prediction and inference laid the foundations for her later work in real assets. We discuss how Kate entered real estate through shared ownership and institutional capital deployment, where she encountered the reality of manual underwriting, endless spreadsheets, PDFs and investment committee drag. That frustration became the catalyst for Fifth Dimension. Kate explains why most AI tools fail in regulated, high stakes environments, why auditability matters more than automation, and how Fifth Dimension works alongside investment teams to amplify judgement rather than replace it. The conversation also looks ahead to what it really means to be AI native, who wins over the next decade, and why smaller, smarter teams may soon outperform incumbents with scale alone. Key Topics Covered in This Episode ✅ From Instability to Resilience How early life experiences shaped Kate's approach to risk, ambition and long term thinking. ✅ From Linguistics to Machine Learning Why language, prediction and inference sit at the heart of modern AI and real asset decision making. ✅ Why Real Estate Underwriting Is Broken The operational drag inside institutional real estate and why spreadsheets still dominate billion pound decisions. ✅ Building Fifth Dimension How shared ownership, manual IC processes and frustration with legacy workflows led to an AI native platform. ✅ AI as an Amplifier, Not a Replacement Why human judgement, creativity and context still matter and how AI should support decision makers, not remove them. And of course, I asked Kate the big question: Who are the People, what Property, and which Place would you invest in if you had £500 million to deploy? If you have thoughts or questions about this episode, drop them in the comments. I'd love to hear your take. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne, recruiting leadership talent for real estate funds, owners, investors, and developers.   🔊 LIKE ➡ SHARE ➡ SUBSCRIBE 👉 http://peoplepropertyplace.com/

This week, I sat down with Ian Rickwood to unpack a career that spans entrepreneurship, private equity, consumer businesses, failed exits, market downturns, and ultimately the building of a long term real estate investment and capital platform. Ian is Founder and Chairman of Henley, a fast growing private equity real estate investment and venture capital business operating across the UK, Europe and the US. Over the last two decades, Henley has invested across residential, industrial, social and supported housing, urban regeneration and large scale development, working with institutional capital, high net worth investors and operating partners. In this conversation, Ian shares how early years in FMCG and entrepreneurial ventures laid the foundations for his approach to risk and execution, why scaling consumer businesses taught him lessons that many investors only learn later, and how navigating both successful exits and painful failures shaped his long term mindset. We discuss what it really feels like when a deal does not work, why some businesses are structurally broken regardless of management quality, and how those experiences directly influenced Ian's transition into real estate and private capital. Ian also explains how Henley was formed out of operational experience rather than financial engineering, why long dated and complex projects can offer an edge, and how the firm thinks about platform building, partnerships and capital alignment. We explore social and supported housing, urban regeneration at scale, the challenges of deploying capital through cycles, and why conviction becomes more important as markets tighten. The conversation also touches on US expansion, joint venture models, and what experienced operators look for when backing people rather than just projects.   Key Topics Covered in This Episode ✅ From Operator to Investor How early entrepreneurial and operating experience shaped Ian's approach to capital, risk and decision making. ✅ When Exits Do Not Go to Plan Why some businesses fail despite strong management and what those lessons teach long term investors. ✅ Building Henley Through Cycles How private equity thinking, real estate fundamentals and operational discipline came together. ✅ Complexity as a Competitive Advantage Why long dated, operationally intensive and misunderstood assets can outperform. ✅ Capital, Partnerships and Conviction How Henley approaches joint ventures, institutional capital and platform growth across markets. And of course, I asked Ian the big question: Who are the People, what Property, and which Place would you invest in if you had £500 million to deploy? If you have thoughts or questions about this episode, drop them in the comments. I'd love to hear your take. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne, recruiting leadership talent for real estate funds, owners, investors, and developers. 🔊 LIKE ➡ SHARE ➡ SUBSCRIBE 👉 http://peoplepropertyplace.com/

This week, I sat down with Niall Farmer to unpack an unconventional real estate career that spans retail property, residential development, masterplanning, construction, and now leading the UK platform for one of Asia's most powerful real estate and infrastructure groups. Niall is Head of UK at Gamuda Land, part of the Gamuda Group, a global infrastructure and property developer with operations across Asia, Australia and Europe. Gamuda Land has delivered tens of thousands of homes globally and is now deploying significant balance sheet capital into the UK across offices, student housing, residential and large scale mixed use developments. In this conversation, Niall shares how graduating into the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis shaped his early career, why a detour into client side retail property proved unexpectedly formative, and how a mix of construction exposure, development experience and relationship building created the platform for his later moves. We discuss the pressure and perspective that comes from stepping into a family construction business during some of the toughest market conditions in recent memory, and how that experience changed his approach to risk, leadership and decision making. Niall also explains how Gamuda Land entered the UK, what global capital really looks for when choosing local partners, and why being an "active" investor matters when deploying capital into unfamiliar markets. We explore how investment rulebooks are written, when they get broken, and what happens when conviction is tested on projects that sit well outside the original plan. The conversation touches on one of the most closely watched developments in the City of London, how large scale schemes are underwritten today, and what global investors are really trying to solve for when backing UK real estate. Key Topics Covered in This Episode ✅ From GFC Graduate to Global Developer How early career setbacks, unexpected roles and timing shaped Niall's long term trajectory in real estate. ✅ Retail, Residential and Construction Why working across asset management, development and construction created a broader decision making toolkit. ✅ Inside a Global Capital Mindset How foreign balance sheet capital approaches UK real estate, partnerships and risk differently. ✅ When Investment Rulebooks Break Why some opportunities force investors to step outside their stated strategy and how conviction is tested at scale. ✅ Building a UK Platform for Gamuda Land How trust, culture and local knowledge underpin long term capital deployment in unfamiliar markets. And of course, I asked Niall the big question: Who are the People, what Property, and which Place would you invest in if you had £500 million to deploy? If you have thoughts or questions about this episode, drop them in the comments. I'd love to hear your take. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne, recruiting leadership talent for real estate funds, owners, investors, and developers. 🔊 LIKE ➡ SHARE ➡ SUBSCRIBE 👉 http://peoplepropertyplace.com/

In this episode of the People Property Place podcast, Nick Leslau, a real estate investing legend who has built and backed some of the most influential UK property vehicles of the last few decades, shares what really matters when markets turn and leverage starts to bite. Drawing on a career spanning Prestbury, listed platforms, major exits, and multiple cycles, Nick explains why credit, not property, has always been the real risk. He reflects on early lessons from the securitisation era, the danger signals he watches in bank behaviour and loan to value ratios, and why every property crash ultimately traces back to the same place, too much debt in the system. The conversation also explores what it takes to make decisions at scale over decades. Nick speaks candidly about insecurity, judgement, and why he has never believed success comes from being the smartest person in the room. Instead, he credits long term performance to surrounding yourself with sharper minds, staying wary of your own conviction, and keeping discipline when others chase narratives. A clear, experience led discussion on risk, capital allocation, and how People, Property and Place intersect inside real estate investing. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne, recruiting leadership talent for real estate funds, owners, investors, and developers. 🔊 LIKE ➡ SHARE ➡ SUBSCRIBE 👉 http://peoplepropertyplace.com/

In this episode of the People Property Place podcast, Harm Meijer draws on decades of experience across listed real estate and capital markets to unpack how cycles really play out when sentiment turns and leverage starts to bite. From his early career on the sell side to building ICAMAP, Harm explains why investors repeatedly misjudge market turning points, how incentives inside listed vehicles quietly shape long term outcomes, and why management alignment often matters more than the assets themselves. He reflects on the lessons learned during the Global Financial Crisis, the risks of catching falling knives, and the discipline required before capital is redeployed. The conversation also explores why listed real estate remains structurally misunderstood today, how private equity is exploiting inefficiencies in public markets, and what most investors get wrong about liquidity, exits, and governance. Harm shares how these insights influence ICAMAP's approach across strategies, and why conviction must be grounded in fundamentals rather than narratives. A clear, experience led discussion on risk, capital allocation, and how People, Property and Place intersect inside real estate investing. Real Estate Rules: The Investor's Guide to Picking Winners and Avoiding Losers in Listed Property - Amazon Link The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne, recruiting leadership talent for real estate funds, owners, investors, and developers. 🔊 LIKE ➡ SHARE ➡ SUBSCRIBE 👉 http://peoplepropertyplace.com/

This week, I sat down with Martin Towns to unpack a career built across brokerage, private equity, institutional fund management, and now global leadership, and what it takes to scale a real estate investment platform across multiple cycles and geographies. Martin is Global Head of Real Estate at M&G, responsible for the strategic direction and growth of a real estate business managing approximately $50bn of assets across 26 countries in Europe, Asia and North America. He has more than 20 years' experience in real estate investment management, including 15 years at M&G, and previously held roles at Close Brothers Investment Bank and Jones Lang LaSalle. In this conversation, Martin shares how growing up in rural Scotland led him into Land Economy, why his early years at JLL and Close Brothers shaped his understanding of risk and cycles, and how living through the Global Financial Crisis fundamentally influenced his approach to leverage, structuring and downside protection. We discuss why he joined M&G when the platform was still UK focused and internally funded, and how proprietary capital was used to seed strategies that later scaled into global third party businesses. Martin explains the evolution of M&G's residential and living platforms, the creation of its Capital Solutions business for large institutional investors, and the strategic thinking behind acquiring value add specialist Beaumont. We also explore investor behaviour across regions, the return of capital to core real estate, how global LP preferences are shifting, and what leadership looks like when you move from doing deals to setting strategy at scale. Key Topics Covered in This Episode ✅ From Rural Scotland to Global Real Estate Leadership How Martin's early career choices and formative experiences shaped his long term investment philosophy. ✅ Lessons from the GFC Why understanding cycles, leverage and macro risk remains critical for institutional real estate investors. ✅ Building a Global Platform at M&G How internal life assurance capital helped seed strategies that later scaled into multi billion pound global funds. ✅ Living, Capital Solutions and Value Add Why residential and living assets became institutionalised and how bespoke mandates and co investment changed M&G's growth trajectory. ✅ Acquiring Beaumont The rationale behind adding value add capability and how to integrate specialist teams without destroying culture or performance. And of course, I asked Martin the big question: Who are the People, what Property, and which Place would you invest in if you had £500 million to deploy? If you have thoughts or questions about this episode, drop them in the comments. I'd love to hear your take. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne, recruiting leadership talent for real estate funds, owners, investors, and developers. 🔊 LIKE ➡ SHARE ➡ SUBSCRIBE 👉 http://peoplepropertyplace.com/

This week, I sat down with Randeesh Sandhu to unpack a career that spans investment banking, real estate development, private credit, and public markets, and what it really takes to build a durable lending platform across multiple cycles. Randeesh is Co-Founder and CEO of Precede Capital Partners, founded in 2021 as a portfolio company of TowerBrook Capital Partners. Prior to Precede, he co-founded and led Urban Exposure Plc for nearly two decades, growing it into the UK's leading residential development financier. Under his leadership, the business deployed more than £1.7bn in development finance and over £3bn in real estate finance, before floating on the London Stock Exchange AIM market in 2018. In this conversation, Randeesh shares how he moved from credit derivatives at Deutsche Bank into real estate entrepreneurship, why underwriting discipline matters more than chasing deals, and how the post-GFC withdrawal of banks created the foundations of the UK's non bank lending market. We also discuss the realities of scaling a private credit platform, lessons from public markets, the personal cost of leadership, and how Precede is now positioning itself across large scale, living led real estate in the UK and Europe. Key Topics Covered in This Episode ✅ From Deutsche Bank to Real Estate Entrepreneur Why Randeesh left investment banking to build a property business and how that early leap shaped his approach to risk and conviction. ✅ Building and Scaling Urban Exposure How the platform evolved from equity and development into private credit, and what it takes to deploy billions without capital loss. ✅ Private Credit After the GFC Why non bank lenders emerged, how structured lending works in practice, and what institutional investors look for today. ✅ Lessons from Public Markets What Randeesh learned from listing on AIM, navigating volatility, and why private ownership can better support long term strategy. And of course, I asked Randeesh the big question: Who are the People, what Property, and which Place would you invest in if you had £500 million to deploy? If you have thoughts or questions about this episode, drop them in the comments. I'd love to hear your take. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne, recruiting leadership talent for real estate funds, owners, investors, and developers. 🔊 LIKE ➡ SHARE ➡ SUBSCRIBE 👉 http://peoplepropertyplace.com/

Europe's Housing Imbalance and the Living Opportunity with Tom Livelli, Partner and Head of Living Strategies, Europe at EQT Real Estate This week, I sat down with Tom Livelli to dive into how Europe's chronic housing undersupply, shifting renter behaviour, and capital rotation are shaping one of the most compelling living strategies in global real estate today.   Tom is a Partner with EQT Real Estate and Head of Living Strategies, Europe, based in Madrid. Before EQT, he helped build Greystar's South American business from a laptop in a Santiago coffee shop into a billion dollar platform, and previously led large scale residential and mixed use projects in the US, Latin America, and Central America. His career spans military housing, emerging markets, and now a pan European living platform backed by EQT's active ownership model.   We unpack how his experience across eleven countries informs his view of risk, liquidity, and political stability, why Europe's living sector now offers "higher return for lower risk," and how EQT is designing product, operations, and capital structures for the next phase of the cycle. Key Topics Covered in This Episode ✅ Building a Pan European Living Platform How EQT Real Estate has assembled a vertically integrated but not overbuilt living strategy across student housing and apartments, with local teams on the ground and a value add focus across multiple European markets.   ✅ From Military Housing and Central America to Greystar and EQT Why Tom's early work on military housing in the US, community building in Central America, and scaling Greystar in Chile gave him a deep appreciation for stable institutions, liquidity, and the realities of operating in emerging markets.   ✅ Designing a Higher Return Lower Risk Living Model How EQT is targeting urban, transit connected locations with minimal amenities, smaller minimum efficient scale, and lean operations to lower upfront investment, lift NOI margins, and tap deeper, more resilient segments of tenant demand.   ✅ Europe's Structural Housing Imbalance Why affordability pressures, later first time homeownership, and longer rental periods are driving an extraordinary surge in rental demand across Europe, and why Tom believes this supply demand gap gives the living sector significant room to run.   ✅ Capital, Cycles, and Europe versus the US How global institutions are viewing Europe relative to the US today, why accretive debt and repricing are creating a window for value add capital, and where Tom sees the most interesting opportunities by country and sector over the next few years.   And of course, I asked Tom the big question: Who are the People, what Property, and which Place would you invest in if you had £500 million to deploy? If you have thoughts or questions about this episode, drop them in the comments. I'd love to hear your take. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne, recruiting leadership talent for real estate funds, owners, investors, and developers.

The Future of European Real Estate: Strategy, Capital, and Structural Change with Simon Wallace, Head of UK Real Estate & Global Co-Head of Research - DWS. This week, I sat down with Simon Wallace to explore how Europe's real estate landscape is shifting - and what that really means for investors, fund managers, and operators in the next cycle. Simon began his career as an economist before moving into real estate on the eve of the financial crisis. Since then, he has become one of the most influential strategists in the industry, shaping how research informs underwriting, capital allocation, and long-term thematic positioning across Europe. We unpack how his role evolved from research to strategy to leadership, what today's investors truly value, and why the coming decade could be defined by wellness, tech adoption, and a deeper rethink of how cities function. Key Topics Covered in This Episode ✅ From Economist to Strategist - How starting his career during the GFC accelerated his learning and shaped his investment philosophy ✅ Research as a Value Driver - Why research now has a formal voice in investment decisions and how strategy has become central to performance ✅ Building Modern Teams - The behavioural traits, breadth of experience, and challenge culture needed for next-generation research and strategy roles ✅ Structural Themes - How wellness, demographic shifts, and autonomous vehicles could reshape demand, cities, and opportunity sets ✅ Capital & Cycles - Why Europe may be quietly entering a recovery phase and how global capital is viewing the UK, Germany, and the living sectors And of course, I asked Simon the big question: Who are the People, what Property, and which Place would you invest in if you had £500 million to deploy? If you have thoughts or questions about this episode, drop them in the comments - I'd love to hear your take. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne, recruiting leadership talent for real estate funds, owners, investors, and developers.

Technology, Talent, And The Future Of Purpose Built Living with Bay Downing, Joint CEO of Downing and Co Founder of Aboria Capital. One of the UK's leading vertically integrated living platforms with 6000 plus operational beds across top university cities. This week, I sat down with Bay Downing to explore how a second generation family business is evolving into a tech enabled, institutionally backed platform shaping the future of student accommodation and urban living. With property in his DNA, Bay has spent the last eight years working across investment, development, operations and marketing, while helping co found Aboria Capital, Downing's investment management arm. Now Joint CEO alongside Sally O'Brien, he is focused on scaling a business built on legacy, discipline and innovation. We discuss how AI, automation and data intelligence are transforming operations, how global investors are reallocating into specialist living sectors, and why PBSA and co living continue to present some of the strongest structural tailwinds in UK real estate. Key Topics Covered In This Episode ✅ The Downing Journey How a family business grew from HMOs in Liverpool to one of the UK's largest integrated PBSA platforms with more than 6000 beds and 200 employees. ✅ Technology And Operational Excellence How AI driven enquiry management, outbound calling, workflow automation and predictive analytics are reshaping leasing speeds, customer experience and pricing accuracy. ✅ Institutionalising A Legacy Business Why Bay co founded Aboria Capital, how the partnership with Jessica Hardman emerged, and what investors are seeking from specialist managers today. ✅ Global Demand And Market Shifts Insights into international student flows, including a 250 percent surge from the US and Canada, and what that means for UK supply and returns. ✅ ESG, Energy And Responsibility Bay's role as Director of On Site Energy and how data led energy solutions are helping Downing reduce consumption, lower costs and improve sustainability outcomes for residents and partners. ✅ Leadership, Succession And Culture What Bay has learned working alongside Sally O'Brien, the importance of alignment across departments, and how Downing continues to evolve without losing its family ethos. And of course, I asked Bay the big question: Who are the People, what Property, and which Place would you invest in if you had £500 million to deploy? If you have thoughts or questions about this episode, drop them in the comments. I would love to hear your take. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne, recruiting leadership talent for real estate funds, owners, investors, and developers.

This week, I sat down with Jeffrey Reder to unpack how the US real estate market is evolving, why the middle market is delivering some of the most compelling opportunities today, and what it really takes to outperform through multiple cycles. Jeff began his career in corporate finance at Salomon Brothers in New York before transitioning into direct real estate. Since joining CenterSquare in 2006, he has helped build one of the most respected value-add platforms in the country. Today he serves as Portfolio Manager for the firm's Value-Added Fund series and leads a nationwide team focused on sourcing, underwriting and executing industrial, residential and essential-service retail strategies. We explore how capital, pricing, and investor behaviour are shifting, why discipline around basis and underwriting has never mattered more, and how CenterSquare consistently finds opportunities others overlook. Key Topics Covered In This Episode ✅ Off-Market Edge – How CenterSquare sources more than 80 percent of its transactions off market and why clarity around the "buy box" creates meaningful alpha ✅ The Power of Small Is Mighty – Why infill industrial, essential-service retail and smaller, operationally intensive assets continue to outperform in today's market ✅ Cycle Discipline – How the team identified valuation risk early and exited multifamily positions before cap rates moved, protecting performance and investor capital ✅ Investment Frameworks – The Five Cs and Three As guiding CenterSquare's philosophy and how they shape conviction, capital deployment and exit discipline ✅ US Market Opportunity – What global LPs are saying about deploying into the US and why forward supply dynamics may set up one of the most interesting entry points in years ✅ Building a Platform – Lessons from 20 years growing a national value-add business, developing talent, and building repeatable processes that drive consistency And of course, I asked Jeff the big question: Who are the People, what Property, and which Place would you invest in if you had £500 million to deploy? If you have thoughts or questions about this episode, drop them in the comments. I would love to hear your take. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne, recruiting leadership talent for real estate funds, owners, investors, and developers.

The Future of European Real Estate: Capital, Cycles, and Opportunity with Simon Martin, Senior Partner, Chief Investment Strategist & Head of Research - Tristan Capital Partners. €15+ billion AUM leading institutional grade, full-service private equity real estate firm. This week, I sat down with Simon Martin to unpack how Europe's real estate market is changing and what it means for investors, fund managers, and entrepreneurs today. Simon has helped grow Tristan from a start-up spin-out into a €15 billion manager. For more than twenty years, he has experienced every major market shift and brings a rare perspective on how capital, strategy, and driving returns are changing. We explore what it takes to launch a business in today's environment, how investor priorities are pivoting, and why Europe may be entering one of its most interesting phases in a generation.   Key Topics Covered In This Episode ✅ The Changing Nature of Core Capital – Why the next generation of investors will look very different and what they are seeking today ✅ Building Through Cycles – Lessons from launching a business during the financial crisis and scaling through recovery ✅ Starting a Platform Today – Why creating a new investment business now is harder than ever ✅ European Capital Flows – What global investors are saying about deploying into Europe and where the opportunity set is ✅ Reflections and Lessons – The importance of speed, focus, and coherence in portfolio construction, entry and exit ✅ Looking Ahead – How credit, resilience, and operational performance will shape the next cycle   And of course, I asked Simon the big question: Who are the People, what Property, and which Place would you invest in if you had £500 million to deploy? If you have thoughts or questions about this episode, drop them in the comments. I would love to hear your take. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne, recruiting leadership talent for real estate funds, owners, investors, and developers.

What does it take to design and deliver a £2 billion real-estate platform serving over a million UK pensioners - while keeping a long-term focus in a short-term world? This week, I sat down with Alistair Smith, Head of Real Estate at Border to Coast Pensions Partnership, to unpack his 30-year career spanning advisory, private-equity, and institutional real estate - and the leadership lessons learned through every market cycle. Alistair's journey includes senior roles at abrdn, where he led European real-estate investment management, before joining Border to Coast in 2022 to launch its UK Direct and Global Indirect Pooled Funds - now managing roughly £2 billion across 11 partner funds. We discuss navigating mergers, restructuring portfolios, and how to build enduring value in an industry defined by change. Key Topics Covered In This Episode ✅ From Advisory to Institutional - The path from chartered surveyor to head of real estate ✅ Mergers & Change - Lessons from the abrdn / Standard Life integration ✅ Redundancy & Resilience - How to rebuild and refocus after a career shock ✅ Building Border to Coast - How to pool 11 pension funds and create a £2 billion platform ✅ Long-Term Value - Why durable income beats short-term churn in real-estate investing ✅ Market Outlook - Where he sees opportunity as core real estate rebalances Oh, and one last thing… In every episode, I ask each guest: Who are the People, what Property, and which Place they'd invest in if they had £500 million at their disposal? Alistair's answer reflected discipline, clarity, and a decades-long belief in the power of durable income and quality assets 💷 Got thoughts or questions about this episode? Drop them in the comments - I'd love to hear from you. And if you're enjoying what I'm putting out, don't forget to hit subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne – Recruiting Leadership & Future Leadership hires for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. 🔊 LIKE  ➡  SHARE  ➡  SUBSCRIBE 👉 http://peoplepropertyplace.com/

What does it take to stay relevant through four decades, across every market cycle, and still have the hunger to build something new? This week, I sat down with Will Rowson, Founder of Newland Capital Partners, to unpack his 35-year journey across global real estate — from gritty East London industrial estates to leading Europe's largest investment platform — and what it really takes to adapt, evolve, and keep learning. Will's career includes senior roles as EMEA CIO at CBRE Investment Management, Equity Partner at Hodes Weill, and CEO of Global Student Accommodation (GSA), where he helped raise over $2 billion in equity. Now, through Newland Capital Partners, he advises leading European managers on capital strategy, equity raising, and navigating a market in flux. We discuss the power of reinvention, lessons from leadership, and where he believes opportunity lies in the "living" and logistics sectors over the next cycle.   Key Topics Covered In This Episode: ✅ From Strutt & Parker to CBRE — Lessons from the early days of valuation and leasing ✅ Across the Cycles — What 35 years in European real estate has taught him about timing ✅ Facing Cancer — How a life-changing diagnosis reshaped his outlook and leadership ✅ The Squeezed Middle — Why mid-sized fund managers must adapt or consolidate ✅ Continuation Funds — What they reveal about today's market ✅ Living & Logistics — Why these two sectors still offer the best risk-adjusted returns   Oh, and one last thing… In every episode, I ask each guest: Who are the People, what Property, and which Place they'd invest in if they had £500 million at their disposal? Will's answer was pragmatic, data-driven — and full of hard-won perspective 👌   Got any thoughts or questions about this episode? Drop them in the comments — I'd love to hear from you. And if you're enjoying what I'm putting out, don't forget to hit subscribe and turn on the notification bell so you never miss an episode. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne – Recruiting Leadership & Future Leadership hires for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers.   🔊 LIKE ➡ SHARE ➡ SUBSCRIBE 👉 http://peoplepropertyplace.com/

What does it take to walk away from a successful private-equity career and build your own real-estate investment platform from scratch? This week, I sat down with Anthony Maxwell-Jones, Founder & Managing Partner at Valorem Investment Partners, to unpack his journey from the early days at Mercer / Castleforge to founding Valorem - and what he's learned along the way about timing, risk, and backing yourself. Anthony has quietly built one of the UK's most interesting boutique investment platforms, deploying over £80 million across offices, student, residential, hotel, and strategic-land assets - achieving a 20 % IRR and 2.2× MOIC. We discuss how he spotted opportunity in the wake of the GFC, why he left a newly raised fund to go it alone, and the lessons that came from building Valorem through Brexit, Covid, and a volatile rate cycle. ⸻ Key Topics Covered In This Episode: ✅ From Castleforge to Valorem - How Anthony transitioned from analyst to entrepreneur ✅ The Leap - What gave him the confidence to found his own firm at 27 ✅ Covid Chaos - How a "malicious virus clause" saved a £90 million office scheme ✅ Family Office Capital - Building trust, track record & long-term partnerships ✅ Discipline & Patience - Investing through a stagnant market without pressure to deploy ✅ Future Focus - Why defence infrastructure and core-plus offices are on his radar ⸻ Oh, and one last thing… In every episode, I ask each guest: Who are the People, what Property, and which Place they'd invest in if they had £500 million at their disposal? Anthony's answer did not disappoint 👌 Got any thoughts or questions about this podcast? Drop them in the comments - I'm always up for a chat! And if you're enjoying what I'm putting out, don't forget to hit subscribe and turn on the notification bell so you never miss an episode. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne – Recruiting Leadership & Future Leadership hires for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. 🔊 LIKE ➡ SHARE ➡ SUBSCRIBE 👉 http://peoplepropertyplace.com/