About The Association of Real Estate Funds

Who we are

The Association of Real Estate Funds (AREF) is the industry association which represents the unlisted real estate funds industry in the UK and associated off-shore jurisdictions.  We currently have 69 member funds with more than £30bn of assets under management.  Our member funds are represented by more than 30 investment management houses, including the majority of the largest in the UK industry.

• we represent all types of property vehicles except fully listed corporate entities;
  
  
• member funds may cover all types of physical property investment, whether commercial, leisure, residential or agricultural;
  
  
• funds' assets may be held anywhere in the world, not restricted to the UK;
  
  
• we also encompass any property related financial instrument, e.g. real estate securities, property related debt, derivatives.
  

AREF began in the early 1970s as the Association of Property Unit Trusts and in 2006 was renamed and expanded its remit to encompass any fund type investing in real estate as the underlying asset class.

Our Objectives

AREF aims to promote the interests of members by:

1. ensuring that members offer consistently high quality products and support services to investors and their advisers, and by enhancing the understanding of real estate funds by those users;
   
   
2. informing, influencing and lobbying policy makers, tax and regulatory authorities and other official bodies to achieve the optimum environment for real estate funds; and
   
   
3. influencing the factors that will progress our industry by seeking ways to enhance the products and services offered by members; addressing the concerns of third party stakeholders; and developing members' understanding of new asset types.

What we do

Click here to find out what we do.

Click here to find out how to join us.

AREF believes that the information it provides is accurate as at the date of publication, but no warranty of accuracy is given and no liability in respect of any error or omission (including any third party liability) is accepted by the Association, its Committee members or secretary. The information is subject to change without notice.