Bisnow's 10th-Anniversary List of 26 UK Real Estate Leaders

Bisnow has marked its tenth anniversary in the UK by naming 26 people it considers the most influential figures in British real estate, ahead of the 10th annual London State of the Market event on 13 October. The selection, drawn from a survey of hundreds of senior industry professionals, spans investment, development, regeneration and sustainability. Data centre leaders were deliberately left out; Bisnow says that sector deserves its own separate conversation.

Among the executives profiled are Greystar's Mark Allnutt, whose business raised €2.7B for a second European value-add fund and is shifting from high-rise city-centre build-to-rent blocks toward a garden-style rental strategy targeting up to 20,000 UK homes. Great Portland Estates CEO Toby Courtauld is recognised for building a 650K SF flex office business, with some rents above £200 per SF. LondonMetric CEO Andrew Jones is cited for turning the listed property company into a FTSE 100 triple-net-lease REIT with an £8B portfolio.

The list also includes Crown Estate CEO Dan Labbad, who has returned £3.6B to the Treasury over six years and struck a joint venture with Lendlease; Sir George Iacobescu, the executive chairman of St John's Wood Square and former Canary Wharf leader; and Kate Freer, the new CEO of build-to-rent owner Get Living. Many of the named leaders are due to speak at the anniversary event in London.

Why the 2026 List Is a Map of UK Real Estate's Priorities

Greystar, Grainger and Get Living Show Build-to-Rent Has Matured

The repeated appearance of rental housing executives reflects how far UK build-to-rent has come. Greystar's pivot from tower blocks to garden-style suburban homes suggests the sector is now optimising for operations and family renters, not just rapid urban development. Grainger's £3B portfolio and Get Living's shift from building to management point the same direction: competition is moving toward scale, service quality and long-term income rather than simple construction volume.

London Office Leaders Are Rebuilding Around Flexible and Prime Space

The inclusion of Courtauld, Iacobescu and Orion's Aref Lahham reflects a market that has split. Older secondary offices struggle, but prime, flexible and well-located space can still command premium rents. Courtauld's flex business reaching £200 per SF and the HSBC lease at Orion's scheme beside St Paul's Cathedral are concrete evidence that occupiers will pay for the right product. The list treats these office bets as leadership, not contrarian risk.

Institutional and Overseas Capital Still Defines UK Regeneration

Stanhope's David Camp, Brookfield's Brad Hyler and L&G's Bill Hughes illustrate the role of global capital in UK development. Camp's partners include Norges Bank and Japanese institutions; Hyler has led £32B of European deals. The deliberate omission of data centre executives is also an editorial signal: Bisnow and its survey respondents see digital infrastructure as a separate, highly consequential growth story rather than part of the mainstream property list.