Global specialist real estate investor Round Hill Capital is investing £165m (€195m) in a newly created UK build-to-rent partnership with Olympian Homes.

Round Hill said the new venture with UK residential and student housing developer Olympian Homes is constructing 488 BTR units in central Manchester, the first of many forward-funded investments.

The scheme is expected to be completed by Spring 2025. 

Michael Bickford, founder and CEO of Round Hill Capital, said: “Addressing a major supply/demand imbalance in a thriving city with strong capital growth prospects, this flagship project in Manchester demonstrates our ability to identify intelligent investment opportunities and high-performing sectors across Europe with valued partners.”

Tom France, the head of UK investment at Round Hill Capital, said: “We are excited to be announcing our BTR investment with Olympian Homes, an exemplary developer with outstanding track record, and together we will create a flagship asset in the UK.

“Our exceptional investment, development and property management expertise, authentic local perspective and deep market insights help us to identify strong regional UK cities such as Manchester, and will allow us to unlock further opportunities in the coming months and years.”

James Lindridge, development director at Olympian Homes, said: “Manchester is a flourishing city with a great pipeline of opportunities. This new development will help manage the supply/demand imbalance in the area by providing residents with high-quality accommodation in a city centre location complemented by excellent transport links.”

Mark Slatter, founder and chairman at Olympian Homes, said: “We are very pleased to have achieved this major milestone, being our first BTR scheme, we have benefitted from Round Hill Capital’s great deal of experience and understanding. They have proved to be excellent partners.

“We are also grateful to Manchester City Council, Transport for Great Manchester, HS2 and Aecom Capital for working closely with us to make this challenging project a reality.”

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