On 13 August, over 70 AREF members and stakeholders joined our online update session on Real Estate:UK (RE:UK) – the proposed new industry body being developed by AREF, the British Property Federation (BPF) and the Investment Property Forum (IPF).
The session was hosted by AREF's PR consultant David Butcher, with Anne Breen, AREF Chair and Paul Richards, AREF CEO, providing the latest updates and answering member questions.
Voting progress
The voting period for AREF Fund Members is now over halfway through, with 45% of eligible funds having cast their vote as of the date of the webinar – all in favour so far. AREF’s Articles require at least 50% of votes cast to be in favour, so the threshold has been met, but the aim remains to encourage as many members as possible to participate before voting closes.
Why Real Estate:UK?
Anne and Paul reiterated the main drivers for creating a unified voice for the real estate investment industry:
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Clearer, stronger representation to government, regulators, and other stakeholders
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A joined-up approach to policy priorities and advocacy
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Bringing together the strengths of each organisation in research, standards, events, and thought leadership
Feedback from members has been broadly supportive, with the main question being how the investment voice will be protected within a larger organisation. Paul confirmed that governance structures will ensure balanced representation across sectors.
Governance and committees
While some committee structures will need to be streamlined, the aim is to maintain opportunities for member participation. Work will be done to ensure committees remain purposeful, inclusive, and effective.
Timeline
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August–September: Voting period and member communications
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Late 2024: Project planning and preparation
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January 2025: Target launch of Real Estate:UK
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2026: Transition year for full integration of activities, branding, and committee structures
Membership and fees
For 2025, members will continue to pay the same fees as they would to their current organisation, with a transition period through to the end of 2026. The focus is on delivering more value rather than reducing fees.
Looking ahead
Plans are already underway for a robust events programme in 2025, including regional events and a major annual conference, as well as growing membership among investors and private equity-style unlisted funds.
Next steps
The results of the vote will be communicated to members following the close of the voting period. In the meantime, all supporting materials – including the presentation slides – are available on the AREF website.
Missed the event?
The recording and podcast are both available to AREF members - click here or the image below to log-in and view.
More information
For more information on Real Estate:UK, please visit our dedicated page here. Feel free to email us with any questions you may have on [email protected].
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