82-84 Berwick Street,
Soho, London, W1F 8TP.
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Fundraising, Placefirst

Matter welcomes UBS Asset Management as anchor investor in new UK Single Family Rental housing fund

Deals, Velkomn

Matter establishes new platform 'Velkomn' for a single family residential rental strategy in Denmark targeting a DKK 2.0bn portfolio

Deals, Untold

Matter Real Estate backs new later living operator ‘Untold Living’ to target £300m+ GDV

Staff updates

Matter Real Estate expands team with two senior appointments

Deals, Realy Bostad

Matter backs Realy Bostad to build a multi-family rental portfolio in Sweden.

All Companies
Residential

Placefirst

Country: United Kingdom

Investment date: 2016

Award winning owner and operator of build to rent housing with a portfolio of thriving neighbourhoods including single family homes and apartments in regional towns and cities in England.

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In numbers

73

Homes in 2016

At the time of Matter Real Estate's initial investment, Placefirst had 73 homes completed or on site across two neighbourhoods.

1,500

Homes today

Today, Placefirst has over 1,500 homes across 14 neighbourhoods.

6,500

Portfolio target

Matter has committed £142m to support Placefirst's ambitious growth programme so far, which targets 6,500 homes.

Creating and regenerating communities

Before meeting the Placefirst team, Matter had identified a chronic structural undersupply of housing in the UK, and in particular a shortage of modern high-quality rental housing for working families who live outside city centres. Despite the recent growth of the institutional private rental sector, professionally owned and managed properties still make up less than 3% of total rental homes in the UK.

Matter first backed Placefirst in 2016, partnering with the management team to provide an initial investment package to support a 1,000 home business plan. Since then, we have more than quadrupled our initial capital commitment and are now supporting the team to reach towards 6,500 homes as they build out one of the UK's leading housing businesses.
“ Matter is an active shareholder in Placefirst and has supported the business through introducing the company to strategic financing and property sourcing relationships. Growth is really important in the build-to-rent sector and in partnership with Matter, Placefirst has grown both organically and through acquisition. We have also built a strong pipeline going forward, and we’ve done that collaboratively by looking at where our opportunities are and how we’re going to deliver them together.

What makes us really proud is to have provided high quality, attainably priced, energy efficient homes for over 1,500 families and in doing so, we have breathed new life into now thriving neighbourhoods across the UK such as the Welsh Streets in Liverpool and Skye Edge in Sheffield. What sets us apart is our strong focus on place, and our commitment to delivering modern, well-maintained homes built specifically for long term rent, for those whose choose to or are reliant on the private rented sector. ”
David Mawson
CEO, Placefirst

What makes a Placefirst home

01. Community focus

Placefirst are responsible for every aspect of the home and neighbourhood, designing homes for the specific needs of renters in the area. Working collaboratively with councils and communities, Placefirst are committed to transforming areas into aspirational neighbourhoods for their tenants to enjoy. They design their projects specifically as rental neighbourhoods, and incorporate features designed to encourage community spirit, such as garden fences a little lower than you might expect, or large green spaces for families to mix in the heart of the development.

02. Partnering with local authorities

Placefirst is a partner of choice for local authorities who seek responsible housing operators who can make a positive long term impact on neighbourhoods within their areas. Whether regenerating an existing neighbourhood or creating a new community from scratch, collaboration with the local authority as a principal stakeholder ensures success.

03. Modern and energy efficient

Placefirst have prioritised the energy efficiency of all their homes, knowing that this is an important factor for their residents. Lower bills brings peace of mind. Some of the existing neighbourhoods Placefirst has acquired average D or E ratings. Over time Placefirst will bring these homes to a target B rating on average, making a significant impact on the environment and the household finances of Placefirst customers.

Placefirst updates

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Deals, Placefirst

Placefirst completes £150m refinancing to support ambitious growth plans

7 Companies

Residential

Velkomn

Velkomn is a developer and operator of housing for rent in regional locations across Denmark.

Denmark

Invested: 2023

Residential

Dwellings

Developer of attainable for-sale housing targeting families and first time buyers in Ireland's major population centres outside Dublin.

Ireland

Invested: 2019

Healthcare

Zest Healthcare

Specialist developer and operator of Primary Care Centres, creating much-needed healthcare facilities across Ireland.

Ireland

Invested: 2018

Residential

St Arthur

St Arthur is a for-profit registered provider of shared ownership homes operating in southern England.

United Kingdom

Invested: 2020

Residential

Auxesia

A provider of shared ownership and affordable rental homes in the North of England specifically targeted to military veterans, NHS staff and emergency services personnel.

United Kingdom

Invested: 2021

Residential

Untold

Developer, owner and operator of continuing care retirement communities in England which offers later living homes for rent, sale and shared ownership.

United Kingdom

Invested: 2022

Residential

Realy Bostad

Realy is a Stockholm based developer and operator of rental housing which is building a portfolio across southern Sweden.

Sweden

Invested: 2022