Ascot Property Investments generated more than £60m of investment in the first half of 2017 for six city centre residential schemes and is targeting investments of £500m in the next year. Jennie Lewis reports

One Liverpool property firm alone is on track to bring investment from around the world worth £100m by the end of year, with a target of £500m over the next 12 months.

Ascot Property Investments, named Property Business of the Year at this year’s City of Liverpool Business Awards, generated more than £60m of investment in the first half of 2017 for six city centre residential schemes.

The firm is acting as agents for the developers and four of the six projects have now completely sold out.

Drawing on its established global investment network, Ascot has attracted funding for:

• Reliance House, Water Street, phase one – worth £13.5m and comprising 100 apartments and due to complete in January 2018. Sold out.
• Reliance House, Water Street, phase two – worth £8.1m and comprising 44 apartments and due to complete in spring 2018. Sold out.
• 8 Water Street – worth £13m and comprising 96 apartments. Sold Out.
• Colonial Chambers, Temple Square – worth £8.3m and comprising 94 studio apartments. Sold out.
• North House, North John Street – worth £6.3m and comprising 43 apartments and due to complete in July 2018. Final units remaining.
• Ropemaker Place, Renshaw Street – worth £11m and comprising 74 apartments. Final units remaining.

Driving this growth is Ascot Property Investments partner, Stuart Howard, who set up Ascot Property Investments (API) with Ascot Property Group chairman, Terry Riley, in 2014.

Mr Howard was previously employed as property manager in the wider Ascot Group and is now at the forefront of helping to bring in money from across the globe.

Stuart has been pivotal in shaping a network of investors in the Far East, where Ascot have built a solid reputation as being a reliable UK agent.

In December, Stuart will travel 4 other members of the Ascot team for the third time to the Luxury Property Show (LPS) in China, where API will be looking to attract further investment into Liverpool’s increasingly buoyant property market.

Mr Howard says: “Many people aren’t aware how attractive the Liverpool property market is to investors elsewhere in the world, particularly in locations such as the Far East.”

“We believe the potential is huge. Developers want to build in the city and investors are keen to back.

“In the last 18 months, we’ve attracted many of those investors to the city so they can really see and feel the opportunities here. Liverpool – and in particular the city centre – has enjoyed a significant resurgence in the last 10 years and we think it’s important that we showcase that to secure more of the same in the future.

“In 12 months time we believe we could generate up to £500m of investment into Liverpool’s property market. We have the ambition and drive to do that.”

In the coming months, Ascot will take on another two key developments in Liverpool city centre and Liverpool One, and will continue with plans to expand into Manchester. The team are also increasing their footprint in the capital, with significant schemes in Luton and a £50m residential scheme in Croyden.