UKREiiF 2025: Our Key Takeaways

Our team had a fantastic time at UKREiiF 2025, taking the opportunity to reconnect with industry peers, share insights, and explore new opportunities in the investment and property sectors. The event was a fantastic platform for networking, learning, and collaborations that will shape the future of our industry.

We asked some of our team to share their top takeaways. Here’s what they had to say:

LUCY MUIR – associate, specialising in development advisory

1. Effective public-private partnerships are crucial for the government to meet its goal of delivering 1.5 million homes by the end of the current parliamentary term in 2029.
2. The insurmountable frustration with the Building Safety Regulator, which continues to cause expensive delays for developers delivering high-rise schemes across the country.
3. The government’s commitment to large-scale development, including questions over the locations of their New Towns Programme (with the initial shortlist of 12 sites due to be revealed in July). These towns are set to be self-sufficient and distinct communities for residents that will be comprehensively masterplanned to integrate transport infrastructure, essential amenities, and localised employment opportunities.

LUCY MARKHAM – PARTNER, SPECIALISING IN HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT & TOWNSCAPE

1. It remains a challenging environment in terms of viability and resourcing at local government, which is slowing down consents and development.
2. People respond emotionally to historic buildings and feel a sense of ownership. Heritage has a premium and adds value.
3. Concerns about embodied carbon, viability and heritage are converging to encourage retrofit over redevelopment.

WILL HYSLOP – pARTNER, SPECIALISING IN residential capital markets

1. Strong investor appetite to increase exposure to all Living sub-sectors (PBSA, BTR, SFH, Co-Living), but real viability constraints remain limiting new build supply and driving interest in repositioning First-Gen assets.   
2. Delivery Constraints – Developer/Investor clients reporting Gateway 2 as their main challenge with delivering new housing/beds, albeit a couple have seen an improvement in resourcing, giving hope to reduced timescales going forward.
3. There is a need (and a desire) to increase Private / Public partnerships with Universities on their own accommodation projects, be it refurbishments, stock transfers or redevelopments.

ADRIAN OWEN – PARTNER AND HEAD OF RESIDENTIAL

1. As a first timer, I was bowled over by the scale of the event in terms of the number of people attending. The event was clearly valued by our clients in both the Public and Private sectors, with high attendance at senior levels as well.
2. Housing and Partnership focused with an encouragingly open approach from local authorities and developers, seeing Partnerships as a way to deliver more easily in the current regulatory climate. This ties nicely into our Resi:Connected platform.
3. The ‘buzz’ topics for me were: ‘devolution’, ‘over regulation (BSA & Gateways)’, and “who needs MIPIM” from several clients.
4. Attitude – positive and whilst still hard, a feeling that we are nearing the bottom and with more government intervention and interest rates on a downward trajectory, should see a bounce soon.

OLIVER MAURY – PARTNER, SPECIALISING IN PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS

1. Uncertainty regarding local government reorganisation is rife, with few seemingly clear as to how this will flow through down to project-level governance, politics and decision-making.
2. Linked to this, there is some concern that it will take 2-3 years for the dust to settle on LGR, during which time decision-making will become paralysed. Though, of course, some areas are ahead of the game, whilst others lag behind.
3. There is a large number of Public-Private Partnerships in the pipeline, placing more emphasis on the need for contracting authorities (i.e., the landowners) to present coherent propositions that are clearly articulated and well-targeted.

LOUISA SMITH – associate, specialising in planning

1. Kicking off the week with the Property Sports Network Run, with 80 other early risers along the canal path, showed that community and wellness go hand in hand.
2. Key insights emerged from panel sessions, highlighting the depth of London’s housing challenge, with London Boroughs spending £4million per day on temporary accommodation; the challenges of the Building Safety Regulator on viability; the importance of social connectivity and the benefits of polycentric cities within London in creating quality neighbourhoods; and how digital innovation is beginning to shape the future of cities.
3. Leeds showcased its vibrant heritage and modern potential through a series of inspiring venue visits in a sunny city centre. Overall, it was a great event, with lots of familiar faces and the opportunity to create new connections.