UK: Essential Living and Notting Hill Genesis are both bringing a range of BTR assets in London and the Home Counties to market.
CBRE has been appointed by developer, owner and operator Essential Living to undertake a review of its Build-to-Rent (BTR) business. As part of the process, three of its four BTR developments will be brought to market – Union Wharf in Greenwich, south-east London; Dressage Court in Bethnal Green, east London; and Berkshire House in Maidenhead.
The fourth asset – Vantage Point in Islington, north London – will be retained for the foreseeable future.
Each scheme comprises a mix of apartment types, with eight per cent studio apartments, 48 per cent one-bedroom, 35 per cent two-bedroom, and nine per cent three-bedroom apartments. Across the current three developments, amenities include roof terraces, dining spaces and coworking areas – two include an on-site gym. There is on site staff amenity provision. Each scheme benefits from convenient transport links, offering direct access to Central London
Andrew Saunderson, head of residential capital markets at CBRE, said: “We are delighted to be representing Essential Living in the sale of this exceptional portfolio. This is a rare chance to acquire three high-performing Build to Rent assets, with strong ESG credentials, in structurally undersupplied submarkets. These locations benefit from consistent tenant demand and strong rental growth prospects, making this an attractive investment opportunity.”
Jeremy Baker, CEO of Essential Living, added: “This portfolio offers an investor immediate scale and a robust income stream within the thriving and undersupplied London rental market. A divestment would facilitate the continued expansion of our private rented sector (PRS) platform, HomeQuarters, which currently comprises 27 assets across Greater London.”
Meanwhile London housing association Notting Hill Genesis has put its Folio BTR arm on the market to increase investment in its social homes and help to reduce debt.
Folio was established in 2007 and it currently includes more than 3,000 BTR homes across London. Deloitte has been appointed to sell a collection of Folio assets, with Savills appointed to sell a separate portfolio which will be brought forward on an asset-by-asset basis.
Formal negotiations with buyers for the portfolio have not yet begun. However, Savills has launched the first asset for sale – a development in Bermondsey south London, with Sterling Place in Ealing to be launched soon.
Selling Folio will enable the G15 landlord Notting Hill Genesis to increase investment in its existing estate and to help accelerate the delivery of new affordable homes across London.
A company statement said: “In line with our strategic business plan we are targeting measures to reduce debt, which is central to maintaining our financial resilience, and this includes identifying and selling assets that sit outside of our core business operations. Doing so will enable us to increase investment into our existing estate, and in time, accelerate the delivery of new affordable homes across London. As part of this we have been reviewing options for our private rental business, Folio. We are now in the early stages of a sale process, with Deloitte and Savills appointed to support on the sale of separate market rented portfolios.”
In the company’s recent trading update to March 2025, it said that its overall reported operating surplus had been impacted by revaluation and impairment items – one of which was related to the Folio division. A reduction of £119 million is due to the revaluation of the Folio portfolio, which has been impacted by macro-economic uncertainty, gilt price movements upon which the value of these assets is derived, private rental growth rates and the unknown impact of future legislation including the Renters Rights Bill.
Notting Hill Genesis is continuing to target measures to reduce debt in order to underpin the organisation’s financial resilience. The strategic review of Folio is progressing with the company’s appointed partners.
Highlights:
• Essential Living and Notting Hill Genesis are both bringing a range of BTR assets in London and the Home Counties to market
• CBRE has been appointed by Essential Living to undertake a review of its BTR business. As part of the process, three of its four BTR developments are up for sale
• Notting Hill Genesis has put its Folio BTR arm on the market to increase investment in its social homes and help to reduce its debt
