Trade body members vote in favour of Real Estate:UK

The formation of a representative organisation for the real estate sector, Real Estate:UK (RE:UK) will move ahead following an overwhelming vote in favour across all three member organisations. 100% of AREF members; 99.5% of BPF members and 92% of IPF members who voted expressed their support for the merger.

RE:UK will serve as a unified convenor and voice for the whole of the real estate sector, comprising institutional and private investors, property companies, developers, asset owners, managers and advisers. Its activities will be based around six key pillars: advocacy; research and data; thought leadership and innovation; networking and events; upskilling and training; and standards and guidance.

Following the endorsement from members, the Chairs of the Association of Real Estate Funds (AREF), the British Property Federation (BPF) and the Investment Property Forum (IPF) will work together to appoint a Chair who will lead the first RE:UK Board and a Chief Executive for RE:UK.

RE:UK will launch on 1 January 2026. Initially members will have dual membership and 2026 will be a transitional year as the organisations are fully integrated.

Anne Breen, Chair AREF, said: “The response from the memberships of AREF, BPF and IPF has been overwhelmingly positive and a strong endorsement of our vision for a single, amplified voice for the real estate sector.”

Simon Carter, President BPF, said: “I am delighted that BPF members have expressed their overwhelming support for the creation of RE:UK. I look forward to working with AREF and IPF over the next few months to turn our shared vision for a new powerful body for the sector into reality.”

Clare Thomas, Chair IPF, said: “On behalf of the IPF board, I would like to thank IPF members for taking the time to consider the proposal and then giving the merger their strong support. This is the culmination of significant work across all three organisations, and we look forward to the launch of RE:UK in 2026 as an important step forward for the real estate industry.”