From Blackstone to M&G – who is funding the next wave of UK properties?
The UK property market is undergoing a transformation, driven not by individual landlords, but by global institutional investors. Giants like Blackstone and M&G are deploying billions into everything from logistics hubs to rental housing, reshaping how homes and commercial spaces are funded and developed.
Last year, institutional investors such as private equity firms and pension funds spent a record £1.5bn on single-family homes . Blackstone claims to have been the largest provider of newly builds in the UK for the last three years, having built more than 17,000 affordable houses so far .
Despite years of government promises to build more social housing, the current property building boom is being fuelled by private investors who have seen an opportunity to plug a gap in the market and earn competitive returns in the process.
But what does this surge of capital mean for the average UK investor? And can retail investors still find value in a market increasingly dominated by private equity and asset managers?