Immo, a real estate firm using technology to allow institutional investors to access Europe's granular residential assets like single family rentals, has appointed a chief growth officer.
Chris Chinaloy was previously of global real estate investment manager Round Hill Capital, and will work alongside co-founders Avinav Nigam, Hans-Christian Zappel and Samantha Kempe to help build strategic relationships with institutional investors such as pension funds and insurers, as well as other potential funding partners like family offices and ultra-high-net-worth individuals.
While at Round Hill Capital, he was chief strategy officer and head of capital markets.
In his new role, he will be responsible for structuring Immo’s team responsible for investment products, and sourcing institutional capital for key deployment markets of Spain, Germany, and the UK.
Immo recently bolstered its C-suite over the past year through the hiring of Solarisbank AG’s Hima Mandali as chief technology officer and most recently, WeWork’s Arik Benzino as chief commercial officer.
The company also recently opened a dedicated technology hub in Chennai, India, doubling down on its investment into proprietary technology that drives its end-to-end platform.
The company has over 170 staff globally, and institutional capital commitments of $2.5 bn (€2.3 bn).
Zappel said:his breadth of experience across established businesses, private equity, real estate, and tech start-ups made him a unique fit for the company’s mission to disrupt the European residential real estate market with technology.
‘With the market as volatile as it is, it is a crucial time for us to spread our message and hone in on executing our game plan. Having the right people on board plays a huge part in that.'
Chinaloy said: ‘The market timing is ideal for acquiring European residential, which remains a solid option for institutional investors seeking an alternative to fixed-income investments.’
‘Rental demand is increasing, the supply of rental properties is falling in key markets, while the growing focus on decarbonising existing housing stock is putting pressure on governments and the private sector to find solutions to upgrade the quality of our homes. ‘
'As Europe’s leading tech-enabled residential investment platform, Immo has established an early-mover advantage that I will look to capitalise on in my new role.’
