Former De Montfort report set for European expansion

The twice-yearly UK commercial real estate lending market report formerly conducted from De Montfort University could expand its scope to Continental Europe after moving to a new home at London’s Cass Business School.

Nicole Lux, the property banker-turned-academic who took over the report in 2016, said it had “grown continuously” in recent years and would continue to expand in its new guise.

“I am working on a pan-European initiative to include countries such as France and Spain, which requires additional resources,” Lux said, adding she is “working with other Cass researchers and industry experts to bring this to fruition”.

Since it was launched by academic Bill Maxted in 1997, the UK Commercial Property Lending Report has been based at Leicester’s De Montfort University. The report has built a reputation as the most comprehensive source of information on the UK commercial real estate debt market, comprising data gathered from more than 80 lenders. The report is also used by the Bank of England within its Financial Stability Review.

Lux took over stewardship of the report in 2016 after Maxted’s retirement. Between 2011 and 2015, Lux worked within Deutsche Bank’s real estate division, managing borrower business and disposal plans. She held previous roles at Rockspring, Danske Bank and Citigroup.

Cass Business School, which forms part of City, University of London, runs two real estate master’s degree programmes, established 20 years ago and accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. It also has a background in running real estate conference programmes. The real estate finance staff form part of the university’s Faculty of Finance.

“We have a track record in this sector and bringing the UK Commercial Property Lending Report on board reinforces our expertise in this field,” commented Professor Marianne Lewis, dean of Cass Business School.

“We will also be launching a brand new Real Estate Research Centre later this year to bolster the work being done on this report and deliver exceptional academic thought leadership to the sector,” Lewis added.

Ion Fletcher, director of finance policy, at the British Property Federation, a sponsor of the report, commented: “Commercial real estate is at the heart of the modern economy – underpinning government’s aspirations for improved productivity, economic growth and social wellbeing – and it is crucial that we understand how it is funded. The UK Commercial Property Lending Report is a fundamental part of this.”