This week, I sat down with Dr. Kate Jarvis to unpack a journey that spans childhood instability, academic rigour, early machine learning, and the building of an AI native platform designed to fundamentally change how real asset decisions are made.

Kate is CEO and co founder of Fifth Dimension, a technology company powering decision making across real assets, underwriting, asset management and portfolio strategy for some of the world's largest real estate and investment organisations. With a PhD from Stanford and more than fifteen years building machine learning backed businesses across the US, UK and Europe, Kate sits at the intersection of deep technical expertise and real world operational experience.

In this conversation, Kate shares how growing up with her family home repossessed at a young age shaped her relationship with risk, security and institutions, and why those early experiences still influence how she builds businesses today. We explore her path through linguistics and early AI research, long before machine learning became mainstream, and how understanding language, prediction and inference laid the foundations for her later work in real assets.

We discuss how Kate entered real estate through shared ownership and institutional capital deployment, where she encountered the reality of manual underwriting, endless spreadsheets, PDFs and investment committee drag. That frustration became the catalyst for Fifth Dimension. Kate explains why most AI tools fail in regulated, high stakes environments, why auditability matters more than automation, and how Fifth Dimension works alongside investment teams to amplify judgement rather than replace it. The conversation also looks ahead to what it really means to be AI native, who wins over the next decade, and why smaller, smarter teams may soon outperform incumbents with scale alone.

Key Topics Covered in This Episode

✅ From Instability to Resilience

How early life experiences shaped Kate's approach to risk, ambition and long term thinking.

✅ From Linguistics to Machine Learning

Why language, prediction and inference sit at the heart of modern AI and real asset decision making.

✅ Why Real Estate Underwriting Is Broken

The operational drag inside institutional real estate and why spreadsheets still dominate billion pound decisions.

✅ Building Fifth Dimension

How shared ownership, manual IC processes and frustration with legacy workflows led to an AI native platform.

✅ AI as an Amplifier, Not a Replacement

Why human judgement, creativity and context still matter and how AI should support decision makers, not remove them.

And of course, I asked Kate the big question:

Who are the People, what Property, and which Place would you invest in if you had £500 million to deploy?

If you have thoughts or questions about this episode, drop them in the comments. I'd love to hear your take.

The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne, recruiting leadership talent for real estate funds, owners, investors, and developers.

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This week, I sat down with Ian Rickwood to unpack a career that spans entrepreneurship, private equity, consumer businesses, failed exits, market downturns, and ultimately the building of a long term real estate investment and capital platform.

Ian is Founder and Chairman of Henley, a fast growing private equity real estate investment and venture capital business operating across the UK, Europe and the US. Over the last two decades, Henley has invested across residential, industrial, social and supported housing, urban regeneration and large scale development, working with institutional capital, high net worth investors and operating partners.

In this conversation, Ian shares how early years in FMCG and entrepreneurial ventures laid the foundations for his approach to risk and execution, why scaling consumer businesses taught him lessons that many investors only learn later, and how navigating both successful exits and painful failures shaped his long term mindset. We discuss what it really feels like when a deal does not work, why some businesses are structurally broken regardless of management quality, and how those experiences directly influenced Ian's transition into real estate and private capital.

Ian also explains how Henley was formed out of operational experience rather than financial engineering, why long dated and complex projects can offer an edge, and how the firm thinks about platform building, partnerships and capital alignment. We explore social and supported housing, urban regeneration at scale, the challenges of deploying capital through cycles, and why conviction becomes more important as markets tighten. The conversation also touches on US expansion, joint venture models, and what experienced operators look for when backing people rather than just projects.

Key Topics Covered in This Episode

✅ From Operator to Investor

How early entrepreneurial and operating experience shaped Ian's approach to capital, risk and decision making.

✅ When Exits Do Not Go to Plan

Why some businesses fail despite strong management and what those lessons teach long term investors.

✅ Building Henley Through Cycles

How private equity thinking, real estate fundamentals and operational discipline came together.

✅ Complexity as a Competitive Advantage

Why long dated, operationally intensive and misunderstood assets can outperform.

✅ Capital, Partnerships and Conviction

How Henley approaches joint ventures, institutional capital and platform growth across markets.

And of course, I asked Ian the big question:

Who are the People, what Property, and which Place would you invest in if you had £500 million to deploy?

If you have thoughts or questions about this episode, drop them in the comments. I'd love to hear your take.

The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne, recruiting leadership talent for real estate funds, owners, investors, and developers.

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👉 http://peoplepropertyplace.com/

This week, I sat down with Niall Farmer to unpack an unconventional real estate career that spans retail property, residential development, masterplanning, construction, and now leading the UK platform for one of Asia's most powerful real estate and infrastructure groups.

Niall is Head of UK at Gamuda Land, part of the Gamuda Group, a global infrastructure and property developer with operations across Asia, Australia and Europe. Gamuda Land has delivered tens of thousands of homes globally and is now deploying significant balance sheet capital into the UK across offices, student housing, residential and large scale mixed use developments.

In this conversation, Niall shares how graduating into the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis shaped his early career, why a detour into client side retail property proved unexpectedly formative, and how a mix of construction exposure, development experience and relationship building created the platform for his later moves. We discuss the pressure and perspective that comes from stepping into a family construction business during some of the toughest market conditions in recent memory, and how that experience changed his approach to risk, leadership and decision making.

Niall also explains how Gamuda Land entered the UK, what global capital really looks for when choosing local partners, and why being an "active" investor matters when deploying capital into unfamiliar markets. We explore how investment rulebooks are written, when they get broken, and what happens when conviction is tested on projects that sit well outside the original plan. The conversation touches on one of the most closely watched developments in the City of London, how large scale schemes are underwritten today, and what global investors are really trying to solve for when backing UK real estate.

Key Topics Covered in This Episode

✅ From GFC Graduate to Global Developer

How early career setbacks, unexpected roles and timing shaped Niall's long term trajectory in real estate.

✅ Retail, Residential and Construction

Why working across asset management, development and construction created a broader decision making toolkit.

✅ Inside a Global Capital Mindset

How foreign balance sheet capital approaches UK real estate, partnerships and risk differently.

✅ When Investment Rulebooks Break

Why some opportunities force investors to step outside their stated strategy and how conviction is tested at scale.

✅ Building a UK Platform for Gamuda Land

How trust, culture and local knowledge underpin long term capital deployment in unfamiliar markets.

And of course, I asked Niall the big question:

Who are the People, what Property, and which Place would you invest in if you had £500 million to deploy?

If you have thoughts or questions about this episode, drop them in the comments. I'd love to hear your take.

The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne, recruiting leadership talent for real estate funds, owners, investors, and developers.

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👉 http://peoplepropertyplace.com/

In this episode of the People Property Place podcast, Nick Leslau, a real estate investing legend who has built and backed some of the most influential UK property vehicles of the last few decades, shares what really matters when markets turn and leverage starts to bite.

Drawing on a career spanning Prestbury, listed platforms, major exits, and multiple cycles, Nick explains why credit, not property, has always been the real risk. He reflects on early lessons from the securitisation era, the danger signals he watches in bank behaviour and loan to value ratios, and why every property crash ultimately traces back to the same place, too much debt in the system.

The conversation also explores what it takes to make decisions at scale over decades. Nick speaks candidly about insecurity, judgement, and why he has never believed success comes from being the smartest person in the room. Instead, he credits long term performance to surrounding yourself with sharper minds, staying wary of your own conviction, and keeping discipline when others chase narratives. A clear, experience led discussion on risk, capital allocation, and how People, Property and Place intersect inside real estate investing.

The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne, recruiting leadership talent for real estate funds, owners, investors, and developers. 🔊 LIKE ➡ SHARE ➡ SUBSCRIBE 👉 http://peoplepropertyplace.com/

In this episode of the People Property Place podcast, Harm Meijer draws on decades of experience across listed real estate and capital markets to unpack how cycles really play out when sentiment turns and leverage starts to bite.

From his early career on the sell side to building ICAMAP, Harm explains why investors repeatedly misjudge market turning points, how incentives inside listed vehicles quietly shape long term outcomes, and why management alignment often matters more than the assets themselves. He reflects on the lessons learned during the Global Financial Crisis, the risks of catching falling knives, and the discipline required before capital is redeployed.

The conversation also explores why listed real estate remains structurally misunderstood today, how private equity is exploiting inefficiencies in public markets, and what most investors get wrong about liquidity, exits, and governance. Harm shares how these insights influence ICAMAP's approach across strategies, and why conviction must be grounded in fundamentals rather than narratives.

A clear, experience led discussion on risk, capital allocation, and how People, Property and Place intersect inside real estate investing.

Real Estate Rules: The Investor's Guide to Picking Winners and Avoiding Losers in Listed Property - Amazon Link

The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne, recruiting leadership talent for real estate funds, owners, investors, and developers. 🔊 LIKE ➡ SHARE ➡ SUBSCRIBE 👉 http://peoplepropertyplace.com/

This week, I sat down with Martin Towns to unpack a career built across brokerage, private equity, institutional fund management, and now global leadership, and what it takes to scale a real estate investment platform across multiple cycles and geographies.

Martin is Global Head of Real Estate at M&G, responsible for the strategic direction and growth of a real estate business managing approximately $50bn of assets across 26 countries in Europe, Asia and North America. He has more than 20 years' experience in real estate investment management, including 15 years at M&G, and previously held roles at Close Brothers Investment Bank and Jones Lang LaSalle.

In this conversation, Martin shares how growing up in rural Scotland led him into Land Economy, why his early years at JLL and Close Brothers shaped his understanding of risk and cycles, and how living through the Global Financial Crisis fundamentally influenced his approach to leverage, structuring and downside protection. We discuss why he joined M&G when the platform was still UK focused and internally funded, and how proprietary capital was used to seed strategies that later scaled into global third party businesses.

Martin explains the evolution of M&G's residential and living platforms, the creation of its Capital Solutions business for large institutional investors, and the strategic thinking behind acquiring value add specialist Beaumont. We also explore investor behaviour across regions, the return of capital to core real estate, how global LP preferences are shifting, and what leadership looks like when you move from doing deals to setting strategy at scale.

Key Topics Covered in This Episode

✅ From Rural Scotland to Global Real Estate Leadership

How Martin's early career choices and formative experiences shaped his long term investment philosophy.

✅ Lessons from the GFC

Why understanding cycles, leverage and macro risk remains critical for institutional real estate investors.

✅ Building a Global Platform at M&G

How internal life assurance capital helped seed strategies that later scaled into multi billion pound global funds.

✅ Living, Capital Solutions and Value Add

Why residential and living assets became institutionalised and how bespoke mandates and co investment changed M&G's growth trajectory.

✅ Acquiring Beaumont

The rationale behind adding value add capability and how to integrate specialist teams without destroying culture or performance.

And of course, I asked Martin the big question:

Who are the People, what Property, and which Place would you invest in if you had £500 million to deploy?

If you have thoughts or questions about this episode, drop them in the comments. I'd love to hear your take.

The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne, recruiting leadership talent for real estate funds, owners, investors, and developers.

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👉 http://peoplepropertyplace.com/

This week, I sat down with Randeesh Sandhu to unpack a career that spans investment banking, real estate development, private credit, and public markets, and what it really takes to build a durable lending platform across multiple cycles.

Randeesh is Co-Founder and CEO of Precede Capital Partners, founded in 2021 as a portfolio company of TowerBrook Capital Partners. Prior to Precede, he co-founded and led Urban Exposure Plc for nearly two decades, growing it into the UK's leading residential development financier. Under his leadership, the business deployed more than £1.7bn in development finance and over £3bn in real estate finance, before floating on the London Stock Exchange AIM market in 2018.

In this conversation, Randeesh shares how he moved from credit derivatives at Deutsche Bank into real estate entrepreneurship, why underwriting discipline matters more than chasing deals, and how the post-GFC withdrawal of banks created the foundations of the UK's non bank lending market. We also discuss the realities of scaling a private credit platform, lessons from public markets, the personal cost of leadership, and how Precede is now positioning itself across large scale, living led real estate in the UK and Europe.

Key Topics Covered in This Episode

✅ From Deutsche Bank to Real Estate Entrepreneur

Why Randeesh left investment banking to build a property business and how that early leap shaped his approach to risk and conviction.

✅ Building and Scaling Urban Exposure

How the platform evolved from equity and development into private credit, and what it takes to deploy billions without capital loss.

✅ Private Credit After the GFC

Why non bank lenders emerged, how structured lending works in practice, and what institutional investors look for today.

✅ Lessons from Public Markets

What Randeesh learned from listing on AIM, navigating volatility, and why private ownership can better support long term strategy.

And of course, I asked Randeesh the big question:

Who are the People, what Property, and which Place would you invest in if you had £500 million to deploy?

If you have thoughts or questions about this episode, drop them in the comments. I'd love to hear your take.

The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne, recruiting leadership talent for real estate funds, owners, investors, and developers.

🔊 LIKE ➡ SHARE ➡ SUBSCRIBE 👉 http://peoplepropertyplace.com/

Europe's Housing Imbalance and the Living Opportunity with Tom Livelli, Partner and Head of Living Strategies, Europe at EQT Real Estate

This week, I sat down with Tom Livelli to dive into how Europe's chronic housing undersupply, shifting renter behaviour, and capital rotation are shaping one of the most compelling living strategies in global real estate today. 

Tom is a Partner with EQT Real Estate and Head of Living Strategies, Europe, based in Madrid. Before EQT, he helped build Greystar's South American business from a laptop in a Santiago coffee shop into a billion dollar platform, and previously led large scale residential and mixed use projects in the US, Latin America, and Central America. His career spans military housing, emerging markets, and now a pan European living platform backed by EQT's active ownership model. 

We unpack how his experience across eleven countries informs his view of risk, liquidity, and political stability, why Europe's living sector now offers "higher return for lower risk," and how EQT is designing product, operations, and capital structures for the next phase of the cycle.

Key Topics Covered in This Episode

✅ Building a Pan European Living Platform

How EQT Real Estate has assembled a vertically integrated but not overbuilt living strategy across student housing and apartments, with local teams on the ground and a value add focus across multiple European markets. 

✅ From Military Housing and Central America to Greystar and EQT

Why Tom's early work on military housing in the US, community building in Central America, and scaling Greystar in Chile gave him a deep appreciation for stable institutions, liquidity, and the realities of operating in emerging markets. 

✅ Designing a Higher Return Lower Risk Living Model

How EQT is targeting urban, transit connected locations with minimal amenities, smaller minimum efficient scale, and lean operations to lower upfront investment, lift NOI margins, and tap deeper, more resilient segments of tenant demand. 

✅ Europe's Structural Housing Imbalance

Why affordability pressures, later first time homeownership, and longer rental periods are driving an extraordinary surge in rental demand across Europe, and why Tom believes this supply demand gap gives the living sector significant room to run. 

✅ Capital, Cycles, and Europe versus the US

How global institutions are viewing Europe relative to the US today, why accretive debt and repricing are creating a window for value add capital, and where Tom sees the most interesting opportunities by country and sector over the next few years. 

And of course, I asked Tom the big question:

Who are the People, what Property, and which Place would you invest in if you had £500 million to deploy?

If you have thoughts or questions about this episode, drop them in the comments. I'd love to hear your take.

The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne, recruiting leadership talent for real estate funds, owners, investors, and developers.

The Future of European Real Estate: Strategy, Capital, and Structural Change with Simon Wallace, Head of UK Real Estate & Global Co-Head of Research - DWS.

This week, I sat down with Simon Wallace to explore how Europe's real estate landscape is shifting - and what that really means for investors, fund managers, and operators in the next cycle.

Simon began his career as an economist before moving into real estate on the eve of the financial crisis. Since then, he has become one of the most influential strategists in the industry, shaping how research informs underwriting, capital allocation, and long-term thematic positioning across Europe.

We unpack how his role evolved from research to strategy to leadership, what today's investors truly value, and why the coming decade could be defined by wellness, tech adoption, and a deeper rethink of how cities function.

Key Topics Covered in This Episode

✅ From Economist to Strategist - How starting his career during the GFC accelerated his learning and shaped his investment philosophy

✅ Research as a Value Driver - Why research now has a formal voice in investment decisions and how strategy has become central to performance

✅ Building Modern Teams - The behavioural traits, breadth of experience, and challenge culture needed for next-generation research and strategy roles

✅ Structural Themes - How wellness, demographic shifts, and autonomous vehicles could reshape demand, cities, and opportunity sets

✅ Capital & Cycles - Why Europe may be quietly entering a recovery phase and how global capital is viewing the UK, Germany, and the living sectors

And of course, I asked Simon the big question:

Who are the People, what Property, and which Place would you invest in if you had £500 million to deploy?

If you have thoughts or questions about this episode, drop them in the comments - I'd love to hear your take.

The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne, recruiting leadership talent for real estate funds, owners, investors, and developers.

Technology, Talent, And The Future Of Purpose Built Living with Bay Downing, Joint CEO of Downing and Co Founder of Aboria Capital. One of the UK's leading vertically integrated living platforms with 6000 plus operational beds across top university cities.

This week, I sat down with Bay Downing to explore how a second generation family business is evolving into a tech enabled, institutionally backed platform shaping the future of student accommodation and urban living.

With property in his DNA, Bay has spent the last eight years working across investment, development, operations and marketing, while helping co found Aboria Capital, Downing's investment management arm. Now Joint CEO alongside Sally O'Brien, he is focused on scaling a business built on legacy, discipline and innovation.

We discuss how AI, automation and data intelligence are transforming operations, how global investors are reallocating into specialist living sectors, and why PBSA and co living continue to present some of the strongest structural tailwinds in UK real estate.

Key Topics Covered In This Episode

✅ The Downing Journey

How a family business grew from HMOs in Liverpool to one of the UK's largest integrated PBSA platforms with more than 6000 beds and 200 employees.

✅ Technology And Operational Excellence

How AI driven enquiry management, outbound calling, workflow automation and predictive analytics are reshaping leasing speeds, customer experience and pricing accuracy.

✅ Institutionalising A Legacy Business

Why Bay co founded Aboria Capital, how the partnership with Jessica Hardman emerged, and what investors are seeking from specialist managers today.

✅ Global Demand And Market Shifts

Insights into international student flows, including a 250 percent surge from the US and Canada, and what that means for UK supply and returns.

✅ ESG, Energy And Responsibility

Bay's role as Director of On Site Energy and how data led energy solutions are helping Downing reduce consumption, lower costs and improve sustainability outcomes for residents and partners.

✅ Leadership, Succession And Culture

What Bay has learned working alongside Sally O'Brien, the importance of alignment across departments, and how Downing continues to evolve without losing its family ethos.

And of course, I asked Bay the big question:

Who are the People, what Property, and which Place would you invest in if you had £500 million to deploy?

If you have thoughts or questions about this episode, drop them in the comments. I would love to hear your take.

The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne, recruiting leadership talent for real estate funds, owners, investors, and developers.