Conference Agenda

This conference provides a topical, detailed, carefully researched and planned agenda. This is a content led event, with high level networking included before, during and after the event.

To see who is on the speaking panel for the conference please click here

8.30am Pre Conference Networking Session
  • Delegates arrive from 8:30am when an informal breakfast is provided, and a chance to network with other attendees, before the conference starts at 9:30am
9.30am Welcome and Introduction from our Chair.
  • The UK Build to Rent Market and the next stage of evolution
9.40am Focus Session - Politics, Housing & Build to Rent – where are we?
  • What does the new Government mean for Housing and Rental Living Models
  • What policy can we expect and what will it mean for investors and operators in the sector?
  • What does rental reform mean for the Build to Rent sector and what is the current state of play?

Speaker: Ian Fletcher, Director of Policy, British Property Federation

10.00am Detailed Analysis Session – A Housing Market update - what can we expect for the Rented Residential Sector in 2025?
  • What has been the effect of politics and other factors on pricing and rental yields?
  • How should operators in the rental sector be approaching affordability?
  • What will happen to the cost of capital and will build costs decrease?
  • How much of the private rented sector is now investor backed professional build to rent and where is there the biggest capacity for price growth?
  • How do we increase delivery to the 30,000 units needed annually in the Rental Sector and offer much needed substantial scale for investors?
  • Since the establishment of the Build to Rent Market over the last decade, have we seen rents increase in line with inflation, and wage inflation, to mitigate the risks for investors?
  • What has happened to social housing rents over the same period?

Speaker: Richard Donnell, Research & Insight Director, Zoopla

10.20am Focus Session - The Work Life Balance & the change in living & commuting habits – what does this all mean for the urban & suburban rental living markets?
  • Does the desire for flexibility now mean that a rental home is now desirable for modern lifestyles?
  • Are younger generations now looking to rent everything in their lives and is ownership less important?
  • How is the change in living and working habits redefining neighbourhoods, town centres & suburbia and what does this mean for the changing nature of real estate and homes?

Speaker: Paul Clement, Chief Executive, Locus

10.40am Detailed Analysis Session - Understanding the Co-Living & Single-Family Markets and their role in the evolution of Build to Rent & Rental Living
  • Understanding who the customers are for Co-Living & Single Family Housing – how do they differ from those in Build to Rent, what are their price points, locations and needs?
  • What is the potential for Single Family Housing and how is it expected to perform when a stronger sales market returns?
  • Is Co-Living now a logical evolution for the Student Housing market?

Speaker: Jacqui Daly, Director - Investment Research & Strategy, Savills

11.00am Questions for Ian, Richard, Paul, Jacqui
11.10pm Networking Coffee Break
11.40pm Detailed Analysis Session – Investment into Build to Rent Models
  • Where is current investor interest and why? Co Living v Multifamily v Single Family Housing
  • When will we see a turning point in the volumes of investment deals and do we expect a trickle or a flood?
  • What are the key factors for the acceleration to happen and how are these progressing?
  • Where are ESG requirements on the investor wish list and how is this affecting both new delivery and existing portfolios? What is needed to ‘future proof’ an investment?
  • How do we find the scale that investors need?

Speaker: Nick Whitten, Head of UK Living Research, JLL & Simon Scott, Lead Director - Living Capital Markets, JLL

12.00pm Questions for Nick and Simon
12.05pm Discussion Panel Session on Residential Investment & Build to Rent
  • What is the investment case for Build to Rent as we approach 2025?
  • What are we likely to see in 2025 in terms of increases in operational costs and rental growth?
  • What are investors predicting for rental growth over the next 5 years?
  • What is the investor view on the change of Government, both for existing assets and future investment opportunities?
  • How far does ESG now lead investment decisions?
  • What kind of products and locations are we now targeting?
  • How are investors looking to split their focus between build to rent blocks, single family housing, and more affordable rental living products?
  • What is the investor view of ‘Retirement for Rent’ as a potential growth area?

Speakers: Rebecca Taylor, Managing Director- Multifamily, Long Harbour,
Imogen Ebbs, Head of UK Funds, Aviva Investors,
Alex Greaves, Fund Manager & Head of Residential, M&G UK & Europe,
John German, Managing Director - Residential Investment, Invesco,
Alan Collett FRICS. Chair, A2Dominion (Chair)

1.10pm Networking Lunch Session
2.10pm Focus Panel Session - Management & Operation
  • What does the operation and management now look like for Build to Rent & Single Family Housing?
  • What is happening with costs - a breakdown
  • What is happening with rents and what do we expect moving forward?
  • How is the tenant evolving?
  • What are the fundamental differences between the urban multifamily model and the suburban single family model when it comes to management?
  • How has the arms race for amenities evolved? What amenities are now needed, what has worked well and what hasn’t been as popular?
  • How long can operators continue to push rents?
  • Which technology reduces operational costs and indeed residents costs – how do we see the use of technology evolving in the sector?

Speakers: Sowgol Zarinchang, Managing Director, Way of Life,
Sarah Nelson, Director of Operations, Casa by Moda,
Eleanor Fiennes, Director – Operations, Packaged Living,
Nigel Bosworth, Director – Head of Residential Management, Savills

2.45pm Focus Session – The Significant Evolution of Build to Rent Design
  • How far has the design and delivery of Build to Rent Evolved?
  • What has worked well and what hasn’t in Build to Rent design?
  • Where are we on the journey to the perfect BTR design?
  • What do we now need to design and deliver to suit the 2024 tenant and how will this evolve to suit the 2034 tenant?

Speaker: Félicie Krikler. Director, Assael Architecture

3.05pm Detailed Analysis Session - How can we retrofit residential buildings to reduce the carbon footprint?
  • What methods can be used?
  • What can we learn from other sectors?
  • How can we calculate when to refurbish, and when to demolish?
  • How important is embodied carbon when making this decision?

Speaker: Marion Baeli, Principal - Sustainability Transformation, 10 Design

3.25pm Questions for Felicie and Marion
3.30pm Focus Panel Session – The Evolution of UK Build to Rent, Gen 1 v Gen 2 v Gen 3
  • Where has the Build to Rent product come from and where has it reached?
  • Where is the Rental Living product going next?
  • What were the 1st generation of UK build to rent assets, what were their amenities and who were the tenants, and how far have we now come?
  • What is now happening to the 1st Generation assets, can they be reconfigured or repurposed and where do they fit in with the more sophisticated markets that we have now?
  • Where have we reached in 2024 with the 2nd Generation of assets and how would we define the product being delivered, its amenities, and tenants? What is now the norm?
  • Is there potential for a more affordable model with a lower level of amenities and is there potential for 1st generation assets to fit this market?
  • What can we expect from the 3rd generation of Build to Rent assets, will we see a wider range of products, pricepoints and amenities and where do we see the growth in tenants in terms of demographics?
  • Do we expect any dramatic evolution or even revolution of the sector in the coming years, in terms of investment, product or scale?

Speakers: Dan Batterton, Head of Residential, Legal & General Investment Management,
Danielle Bayless, Chief Operation Officer, Quintain,
Debra Yudolph, Founder & CEO, SAY Property Consulting,
David Woodward, CEO at Global Apartment Advisors (GAA) and CEO at CompassRock International,
Martin Bellinger, Founder and Principal, Goodstone Living

4.10pm Closing Remarks from Chair
4.15pm Close of Conference and the start of the BTR UK Annual Networking Drinks Reception
  • Join the market leaders in Build to Rent for informal networking drinks