Cape Town-based international property specialists, Hurst & Wills, have announced an exciting collaboration with UK property developer and investor Alliance Investments, a subsidiary of Property Alliance Group. This renowned global property company has been operating in the UK market for 28 years, and has offices in Manchester, Hong Kong, Shanghai & Dubai.
Lisa Bathurst, international property specialist founder of Hurst & Wills, says, “We are delighted to be the conduit that brings this force in the global property market to South Africa. We plan to make Alliance products more accessible to our South African market and build a South African footprint for Alliance, this is a new territory for them.
“Up until now, Hurst & Wills have included some of Alliance’s products in our offering,” says Bathurst. “Particularly Alliance’s purpose-built student accommodation and residential projects in the North of England.”
Alliance have made a substantial footprint in student accommodation in Northern UK cities. Thanks to the high demand for student accommodation in these cities, this class of property investment has produced high yields for investors, says Bathurst. “In fact, this class of real estate is ranked as some of the most lucrative by international property experts. Purpose-built student housing in the UK is also an affordable option with the opportunity to provide dynamic returns, which is why it has been popular with our South African clients.”
Managing Partner at Alliance Investments, Matthew Jay, says, “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Hurst & Wills as we expand our operations across South Africa. At Alliance Investments we are committed to offering a personal service and face-to-face interaction, which is why this partnership will not only allow us to grow our investor network in the region, but it will also enable us to offer on the ground, local advice to South African’s who are investing their money into the UK property market. With both residential and student property investment opportunities, starting prices from as low as R1.3 million (£75,000) and full management options available, we are confident that we can offer South African investors high yielding opportunities that deliver strong and stable returns in pounds, in turn providing a hedge against a currently volatile rand.”
The Alliance property portfolio includes the majority of sectors including residential, offices, industrial, retail and leisure developments throughout the UK’s cities and regions. Bathurst says, “Alliance’s entire portfolio has been created based on a value-added strategy with quality and unique design. We are delighted to be working with them. We plan to build the Alliance brand in South Africa and actively market their products to give them an on-the-ground presence here.”
They also bring extensive experience and contacts in the development and investment arena. This means they have access to off-market deals,” says Bathurst. “The Alliance team offer substantial property and financial expertise. We have always found them professional and excellent people to work with,” she says. “We look forward to working closely with this expert team.”
