June 2016 Issue

The eagerly awaited annual report from De Montfort University provides the hard facts to back up the observation that many were keen to make as 2015 drew to a close: the UK commercial real estate (CRE) financing market was in fine fettle.

The total value of outstanding commercial real estate debt in the UK grew for the first time since 2008, writes Daniel Cunningham.

Bracketed with its riskier RMBS cousin, the CMBS market has been hit by new risk retention rules. Al Barbarino explains how the effects may yet be mitigated.

Development finance market opening up for alternative lenders.

Debt is harder to find in the softer central London residential market, reports Jane Roberts.

Interest is growing in financing UK ‘build-to-rent’ housing, writes Jane Roberts.

Lendinvest has become a go-to lender for smaller developers which, since December, has been ramping up its push into development finance. Andy Thomson spoke with two of the firm’s senior executives to find out more.

Venn Partners is raising its first real estate debt fund, working with the UK government to deliver PRS loans, and writing Dutch home mortgages. Daniel Cunningham meets the team to discuss its various business lines.

Spanish banks have returned to the commercial property lending market, but they are playing it safe.

As more CMBS loans are dropped from initial pools, non-bank loan sellers are contributing significantly more than their share.

Internet fulfilment centres have boosted the US industrial real estate debt market, experts say, with last year’s asset sales climbing for the sixth year in a row, reports Justin Slaughter.

The Children’s Investment Fund (TCI), the hedge fund founded by activist investor Sir Chris Hohn, made its first major UK real estate loan with a loan of up to £400 million to finance Almacantar’s Marble Arch Tower scheme in London’s West End.

The latest figures compiled by our Research & Analytics division show there are 116 real estate debt funds in the market.