A group of property industry heavyweights are launching a new tradable marketplace for the securitisation of real assets and infrastructure on the Aquis Stock Exchange.
The Aquis Real Asset Market (Aram) will include single assets – both geared and ungeared – and debt instruments and will provide an alternative market to the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and other exchanges for traditional REITs.
The marketplace is being overseen by the newly launched Aram Advisors whose management team is led by former managing director of Dow Jones Commercial EMEA and former rugby world cup winner Michael Lynagh; former Aquis Exchange CFO and COO Jonathan Clelland; Duneane Asset Management director Donall McCann; Rob Rackind, former global head of real estate at Credit Suisse Asset Management; and Martley Capital chief executive Richard Croft.
Shareholders of Aram Advisors include Nick Leslau, Nigel Wray, Dominic Silvester, Martley Capital, Henley IM, Zentra Group and Acuitus.
The circa £170m GDV Scotch Corner Designer Village intends to launch its initial public offering (IPO) on Aram and residential property development specialist Zentra, which de-listed from the LSE in December 2024 to commence trading on Aquis’ Access segment, will also list on Aram.
Lynagh said: “London has achieved its position as a global financial hub through innovation, but in recent years it has struggled to maintain its competitive edge. Aram is exactly what the City needs, creating a platform that democratises access to the real estate market, a market valued at £1.3tn in the UK alone, and enabling people to invest in opportunities typically reserved for professional investors.
“With a strong management team and an internationally recognised host platform, the launch of Aram represents a major step forward in UK real estate investment. By enhancing investment transparency, limiting transaction costs and leveraging Aquis’ future-proofed software, Aram will revolutionise the public real estate sector.”
Clelland added: “Aram is built on the foundations of one of the UK’s most trusted and liquid market infrastructures. By operating within the Aquis Growth Market, we’re combining the benefits of a regulated, scalable exchange with the flexibility and innovation needed to support real asset investment. This creates a powerful new route to market for both issuers and investors.”
Croft said: “Only 5%, around £65bn, of UK commercial real estate is listed on the market, demonstrating a large addressable market and opportunity for Aram. Securities will be tradable on all major platforms, including AJ Bell & Hargreaves Lansdown, providing liquidity and access to all potential market participants. With a strong listing pipeline, Aram will provide investors with the ability to build their own diversified portfolio without significant management costs. And as the investment market changes through fractionalisation and tokenisation, Aram is uniquely positioned to respond.”
Jason Upton, chief executive officer of Zentra Group, said: “Our intention to move to ARAM marks a decisive and exciting step in Zentra’s growth journey. As a platform dedicated to real estate, ARAM offers a flexible structure and market fit that aligns with how we operate today and how we plan to scale in the future.
“We see significant potential to broaden our investor base and deepen engagement with stakeholders through a structure that is more transparent, project-led, and tailored to the nature of our work. Crucially, this transition creates the flexibility, access, and growth potential that we wouldn’t necessarily have on alternative markets.”
