Real estate finance specialists ASK have announced a strategic rebrand. This is in line with its continued ambition to grow the ASK platform as a high value bespoke funding solution for property entrepreneurs and an alternative direct line of sight investment opportunity for family offices and High Net Worth investors.
The rebrand is part of ASK’s ambitious focus and enhanced market position, which better reflects the firm’s wider vision for growth, the evolving range of funding it provides and its increasing deal size.
In addition, and in recognition of how today’s investors want to access deals and data, ASK has also enhanced its digital offer, establishing an online platform that enables investors to review, expand and manage their portfolios more easily and dynamically.
ASK has recorded a significant increase in appetite from borrowers across the UK for funding solutions in excess of £30m for residential and commercial developments. By the end of 2019 ASK had completed 10 transactions across the UK and 28 since its founding in 2016, with the total amount of loans underwritten exceeding £250m.
The company attributes the greater enthusiasm by property developers for larger fund tranches to two main factors: an enhanced profile as a result of ASK’s track record of success last year, including a rush of deals in the second half of 2019, and the increasing confidence returning to the UK property sector following the December 2019 General Election.
The London commercial real estate market experienced an immediate bounce at the end of last year with investment up in the fourth quarter by some 15% to around £2.8bn. Such confidence is reflected in recent commentary from JLL, which predicts that in 2020 the overall UK real estate investment volumes will jump to £55 billion, an increase of 17 per cent on 2019, with the regions likely to benefit significantly from this.
Daniel Austin, Chief Executive of ASK, commented: “After a very successful 2019, we wanted to begin the New Year with a refreshed focus and a positive new brand identity that matches our ambitions. We are very pleased with the rebrand and we believe it will be very effective in supporting our continued growth and rising deal flow.”
