BOOK NOW | What next for the region’s build-to-rent sector?

Do not miss out on the chance to learn from and network with some of the biggest players in the region’s rental market, including Moda, CBRE, and Packaged Living.

Join delegates from Placefirst, Trafford Council, Cityheart, HBD, Glenbrook, FEC, Genr8, and Place Capital Group at Place North West’s North West Rental Market on 9 May in Manchester.

At this half-day conference, the private sector will weigh in on what is next for the North West’s build-to-rent market and answer questions such as:

• Is the rapid recent increase in rents sustainable?
• How do Liverpool and Manchester’s BTR markets compare with other regional cities?
• How is the build-to-rent product evolving as consumers become more decerning?

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As well as diving into the world of BTR, the conference will provide representatives from Manchester and Salford city councils with a platform to discuss how local authorities are responding to the soaring demand for homes.

The event will also shine a light on the social housing sector, asking if housing associations are winning the battle to decarbonise their estates and what is being done to unlock the delivery of more affordable homes.

Buying a house has never been more difficult for our younger generations and, as a result, demand for rental homes has never been higher – regardless of whether they are at market or affordable rates.

However, rising rents, low levels of supply, and economic and sustainability challenges have created an environment that is hard to navigate for tenants and developers alike.

The expert array of speakers Place has assembled will unpick this quandary and provide you with the information you need to go away and make informed business decisions.

Expect a mixture of engaging presentations, one-to-one discussions, and dynamic panel debates – as well as the networking opportunities we know are important for your business.

In addition to the pre-panel breakfast, you can also expect breaks in between sessions and a post-panel lunch.

Place North West’s North West Rental Market event will be held at Manchester Hall in Manchester. The event will start at 8am on Thursday 9 May and end at midday. 

The conference is sponsored by JMW, Yardi and Mansell Building Solutions. 

What you will take away from this event:

• Insight into how healthy the city centre BTR market is
• All the data you could want around rental growth, supply and demand, and investment yields
• An understanding of the challenges facing the affordable end of the market
• Knowledge of how the public sector sees rental fitting into the growth of their places
• New contacts for your business

Confirmed speakers 

Cllr Paul Dennett is Salford’s City Mayor – he will give his thoughts on the affordability crisis, talk us through Salford’s stance on co-living, and explain why the city council has taken the decision to start building council homes again. Soaring rents threaten to price many locals out of the market, while viability constraints mean private developers often struggle to deliver discounted homes – Dennett will give his views on how this dynamic can be addressed for the benefit of renters.

Emma Richman is the director of operations at Peaks & Plains – Housing associations across the country are grappling with a multitude of issues from trying to deliver more homes during a period of high demand, and bring existing, older stock up to standard in terms of both safety and sustainability. Richman will tell us how Peaks & Plains is faring on all fronts.

James Blakey is the planning and engagement director at Moda Group – An established player in the rental market, with assets across several major cities, Moda is well placed to comment on the state of the market, changing trends, and responding to the biggest issues of the day.

Ben Denton is the chief executive at L&G Affordable Homes – L&G has a pipeline of more than 25,000 affordable homes to be built over the next decade. Denton will talk about the growing role of institutional investors when it comes to tackling the UK’s affordability crisis, explore the importance of partnerships with major housebuilders, and discuss the policy leavers that can be pulled to unlock the delivery of homes.

Edwina Coward is the development manager at Packaged Living – A specialist in both single-family and multi-family build-to-rent, Packaged Living has schemes in both of the North West’s biggest cities – Liverpool and Manchester. Coward will discuss the differences when it comes to developing across the UK’s regional markets and give an idea of the fundamentals Packaged looks for when making investment decisions.

Cllr Gavin White is the executive member for housing and development at Manchester City Council – In 2022, Manchester City Council announced its intention to deliver 10,000 affordable homes by 2032. Two years and a great deal of economic turmoil later, Cllr Gavin White will provide an update on how that mission is going.

Helen Spencer is the executive director of growth at Great Places Housing Group – Great Places is one of the most active housing associations currently operating in the North West. Spencer will explore the challenges and opportunities the current economic market presents when delivering good quality homes at discounted rates.

Tom Sinclair is a senior director in CBRE’s capital markets team – He has advised on several high-profile transactions in the BTR space in recent years, including Moorfield’s £170m backing of Lumina Village in Trafford. He is well-placed to take the temperature of investor sentiment and plot a path for the sector across the region in the coming years.

Lee Hill is commercial director at Ascend – Ascend specialises in the single-family build-to-rent market and Hill will shine a light on how that sector is performing and why it has seen such substantial growth in recent years. He will tell us where rents are heading, where the next growth hotspots for single-family rentals are, and explore how the product compares to the highly amenitised city centre offer.

Tom Hawley is head of affordable housing growth for Homes England in the North – Homes England is keen to get more involved in how places are curated, rather than merely pumping out homes. But how does that fresh approach affect the affordable end of the market? Hawley will explain what the government agency is doing to help housing associations, while doing its bit to facilitate the construction of more homes in the right places. 

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John McKeon is investment director at Housing Growth Partnership – HGP supports SME developers across the UK’s regional cities and knows intimately the challenges its clients are facing and how to overcome them. McKeon will discuss recent deals across the North West, providing a lender’s view on BTR, retirement living, and PBSA

Book your ticket today by using the form below.

If you cannot see the form, please contact events@placenorthwest.co.uk.