People Property Place

• Anthony Maxwell-Jones, Founder of Valorem – Building a Real Estate Platform from Scratch

  What does it take to walk away from a successful private-equity career and build your own real-estate investment platform from scratch? This week, I sat down with Anthony Maxwell-Jones, Founder & Managing Partner at Valorem Investment Partners, to unpack his journey from the early days at Mercer / Castleforge to founding Valorem - and what he’s learned along the way about timing, risk, and backing yourself. Anthony has quietly built one of the UK’s most interesting boutique investment platforms, deploying over £80 million across offices, student, residential, hotel, and strategic-land assets - achieving a 20 % IRR and 2.2× MOIC. We discuss how he spotted opportunity in the wake of the GFC, why he left a newly raised fund to go it alone, and the lessons that came from building Valorem through Brexit, Covid, and a volatile rate cycle. ⸻ Key Topics Covered In This Episode: ✅ From Castleforge to Valorem - How Anthony transitioned from analyst to entrepreneur ✅ The Leap - What gave him the confidence to found his own firm at 27 ✅ Covid Chaos - How a “malicious virus clause” saved a £90 million office scheme ✅ Family Office Capital - Building trust, track record & long-term partnerships ✅ Discipline & Patience - Investing through a stagnant market without pressure to deploy ✅ Future Focus - Why defence infrastructure and core-plus offices are on his radar ⸻ Oh, and one last thing… In every episode, I ask each guest: Who are the People, what Property, and which Place they’d invest in if they had £500 million at their disposal? Anthony’s answer did not disappoint 👌 Got any thoughts or questions about this podcast? Drop them in the comments - I’m always up for a chat! And if you’re enjoying what I’m putting out, don’t forget to hit subscribe and turn on the notification bell so you never miss an episode. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne – Recruiting Leadership & Future Leadership hires for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. 🔊 LIKE ➡ SHARE ➡ SUBSCRIBE 👉 http://peoplepropertyplace.com/

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• José Pellicer, Founder Partner of Evonite – De-Globalisation, Contrarian Bets & The Next Decade of Real Estate

  What happens when the global order that shaped real estate for decades begins to fracture? This week, I sat down with José Pellicer, Founder Partner at Evonite, to unpack how de-globalisation, contrarian bets, and a smarter approach to thematics will shape the winners of the next 5–10 years. José brings a sharp, historically grounded perspective on risk pricing, macro shifts, and how to identify real opportunities in a noisy market. From railway mania in the 1840s to data centres today, he explains why blindly following themes isn’t enough — and where nimble managers can still find edge. We explore how the investment landscape is changing, who stands to win, and the mindset required to build conviction in a fragmented world. ⸻ Key Topics Covered In This Episode: ✅ De-Globalisation — The end of the “safe seas” era and why it matters for real estate ✅ The Next Decade — Who wins as global power dynamics shift ✅ Thematics vs Bottom-Up — Why real opportunities aren’t found by following the herd ✅ Contrarian Bets — Where pricing risk correctly can create outsized returns ✅ Blackstone & Bad Emperors — Lessons from history and market cycles ✅ Opportunity for Real Estate — How nimble managers can thrive in polarised markets ⸻ Oh, and one last thing… In every episode, I ask each guest: Who are the People, what Property, and which Place they would invest in if they had £500m at their disposal? José’s answer did not disappoint 👌 Got any thoughts or questions about this podcast? Drop them in the comments — I’m always up for a chat! And if you’re enjoying what I’m putting out, don’t forget to hit subscribe and turn on the notification bell so you never miss an episode. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne – Recruiting Leadership & Future Leadership hires for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. 🔊 LIKE ➡ SHARE ➡ SUBSCRIBE 👉 http://peoplepropertyplace.com/

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• Christophe Garbe, Managing Partner of GARBE - Building a Pan-European Real Estate Powerhouse

  Building a Pan-European Real Estate Powerhouse | Christophe Garbe (GARBE) Subscribe To My Channel For More Videos: 👉 http://peoplepropertyplace.com/ Hey Everyone, Welcome Back! What does it take to scale a family-run development business into a €15 billion pan-European real estate platform? This week, I sat down with Christophe Garbe, Managing Partner of GARBE, to unpack how he grew the company from its Hamburg roots into one of Europe’s leading logistics and real estate players — now operating across 13 countries with 21 offices. Christophe shares his journey from joining the family business to taking over the UK arm just before the Global Financial Crisis, rationalising the platform, and spearheading GARBE’s “2.0” strategy — doubling down on logistics, expanding into residential and science & tech, and building out a European development and fund management engine. We explore how GARBE has navigated shifting market cycles, why decentralisation has been key to their growth, and how Christophe is positioning the business for the next chapter of European real estate. ⸻ Key Topics Covered In This Episode: ✅ Scaling Across Europe – From Hamburg beginnings to a €15 billion platform spanning 13 countries ✅ Crisis Leadership – Taking over the UK business on the eve of the GFC ✅ Strategic Evolution – Logistics, residential, science & tech, data centres and beyond ✅ Decentralised Model – Empowering local teams to drive accountability and growth ✅ Lifelong Learning – How studying at Harvard sharpened strategic thinking despite dyslexia ✅ Market Outlook – Navigating uncertainty and spotting opportunities across European markets ⸻ Oh, and one last thing… In every episode, I ask each guest: Who are the People, what Property, and which Place they would invest in if they had £500m at their disposal? Christophe’s answer did not disappoint 👌 Got any thoughts or questions about this podcast? Drop them in the comments — I’m always up for a chat! And if you’re enjoying what I’m putting out, don’t forget to hit subscribe and turn on the notification bell so you never miss an episode. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne – Recruiting Leadership & Future Leadership hires for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. 🔊 LIKE ➡ SHARE ➡ SUBSCRIBE 👉 http://peoplepropertyplace.com/

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• James Agar, Head of Real Estate Origination at PIC Capital - How Pension Funds Are Powering UK Housing

  What happens when billions of pounds of pension money flow into real estate? Can creative deal structures solve the UK’s housing and regeneration challenges in a high-rate environment? This week, I sat down with James Agar, Head of Real Estate Origination at PIC Capital, the investment arm of Pension Insurance Corporation plc, to unpack how institutional capital is reshaping housing, regeneration, and long-income strategies across the UK. James takes us inside PIC’s £50bn balance sheet and explains how his team sources, structures, and deploys capital across Build to Rent, affordable housing, senior living, and major regeneration schemes like Miller’s Quay. We discuss how regeneration leases and innovative financing models are unlocking projects, how ESG and social value are being embedded into institutional strategies, and why the lines between real estate and infrastructure are blurring faster than ever.   Key Topics Covered In This Episode: ✅ Institutional Capital in Action – How PIC invests £50bn into long-term, inflation-linked real estate ✅ Regeneration Leases – Creative structures unlocking major housing and urban projects ✅ Affordable Housing – Partnerships with Homes England and Muse to deliver low-carbon schemes ✅ BTR & Living Sectors – Why single-family housing and suburban BTR are key growth areas ✅ Viability Challenges – Making deals stack in a high interest rate world ✅ ESG & Social Value – How PIC aligns pension liabilities with real-world impact ✅ Real Estate vs Infrastructure – The blurring lines shaping future investment strategies   Oh, and one last thing… In every episode, I ask each guest: Who are the People, what Property, and which Place they would invest in if they had £500m at their disposal? James’s answer did not disappoint 👌 Got any thoughts or questions about this podcast? Feel free to share them in the comments — I’m always up for a chat! And if you’re enjoying what I’m putting out, don’t forget to hit subscribe and turn on the notification bell so you’ll never miss an episode. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne – Recruiting Leadership & Future Leadership hires for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers.   🔊 LIKE ➡ SHARE ➡ SUBSCRIBE 👉 http://peoplepropertyplace.com/

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• #144 Manish Gudka - CEO of Aprirose Real Estate Investment

  Manish Gudka | Baptism of Fire to £1bn Deals | People Property Place Podcast Subscribe To My Channel For More Videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLeY7xnoJ08uYlGb-Y0j96A For many, real estate careers are about steady growth, one sector, one model. But Manish Gudka’s story at Aprirose shows what it takes to adapt, survive, and thrive across cycles. From the family soap business in Kenya seeding property investments in the UK, to steering Aprirose through the Global Financial Crisis and beyond, this is a journey about resilience, reinvention, and family values. In this episode, Manish reflects on his baptism of fire managing 14 tenants in Manchester, the hard lessons from 2007–09, and what it’s like building a £1bn platform side-by-side with his 84-year-old father, who still takes the Tube into the office. We talk candidly about capital raising, investor trust, and why Aprirose has deliberately resisted the blind-pool fund model in favour of long-term deal-by-deal partnerships. This is a rare, wide-ranging conversation with a CEO who rarely speaks publicly — packed with insights on markets, leadership, and the realities of running a family-backed platform. Key Topics Covered In This Episode: ✅ Baptism of Fire – What a 14-tenant Manchester property taught him early in his career ✅ Cycles & Crises – How the 2007–09 crash reshaped Aprirose’s strategy ✅ Investor Trust – Why transparency and alignment matter more than structures ✅ Family & Leadership – What it’s really like working with his father every day ✅ Capital Raising – The deal-by-deal approach and why Aprirose never launched a blind pool fund ✅ Resilience – The mindset needed to firefight tenants, banks, and downturns ✅ Growth Vision – Where Aprirose sees opportunity in the next decade Oh, and one last thing… In every episode, I ask each guest: Who are the People, what Property, and which Place they would invest in if they had £500m at their disposal? Don’t miss Manish’s answer in this episode! Got any thoughts or questions about this podcast? Feel free to share them in the comments, I’m always up for a chat! And if you’re enjoying what I’m putting out, don’t forget to hit subscribe and turn on the notification bell so you’ll never miss out on the next podcast. 🎧 Listen Here: https://linktr.ee/peoplepropertyplace The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne – Recruiting Leadership & Future Leadership hires for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. You can also connect with me on social media, I’d love to hear from you there too. Thanks again for hanging out with me! 🔊 LIKE ➡️ SHARE ➡️ SUBSCRIBE https://linktr.ee/peoplepropertyplace

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