Later this month (19-20 June), RAW Capital Partners will join Berkeley Group and Piccadilly Estates at Raffles Istanbul for the launch of The Apsley at Royal Arsenal Riverside and Lily House at Kidbrooke Village.
The event will bring together investors interested in UK property, giving them the opportunity to learn more about Berkeley Group developments, including Royal Arsenal Riverside and Kidbrooke Village. It’s a real privilege for RAW to join the developers and advisers who can help prospective investors turn their UK property ambitions into reality.
For us, it’s also an opportunity to discuss a market that continues to attract strong international interest despite a challenging global backdrop – and it's no surprise that an event of this kind will take place in Turkey, which has emerged in recent years to become one of RAW's most important markets and a significant source of demand for UK property investment.
International demand for UK property is evolving – and developers are meeting it
Indeed, as we’ve discussed before on our blog, we’ve seen first-hand that the profile of international investors in UK property has evolved significantly in recent years.
Historically, much of the focus from overseas was on ultra-high-net-worth individuals purchasing prime London assets. And typically those buyers were coming from a select number of destinations: Hong Kong, Singapore, and the UAE, to name a few. Today, however, demand is coming from a far broader range of regions and countries.
There are entrepreneurs, senior professionals and business owners across a wealth of international markets who are increasingly looking beyond their domestic economies and considering opportunities overseas. We often refer to this as the 'emerging global middle class', and for many of these investors, UK-based real estate assets continue to represent an attractive proposition.
The UK benefits from a transparent legal system, established property rights, and a mature rental market. The property market also has a long history of resilience, achieving capital growth even while political and economic conditions inevitably fluctuate. That is why the underlying appeal of the market has remained remarkably consistent over time.
Importantly, investors are also becoming more sophisticated in their approach. Buyers are exploring a wider range of developments, investment strategies and regional opportunities. As a result, interest is no longer confined to a handful of well-known locations.
Places like Kidbrooke Village and Royal Arsenal Riverside l are prime examples of new developments that meet this emerging demand.
How RAW can help turn interest into investment
Of course, identifying the right opportunity is only part of the equation.
For many international investors, one of the biggest challenges comes when it is time to secure finance. While the UK mortgage market offers plenty of options, many mainstream lenders are not set up to accommodate the realities of overseas borrowers.
Foreign income, overseas assets, company structures and limited UK credit footprints can all create complications, even when a borrower is financially strong and the investment case is clear.
At RAW Capital Partners, we have spent more than a decade supporting foreign nationals, UK expats and international investors purchasing UK property. Rather than relying solely on standardised criteria, we assess every case on its individual merits, considering the borrower, the property and the wider investment strategy.
That approach allows us to support a broader range of borrowers and provide solutions where more rigid lending models may struggle.
Why events like this matter
One of RAW’s key principles is having an accessible, easy-to-reach team. That means meeting investors face-to-face remains hugely valuable to us, even more so in today’s world of remote working and video conferencing.
Property investment is a long-term decision, and borrowers naturally want to understand both the opportunities available and the options for financing them.
Therefore, events like the launch of The Apsley at Royal Arsenal Riverside and Lily House at Kidbrooke Village provide a valuable environment for those conversations, allowing investors to speak directly with the businesses involved in every stage of the purchasing journey.
For RAW, it’s an opportunity to better understand the priorities and challenges investors are facing, while explaining how specialist finance can help support their ambitions in the UK property market.
We’re looking forward to joining Berkeley Group in Istanbul and meeting attendees interested in learning more about investing in UK property. If you’re interested in connecting beforehand, please do get in touch.