Scotch Corner Designer Village, a UK retail and leisure development project, is expected to become the first company to list on Aquis Stock Exchange’s newly created real assets sub-market.
The Aquis Real Asset Market (Aram) has been created as a dedicated real estate and infrastructure market segment – two asset classes that Aquis says are “underrepresented” on the London Stock Exchange.
Aram intends to offer trading across various parts of the capital structure and risk levels, including single assets and debt instruments. It also expects to offer an alternative market to the London Stock Exchange and other exchanges for traditional real estate investment trusts.
Scotch Corner Designer Village, the retail and leisure development between York and Darlington, is proposing its initial public offering on Aram to fund the £170m (€197m) first-phase development of its project ahead of its planned opening in 2027.
UK residential property developer Zentra is also expected to join the Aram marketplace. Zentra previously de-listed from the London Stock Exchange in December 2024 to begin trading on the Access segment of Aquis.
As part of Aram’s launch, Aram Advisors has also been created. Shareholders of Aram Advisors will include: property investors Nick Leslau and Nigel Wray; CEO of Enstar Group, Dominic Silvester; Martley Capital, Henley Investment Management, Zentra Group and Acuitus.
The advisory firm’s leadership includes: former managing director of Dow Jones Commercial EMEA and former rugby world cup winner Michael Lynagh; former Aquis Exchange CFO and COO Jonathan Clelland; and Duneane Asset Management director Donall McCann.
Aram Advisors is also led by Rob Rackind, non-executive chair of Inhale Capital and former global head of real estate at Credit Suisse Asset Management, and Martley Capital CEO Richard Croft.
Lynagh, director at Aram Advisors, said: “London has achieved its position as a global financial hub through innovation, but in recent years it has struggled to maintain its competitive edge. Aram is exactly what the City needs, creating a platform that democratises access to the real estate market, a market valued at £1.3trn in the UK alone, and enabling people to invest in opportunities typically reserved for professional investors.
“With a strong management team and an internationally recognised host platform, the launch of Aram represents a major step forward in UK real estate investment. By enhancing investment transparency, limiting transaction costs and leveraging Aquis’ future-proofed software, Aram will revolutionise the public real estate sector.”
Clelland said: “Aram is built on the foundations of one of the UK’s most trusted and liquid market infrastructures. By operating within the Aquis Growth Market, we’re combining the benefits of a regulated, scalable exchange with the flexibility and innovation needed to support real asset investment. This creates a powerful new route to market for both issuers and investors.”
Croft, director at Aram Advisors, said: “Only 5% – around £65bn – of UK commercial real estate is listed on the market, demonstrating a large addressable market and opportunity for Aram. Securities will be tradable on all major platforms, including AJ Bell & Hargreaves Lansdown, providing liquidity and access to all potential market participants.”
“With a strong listing pipeline, Aram will provide investors with the ability to build their own diversified portfolio without significant management costs. And as the investment market changes through fractionalisation and tokenisation, Aram is uniquely positioned to respond.”
Jason Upton, CEO of Zentra Group, said: “Our intention to move to Aram marks a decisive and exciting step in Zentra’s growth journey. As a platform dedicated to real estate, Aram offers a flexible structure and market fit that aligns with how we operate today and how we plan to scale in the future.
“We see significant potential to broaden our investor base and deepen engagement with stakeholders through a structure that is more transparent, project-led, and tailored to the nature of our work. Crucially, this transition creates the flexibility, access, and growth potential that we wouldn’t necessarily have on alternative markets.”
The launch of Aram follows in the wake of IPSX, a UK exchange for individual real estate assets and portfolios, which eventually close in 2023.
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