Members of the Association of Real Estate Funds (AREF), the British Property Federation (BPF), and the Investment Property Forum (IPF) have voted in favour of creating RE:UK. Set to launch in 2026, RE:UK will act as a champion for the entire real estate industry, uniting institutional and private investors, property firms, developers, asset owners, managers and advisors.

AREF, BPF and IPF have consistently championed UK real estate and have now come together to form RE:UK, a unified voice for the sector. As the real estate landscape continues to change, RE:UK aims to inspire, connect and empower the next generation of professionals to navigate these developments, while actively engaging and working with policy stakeholders to represent the sector’s interests effectively. This initiative will also create a dynamic platform that brings together future leaders and junior employee networks from AREF, BPF and IPF.

RE:UK is committed to promoting a more inclusive and progressive real estate industry by highlighting underrepresented perspectives and advocating for systemic change. The vision for RE:UK underscores the significance of inclusivity and innovation in the real estate sector, with a focus on uplifting diverse voices and driving transformative change to build a sustainable future.

NEW Chief Executive Officer of Real Estate:UK (RE:UK)

Vanessa Hale has been confirmed as Real Estate:UK’s founding Chief Executive ahead of its official launch as the new collective voice of the UK’s real estate industry on 30^th April.

She joins Real Estate:UK from BNP Paribas Real Estate where she was Head of Research & Strategy and a member of the UK executive leadership team.

For more details see press release below.

Real Estate:UK CEO appointment

 

Proposed merger of IPF with aref and bpf - what's happened so far?

As the IPF approaches its 40th anniversary, we’ve been asking ourselves some big questions. The world has changed. Our industry has changed. And the IPF must change too — to remain relevant, impactful, and financially sustainable. This thinking has led to the proposal to merge with AREF and the BPF to create a single, stronger industry body Real Estate:UK.

The Investment Property Forum (IPF) Operational Board held a General Meeting of members at 12pm on Monday 14 July 2025 to consider the resolution: Should IPF merge with the Association of Real Estate Funds (AREF) and British Property Federation (BPF) to form Real Estate:UK (RE:UK)?

Given the significance of this question, Clare Thomas, IPF National Chair, decided to trigger an all-member polling rather than ask for a 'show of hands' at the meeting (per the Articles of Association). The online vote opened on 14 July and closed on 29 August; with IPF members each being sent an individual link to the voting platform. During the voting period, the IPF held further briefing online sessions on 16 July and 13 August. Several members also contacted members of the IPF board to discuss the proposal in more detail.

On 1 September, the three organisations issued a joint press release to confirm that IPF members, together with those of AREF and BPF had voted in favour of the merger.

RE:UK Press Release 1 September 2025

Presentation at the General Meeting

Members of the IPF Operational Board presented an overview of the current position of the IPF and outlined details of the proposed merger, including the indicated fee structure for existing IPF members.

Slides are available here:

IPF/AREF/BPF proposed Merger - Background and Proposal slides

Click here to view the recording of the General Meeting and Q&A.

Real Estate:UK key documents

IPF, AREF and BPF have created a prospectus outlining their plans for the proposed merger.

RE:UK Prospectus

 

Find out more information about the mission, purpose and governance below:

RE:UK Mission and Purpose

 

RE:UK Governance