Seeking value creation in real estate equity through active management
We bring together our research-led view on key thematic trends and a deep understanding of local market dynamics across the UK and Europe. Investing with conviction and discipline, we aim to find value in the places where people want to live, work, play and learn and focus on long-term demand drivers and structural changes. We aim to create value for investors through active management throughout each asset’s lifecycle.
Our product suite aims to meet client needs across the risk spectrum. We can tailor our real estate equity solutions as part of broader multi-asset or multi-sector offerings, or they can be focused on specific thematic opportunities by sector or geography. We seek to deliver alpha by leveraging our collective market insight into the inherently inefficient and cyclical nature of real estate.
Why invest?
Real estate equity can create value to meet a variety of investment goals.
Value creation
We aim to enhance returns through asset repositioning, development and rigorous active management.
Illiquidity premium
The private nature and high barriers to entry of the asset class, typically command an illiquidity premium.
Full risk spectrum
A wide array of solutions to meet a diverse set of investment objectives.
*ESG integration means the integration of ESG factors and consideration of sustainability risk as part of the investment decision making process. This process is applied beyond any specific binding constraints (in the objective or strategy of the fund as detailed in the prospectus or investment management agreement and in accordance with our Baseline Exclusions Policy). The investment manager retains discretion on decision making taking all risks into account, beyond any binding criteria.
Key risks of real estate equity strategies
Investment risk
The value of an investment and any income from it can go down as well as up and can fluctuate in response to changes in currency and exchange rates. Investors may not get back the original amount invested.
Real estate risk
Where funds are invested in real estate, investors may not be able to redeem any units in the fund when they want because real estate assets may not always be readily saleable. If this is the case, we may defer a request to switch or cash in shares or units.
Valuation risk
Certain assets held in the fund could, by nature, be hard to value or to sell at a desired time or at a price considered to be fair (especially in large quantities), and as a result their prices could be very volatile.
Investment insights
Investment thinking that brings together the collective insight of Aviva Investors’ teams from across the globe on the key themes influencing markets.
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Private debt for DC pensions: The multi-sector opportunity
11 Feb 2025
As the search for better retirement outcomes for the 28 million members of the UK’s defined contribution (DC) pension schemes continues, where are the opportunities for DC investors in private debt and how can they be harnessed?
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Relative value in private markets: Positive but selective
29 Jan 2025
Using proprietary data, our private markets research team compares risk and return across sectors.
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Illiquidity premia in private debt: Q4 2024
27 Jan 2025
In our latest private markets deep dive, our research team crunches the data to see how evolving macroeconomic conditions are reflected in private debt returns.
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Infrastructure debt in 2025: Investor research and discipline are key to unlocking value in the sector
23 Jan 2025
European infrastructure debt issuance should pick up as governments look to stimulate their economies and support the energy transition. But with banks keen to fund some of the best opportunities, investors need to maintain their discipline.
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40 years of lending lessons: How four decades in real estate debt has shaped Aviva Investors’ approach
12 Dec 2024
From navigating market crashes to embracing ESG and technology, Adrian Poole and Gregor Bamert reveal how 40 years of real estate debt investing have moulded Aviva Investors’ strategy – and what it takes to stay ahead in a rapidly changing market.
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Illiquidity premia in private debt: Q3 2024
30 Oct 2024
In our latest private markets deep dive, our research team crunches the data to see how evolving macro conditions are reflected in private debt returns.
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Seizing the moment: The outlook for real estate debt
24 Sep 2024
Gregor Bamert, Sima Kotecha and Nick Solomon discuss the recovery in real estate debt markets in 2024 and the opportunities emerging.
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Get networking: Will the next decade be a golden age for UK infrastructure?
3 Sep 2024
While there are obstacles to overcome, the coming years could see new opportunities for the UK government and the private sector to work together on infrastructure projects, says Darryl Murphy.
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Real asset stories: Curtain House
8 Aug 2024
In the first instalment of a new series of case studies on our real asset investments, we look at Curtain House, a Victorian warehouse Aviva Investors is converting into a modern, environmentally friendly office building.
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Illiquidity premia in private debt: Q2 2024
6 Aug 2024
In our latest real assets deep dive, our research team explains how our data on illiquidity premia indicates the benefits of a multi-asset approach to private debt investing.
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Relative value in real assets: A spectrum of opportunities
2 Aug 2024
Our real assets research team drills into proprietary data to compare risk and return across sectors.
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A new chapter: Time to prepare for the next phase of the real estate cycle
17 Jul 2024
David Hedalen and Jonathan Bayfield from our real assets research team highlight data that shows real estate markets in the UK and Europe may be on the brink of an important shift.
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The future of green premia in real estate, part two: Searching for value and resilience
8 Jul 2024
Do energy-efficient buildings have more pricing power, and what could that mean for those investing in the built environment? We bring together the views of leading capital markets researchers, a valuer and an asset manager for the second part of our deep dive into green premia, analysing the investment implications.
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Avoid, reduce, remove, align: Finding climate transition investment opportunities in real assets
3 Jul 2024
In this article, Luke Layfield and Zoe Austin explain four key pillars that can help real asset investors align their strategies with the climate transition and uncover opportunities to deliver attractive returns.
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The future of green premia in real estate, part one: The view from the ground
27 Jun 2024
Do greener buildings have more pricing power, and if so, how much? We bring together the views of leading capital markets researchers, a valuer and an asset manager for a two-part deep dive on the latest market dynamics.
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Cyclical, structural, vintage: The outlook for real estate equity
10 May 2024
High inflation and rising rates hit activity in real estate markets over the past year. But cautious optimism is now returning to the investment landscape in the UK and Europe, say Imogen Ebbs and George Fraser-Harding.
Seizing the moment: The outlook for real estate debt
Gregor Bamert, Sima Kotecha and Nick Solomon discuss the recovery in real estate debt markets in 2024 and the opportunities emerging.

Private Markets Study 2025
In the seventh edition of the study, we collected the views of 500 institutional investors around the world. We delved into some of the key questions facing private market investors today: Why do they invest in private markets? How do they expect the asset classes to perform over the next few years? What are the biggest barriers to investing today? And how do they incorporate sustainability?

House View
No one can predict the future. But our quarterly House View sets out the collective wisdom of our investment teams on the current state of global markets – and where they might be heading.

Real estate equity team
Meet our real estate equity investment team.

Ben Sanderson
Managing Director, Real Estate

Imogen Ebbs
Head of UK Funds, Real Estate Equity

James Stevens
Head of Investment – Global Real Estate

George Fraser-Harding
Head of Pan-European Funds, Real Estate
Explore
Private markets
As one of Europe’s largest private markets investment managers, we have the scale to access the full depth and breadth of private markets.
Real estate
Outcome-oriented solutions in real estate, across equity debt and long income, through strategies that span the risk spectrum, from lower-risk options generating long-term income to more opportunistic investments.