Roundtable: Driving value from partnerships in the living sector

Shoosmiths hosts a roundtable covering the partnerships model in the UK's living sector, as part of the UKAA’s Annual Build to Rent Conference 2023.

As the UK’s residential market navigates economic challenges, including the impact of elevated interest rates and borrowing costs, many real estate businesses are now exploring partnerships.

While a level of consolidation is to be expected during difficult operating periods, the partnerships model and different types of working together – risk sharing, collaborating on new developments or through forward funding deals - should not be seen as a temporary or quick fix to current challenges.

Rather, this way of working is a key component to the future success of the living sector – as demonstrated by some of the UK’s leading housebuilders that are embracing partnerships, and, in some cases, completely realigning their business strategies to focus on the model.

Partnership working was at the centre of Shoosmiths’ latest roundtable, with experts from across the residential landscape gathering to discuss the model, sharing their experiences on how to make these relationships work in practice – mitigating risk, viably bringing homes to market and securing a return.

The discussion, held at the UKAA’s Annual Build to Rent Conference 2023, saw housebuilders, private developers, funders, affordable housing providers, as well as policy and legal experts express their view on driving value from partnerships. Those taking part explained how these agreements are enabling homes to be brought forward at a time when the for-sale market is impacted, with the potential to also accelerate UK housing delivery and create much-needed multi-tenure schemes.

Taking part in the discussion

• Theo Plowman, assistant director (real estate) at the British Property Federation
• Rachael Williamson, head of policy and external affairs at Chartered Institute of Housing
• Georgina Butler, group partnerships director at Barratt Developments
• Jonathon Ivory, chief investment officer at Packaged Living
• Nic Simpkin, founder of Astir Living
• Gwynn Thomson, director of Investment at Sigma Capital Group
• Sam Stone, associate director of land and planning at Abri Group
• Lisa Tye, planning partner and co-head of Shoosmiths’ living sector
• Andrew Pattinson, partner and head of real estate North at Shoosmiths
• Chair: Judy Fawcett, real estate partner and co-head of Shoosmiths’ living sector

All information correct at the time of filming.