AREF Podcast Channel

14 October 2025

Full event

No FCA presentation.

On 16 January 2025, we hosted the third event in "The Real Estate Debt Series" at CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP in London. Organised by the AREF Education & Training Committee, the session focused on the practicalities of alternative real estate lending, including market opportunities, borrower perspectives, and ESG considerations.

Audio file for webinar recording on 4th October 2024.

Recorded on 9th May 2024

Recorded 19 April 2024

Recorded on 21 March 2024.

Listen to the recording of our webinar, recorded on 19th January 2024.

Recorded 29th November 2023

The first event in the series an 'Introduction to Debt Funds', took place on Thursday 16th November and covered: Setting the scene and details of a new fund index - Paul Richards, AREFCurrent debt market - opportunity:  Christian Janssen, NuveenDebt funds and their place in the market:  Kristina Foster 

A joint webinar, co-hosted with AREF, The IA, IPF, BPF and AIMA. With guest speaker, David Gauke, Head of Public Policy at Macfarlanes & formerly Chief Secretary to HM Treasury, Work and Pensions Minister, Justice Minister and Lord Chancellor.

On 27th June our expert panel shared their experiences of residential planning in the UK and constructively discussed how industry and government could perhaps better work together and ultimately improve the flow of capital into building much needed new homes across the country.Thanks to Savill's for hosting the event and to our expert panel:Moderator: Anthony Codling, CEO at TwindigPanellist: Yolande Barnes, Chair at Bartlett Real Estate Institute at UCLPanellist: Ed Crockett, Head of Residential Investment at EuropaPanellist: Matt Richards, Director, Planning at SavillsPanellist: Matthew Spry, Senior Director, Head of London Office at Lichfields

In this podcast, produced in partnership with Travers Smith and CMS, our expert lawyers from England and Scotland discuss what a landlord might be able to do if one of its tenants stops paying its rent or goes into an insolvency process.Recorded: May 2023Speakers:Sarah Walker, Partner, Travers SmithMarc Amstrong, Partner, Dispute Resolution , CMS, EdinburghKirsty Emery, Senior Associate, Travers Smith

Listen to our speakers discuss the following:The decline in defined benefit (DB) pension investment;The changing regulatory environment for investment by defined contribution (DC) pension schemes and life insurers in illiquid assets;Practical experience from an investment manager investment by DC schemes, including lessons learnt from launching an LTAF;Forthcoming submission to HMT on suggested solutions for the Autumn Statement;A forthcoming AREF survey on the decline in DB investment and what will replace it.Recorded: 5th July 2023Speakers:Moderator: John Forbes, John Forbes ConsultingTom Graham, Head of Asset Equity Specialists, Aviva InvestorsRachel Portlock, Head of Research, AREFPaul Richards, Managing Director, AREF

Listen to this AREF event, where the panel discusses: How much depth is there to the recovery in some segments of the real estate market?Can the UK economy regain some momentum this year?Given the structural changes under way in the office market, has the downgrading of values even scratched the surface?Is there a refinancing crisis lurking in the shadows and what impact will it have on funds and liquidity? Are we heading for further turmoil in the wider financial markets?Recorded: 21st June 2023Speakers include: Moderator:  Kerri Hunter, Fund Manager (ex Abrdn) and Member of AREF's Education & Training CommitteeKeynote: Andrew Burrell, Chief Property Economist at Capital EconomicsPanellist: Lee Bruce, Head of Fund Valuation - Real Assets, CBREPanellist: Frankie Demetriades,Associate Director, ESG UK (ex Fiera Real Estate) & Member of AREF’s FutureGen Committee Panellist: Simon Durkin, Head of European Real Assets Research at BlackRock

The report discusses some common sustainability features in UK commercial property and how they relate to property value. The aim of the paper is to suggest more common ways of identifying and reporting common sustainability features to promote alignment across AREF members and the wider UK Commercial Property Market.Recorded: 16th June 2023Speakers include:Moderator: Sam Carson, Head of Sustainability, Valuations & Advisory Services at CBREPanellist: Imogen Ebbs, Head of UK Funds at Aviva InvestorsPanellist: Guy Glover, Fund Manager at Columbia ThreadneedlePanellist:  Charles Golding, Tangible Assets Valuation Associate Director at RICS

As greater focus is placed on Scope 3 emissions as a source of carbon risk, real estate fund managers are increasingly looking at their value chains and operations to identify where these emissions arise, and how they can be managed.Recorded 13th June 2023.Speakers include: Moderator: Sam Carson, Head of Sustainability, Valuations & Advisory Services at CBREAdam Baranowski, Climate Change Programme Lead at Better Buildings PartnershipFrankie Demetriades, Associate Director ESG at Fiera Real EstateOliver Light, Principal Director, Direct of Real Estate at Carbon Intelligence/AccentureMatthew Liquorish, EHS Manager - Polymers & UK Composites, MeggitLaura Noctor-King, Head of Sustainability, Better Buildings Partnership