Barings Real Estate, part of Barings, has entered the U.K. private rented sector (PRS) with the acquisition of a 240-unit multifamily property, The Keel, at Queens Dock in Liverpool, for £46.75 million ($60.91 million), from Moorfield Group, on behalf of one of its funds. The acquisition also includes an adjacent plot of land that is fully consented for PRS development. The investment has been made as part of Barings’ pan-European core investment strategy on behalf of institutional investors.
“This transaction presents a rare opportunity to acquire a well-located operating PRS asset in an iconic building on Liverpool’s riverside,” said Darren Hutchinson, managing director – head of U.K. real estate transactions at Barings. “We believe there is an opportunity to add value through leasing up the vacant apartments and capturing rental reversion as a number of short-term leases in The Keel expire. Barings believes the U.K. PRS sector, and the regional mid-market sector in particular, is at the beginning of a period of sustained growth. We have extensive experience managing and investing in multifamily properties in the United States and our acquisition of the Keel is a great start to our strong ambitions to expand that expertise to the United Kingdom.”
The Keel, a Liverpool landmark, is comprised of 240 apartments (425 beds) across 170,500 square feet arranged over ground and four floors. Formerly Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) Liverpool office, The Keel was recently converted to a high-quality mid-market residential apartments. The Keel is attractively positioned on the edge of River Mersey, with residents benefitting from water views, as well as a range of amenities including a manned concierge/reception, on-site gym, 207 car parking and secure perimeter fencing.
The PRS market is rapidly emerging as an institutional asset class in the United Kingdom and is underpinned by key demographic and structural drivers including a chronic undersupply of housing, which is further exacerbated by declining average household sizes, as well as a significant increase in the number of people renting.
“The Keel was one of the first PRS/BTR projects delivered in the United Kingdom, and we are proud to have been at the forefront of this new and emerging sector,” said Charles Ferguson-Davie, CIO, Moorfield. “We will now be looking to identify new opportunities on behalf of our new fund, which achieved a first close in October 2017. This is targeting further investments in PRS/BTR, student accommodation, logistics, mixed-use projects and infrastructure-led opportunities. Moorfield has also invested in three other BTR projects — two in Manchester known as The Trilogy and Duet, and one in Newcastle known as The Forge.”
Property Company Glenbrook will continue its association with The Keel following its original role as scheme developer. Glenbrook introduced the scheme to Barings and will partner with them on the asset management of The Keel and the development of the remaining consented land that when delivered will see the size of the scheme increase to more than 500 apartments.
