Head of Capital Markets & Business Development

Our client is a real estate investment, asset management, development and project management firm with operations in the UK and the Netherlands. The business manages a diversified portfolio of income-producing and development assets across both markets, acting as operating partner and asset manager for its investors and capital partners.

Having operated for over a decade in the Netherlands and with a growing UK platform, they are now building out its capital markets and investor relations capability to support the next phase of growth – targeting both new mandates from institutional capital and asset management appointments from owners and lenders seeking a credible, active replacement manager.

THE ROLE

This is a senior, externally-facing hire reporting directly to the Global CIO. The primary purpose of the role is to build their client and capital partner base – generating recurring fee income through mandate wins rather than transactional deal origination.

The near-term focus is on identifying and converting opportunities where they can be appointed as asset manager or development manager in place of an existing provider – targeting property owners with underperforming portfolios, lenders holding distressed or non-performing loan positions, and asset owners with upcoming development or repositioning requirements who need an active operating partner. These are platform sales, not deal pitches.

Thereafter, to build the capital markets infrastructure to support their own investment strategies – attracting private & institutional capital into UK and NL real estate. This requires the role-holder to understand capital flows, investor mandates, and market positioning at a sophisticated level.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Build and manage a pipeline of mandate opportunities – asset management and development management appointments – from property owners, lenders, receivers, and special servicers
• Identify situations where they can replace an incumbent manager, including distressed portfolios, mismanaged assets, enforced loan positions, and owners with approaching development programmes
• Develop and maintain relationships with institutional investors, family offices, and private capital sources – with a focus on capital seeking UK and NL exposure
• Work closely with the Global CIO to shape and articulate their platform narrative – translating operational capability into investor-facing positioning
• Develop a deep understanding of the investment themes and mandates of target capital partners, ensuring their strategies are aligned to what the market will fund
• Represent them at industry events, investor forums, and bilateral meetings across London, Amsterdam, and key international capital centres
• Support the buildout of the capital markets function – contributing to investor reporting frameworks, marketing materials, and platform documentation
• Work alongside investment analysts (UK and NL) on deal underwriting and mandate structuring once client relationships are established

CANDIDATE PROFILE

• Significant experience in real estate capital markets, investor relations, or business development– with a demonstrable network of institutional and private capital relationships
• Deep understanding of the UK and/or European real estate markets, with the ability to engage credibly with global investors on market dynamics, risk, and return
• A business development orientation – someone who thinks in terms of recurring platform relationships and fee income, not individual transactions
• Familiarity with distressed real estate situations – NPL enforcement, receivership, mandate replacement – and the commercial dynamics of those processes
• Sufficient seniority and gravitas to represent the firm at the highest levels and to challenge internal assumptions about what capital will and will not support
• Professional real estate qualification (MRICS or equivalent) preferred; a strong commercial track record is the primary criterion
• Based in London or Amsterdam, with willingness to travel regularly between both markets and to key international capital centres

COMPENSATION

Competitive base salary commensurate with experience. Meaningful performance-linked compensation tied to mandate wins, fee income generated, and capital raised. Structure to be discussed with shortlisted candidates.