This is the 18th year that CULS has run this popular update on the state of the Commercial Property Market.
This year’s discussion will explore the shifting geographic dynamics of UK property markets — asking whether we are seeing a period of balanced regional investment across the UK as occupier requirements evolve to meet new structural and demographic demands, or whether the next cycle will once again be dominated by London. Each speaker will bring a distinct perspective to this question, setting the tone for an open and informed debate.
Chair
Colm Lauder, Founder of Lauder Teacher Associates
Colm Lauder founded Lauder Teacher Associates (LTA) alongside Andrew Teacher in September 2024. LTA is a strategic consultancy business that aims to provide growth companies in the real estate, housebuilding, and infrastructure sectors with clear, honest, and blunt advice on how to grow, develop and succeed in highly complex environments and market landscapes. LTA provides strategic communications, investor relations, and policy and advocacy services and advises some of the leading public and private real estate companies in the UK and Ireland.
Prior to establishing LTA, Colm built and managed the real estate division at investment bank Goodbody, positioning the firm as a market leader in Ireland and a highly influential business in the UK and Europe. Colm holds an MPhil in Real Estate Finance from Cambridge and a BSC in Land Economy (Surveying) from Dublin Institute of Technology.
Speakers:
Lee Bruce, Head of UK Valuations and Advisory Services at CBRE
Lee Bruce is responsible for the valuation and Advisory business in the UK & Ireland. He oversees the regular valuation of all types of assets throughout the UK on behalf of UK Institutional investors. Lee joined CBRE in 2005. He previously spent four years working in commercial finance at Allied Irish Bank. Prior to his current role Lee developed and led our Long Income team which now values circa 18bn every quarter with a focus on Sales & Leasebacks, Income Strips and Ground Rents. Lee also has extensive experience across all forms of commercial investment and development.
Kitty Patmore, Chief Financial Officer at Harworth Group plc
Kitty was appointed as Chief Financial Officer of Harworth Group in 2019. She joined from Harwood Real Estate (“Harwood”), the property arm of Harwood Capital Group, where she had been a Director since 2016. Kitty has a strong capital markets background, with 14 years of finance, banking and real estate lending experience drawn from roles at Harwood, DRC Capital, and Barclays Bank PLC. She was also formerly a National Director of the Investment Property Forum. Kitty is also a non-Executive Director of LondonMetric Property PLC and Chair of its Audit Committee.
Omega Poole, Head of Capital Markets, Firma Partners
Omega Poole is the Head of Capital Markets at Firma Partners. She has over 20 years’ professional experience in real estate as a real estate corporate finance advisor, debt advisor, financier and lawyer, with a particular focus working with private capital investing in or financing real estate transactions in the UK and Europe. Omega was previously Head of Funds Management at LendInvest and prior to that was a partner and head of real estate debt advisory at two prominent law firms. Previously, she held roles at CBRE in London, a property developer and a real estate bank, having originally trained and practiced as a corporate tax lawyer.
Omega is a regular speaker at industry events. She co-chaired the INSEAD Real Estate Group in London for over 12 years and is a mentor for the REACH UK Proptech Start-up Program. She holds an MA from Cambridge University, an MBA from INSEAD and is a qualified lawyer.
Breakfast and registration are from 7.45am. The panel discussion will start at 8.15am and finish at 9.30am
