Habito welcomes back trio to spearhead specialist team
LONDON, 4 APRIL 2024: Digital mortgage broker Habito, is undergoing a period of growth and expansion into new markets now the ship has steadied since the arrival of new leadership.
Habito, is thrilled to announce exciting expansion plans as three former Habitonians return, to lead a new specialist team within the company. The decision of Lizzie Markham, Teddy Cenaj, and Jamie Gardner to rejoin Habito is testament to their belief in the tech focused proposition and culture at Habito, reflecting the company’s stability and ambitious growth trajectory.
The new specialist team also shows Habito’s determination to reach a wider audience, to get better customer outcomes and to democratise homeownership. Initially the team will focus on adverse residential cases and portfolio landlords, however the intention is to expand further into commercial, bridging and second charges later in the year.
Ying Tan, CEO of Habito, expressed his excitement for the new hires and the bright future ahead for the company. “We are thrilled to welcome back these talented individuals to spearhead our new specialist division. Their return speaks volumes about the strong proposition and culture we have built at Habito. It is an exciting time for us as we continue to evolve and grow, and I am confident that with their expertise, we will reach new heights. Great customer outcomes led by technology remain at the forefront of all we do “
Lizzie Markham, Mortgage Expert Habito said “Habito has always remained close to my heart, and I am grateful for the opportunity to return. I am more driven than ever to be part of the next chapter of the Habito story and be relentless in our pursuit to make mortgages easier”.
The addition of these experienced team members marks a significant milestone for Habito as they further solidify their position as the leading player in the digital mortgage world.
Savills IM raises £123m for first close of UK Simply Affordable Homes Fund
London, 4 April 2024, Savills Investment Management (Savills IM), today announces the first close of the Savills IM Simply Affordable Homes Limited Partnership (“the Fund”), with five founding investors: Samsung Life Insurance, London CIV, Big Society Capital, Schroder BSC Social Impact Trust plc and Savills Plc.
The Fund will invest in and manage a diversified portfolio of affordable housing, comprising both affordable and social-rent homes as well as shared-ownership homes, in an open-ended core product designed for institutional investors seeking a low risk, inflation-linked income stream whilst also delivering social impact.
Simply Affordable Homes RP Limited, the Fund’s For-Profit Registered Provider, will enable it to purchase existing high-quality income-producing stock through establishing strategic partnerships with housing associations and other registered providers, freeing up capital for them to develop more homes.
The Fund will also facilitate the delivery of new homes and through strategic partnerships with developers and housebuilders help create much needed affordable accommodation in the UK.
With an aim to facilitate a genuine social purpose with a positive impact, the Fund operates under enhanced governance frameworks and a sustainable investment strategy. The Fund has a ‘Theory of Change’ impact framework, designed in conjunction with The Good Economy (TGE), a leading social impact advisory firm, as well as a targeted carbon reduction pathway with a series of commitments, targeting high environmental standards and progressing towards Net Zero Carbon by 2040.
Alex Jeffrey, Chief Executive, Savills IM, commented: The UK faces serious housing challenges, especially with regard to affordability, and this fund aims to help address this. Investing in UK affordable housing provides opportunities for institutional capital to meet commitments to socially responsible investing and make a significant and positive impact, whilst achieving attractive returns.
Dominic Curtis, Fund Manager and Chief Executive, Simply Affordable Homes RP, commented: “Our high-quality RP and investment strategy has attracted some of the industry’s leading figures as directors, including Keith Exford CBE, Ann Santry CBE and Jack Stephen. Our sourcing platform has multiple links to the existing sector and through our strategic partnerships with Housing Associations and other private developers, we hope to deliver much needed capital into the sector.
Christopher Osborne, Head of Real Estate at London CIV commented “Following extensive due diligence and negotiations on behalf of our partners funds, we are excited for LCIV UK Housing Fund to partner with Savills IM and be an anchor investor in Simply Affordable Homes. Private capital has a vital role to play in the affordable housing sector, and we are confident that Savills IM will deliver robust long term returns for our partner funds, and through its impact led approach support the provision of much needed affordable homes in the UK, through investing in existing, and increasing the supply of high-quality affordable homes.”
Andrew Stanton’s PROPTECH-X ‘Proptech & Property News’ in association with Estate Agent Networking & News Now publications. #proptech #property #realestate #digitaltransformation #startups
Andrew Stanton Founder & Editor of 'PROPTECH-X' where his insights, connections, analysis and commentary on proptech and real estate are based on writing 1.3M words annually. Plus meeting 1,000 Proptech founders, critiquing 400 decks and having had 130 clients as CEO of 'PROPTECH-PR', a consultancy for Proptech founders seeking growth and exit strategies. He also acts as an advisory for major global real estate companies on sales, acquisitions, market positioning & operations. With 100K followers & readers, he is the 'Proptech Realestate Influencer.'
