NHBC’s third annual BTR Innovators event looks to the future of the sector

NHBC, the UK’s largest new homes warranty and insurance provider, recently hosted the third annual Build to Rent Innovators event in conjunction with the British Property Federation (BPF).

Bringing together leaders across the UK Build to Rent (BTR) sector, attendees had the opportunity to hear industry updates, learn about the latest developments in BTR and were provided a unique networking opportunity.

Held in central London, the event welcomed developers, investors, house builders, contractors, operators and other industry stakeholders to explore ‘Future gazing – rental living’ the evening’s theme.

A broad range of leading companies were in attendance including delegates representing Related Argent, Grainger, Aberdeen, Placefirst, Gatehouse Living Group, Vistry, AXA Investment Managers, John Lewis Partnership and Long Harbour, among many others.

The speakers

Following my welcome address to delegates, Danny Pinder joined me in thanking everyone for attending and introduced himself as the recently appointed Director of Policy at BPF.

Our event was opened by keynote speaker John Vary, Futurologist and Innovation Strategist at Stretch Consulting. John grew up in Peckham as the eldest of five, navigating ADHD and dyslexia long before they were widely understood. What were once framed as barriers have become his greatest strengths, enabling him to see patterns others miss and to challenge conventional thinking.

Having previously led innovation and futurology for brands such as Burberry and the John Lewis Partnership, he now works with a whole host of organisations from Virgin to Persimmon.

He spoke passionately about the future of rental living and with the audience, explored the possibilities for the sector.

John explained that with the ageing demographic of British renters, multigenerational households becoming more common and co-living being embraced more widely we must carefully consider rental homes and products of the future. He raised the concept of “homes as a service”, with AI unpinning maintenance, energy and experience through tracking, monitoring and maintaining the living environment. He said this concept, done well, is a positive step forward for residents, but done poorly, will create invisible, unfair landlords.

He also discussed amenities and how by 2030 renters may be more interested in resilience of services than rooftop gardens or gyms, with reliable internet connectivity, consistent utilities and a safe, uninterrupted standard of living may be of greater consequence than amenities. He captured the shift in thinking with a simple expression, “resilience is the new luxury” and asked our audience to remember that these things will define value in the future.

Other topics he covered included tech-lite homes – in an age where technology is infiltrating every aspect of life, he asked us should we be considering more easily repairable and maintainable simple homes for renters, and could some even go so far as opting to live off grid? On the other side, John discussed the concept of “the algorithmic landlord” where rents could be flexed weekly depending on energy consumption and resident behaviour, harnessing artificial intelligence as a landlord management tool.

John invited our audience to think deeply about the human need in renting and to question long-held assumptions. He reminded us that the sector was in a period of rapid change and that the next decade was likely to shift the landscape we work in.

Next up was Polly Simpson, Head of Multifamily Development at Savills. Polly exclusively revealed the latest sector statistics and explored the state of the UK Build to Rent market. Key points included that the BTR sector continues to grow, but ultimately still only makes up 2.7% of the rental market. She shared that there are 139,100 operational BTR homes across the UK, with another 52,500 currently under construction.

Polly noted that rental demand remains strong in London with properties letting faster than before the pandemic. Reviewing 2024 she revealed BTR completions rose, but slowing new starts will impact delivery in the medium term. On investment she told our audience that 2025 has seen strong activity, with the proportion of multifamily developments rising.

Pecha Kucha 

After these thought-provoking talks, our delegates were treated to three different quick-fire presentations in the form of Pecha Kuchas. A Pecha Kucha is strictly timed, with 20 slides on screen for just 20 seconds each. It makes for fast-paced delivery and snappy presentations, as when your time’s up, it’s up and you must make way for the next speaker!

First, Damien Sharkey, Managing Director of HUB took to the stage. He positioned HUB’s place in the wider market, using examples of some of the transformative schemes his company has undertaken and spoke of its history and growth. With a £3.1bn portfolio over 27 projects and 9,600 homes delivered across five cities, HUB has an impressive track record.

He believes BTR and co-living have a key role to play in meeting the government’s ambitious housing targets. Through attracting institutional funding and working with the UK’s best architectural practices, Damien said we can deliver high quality rental homes that meet a growing need and are fit for the future. He said working with the right partners had been key to HUB’s success and that connectivity and price point remain priority for renters, along with location.

Damien also covered designing future-focused co-living communities and how the BTR sector must think about how communities are formed and what makes them thrive. Thinking about how residents will live and enjoy their homes should be a key, early consideration of any scheme. Later Damien talked about the trend we’re seeing with ex-office blocks being repurposed for residential use and the success HUB has enjoyed in ultra-urban locations in undertaking such projects. Looking ahead Damien predicted more affordability for renters in the form of small, mixed-use, mixed tenure and mixed demographic developments. He said BTR is a catalyst for regeneration and community-building and had an important role in government’s housing delivery ambitions. He also discussed the emergence of co-living and HUB’s experience of this part of the market as well as what shared living can offer, such as key worker housing, central locations and community-building.

Following Damien’s presentation, the audience heard from Alasdair McInnes, Managing Director at Kennedy Wilson. He discussed the British focus on homeownership and questioned whether this was a singularly UK mentality. Alasdair also talked about the rise of Single-Family Housing and that it’s a ‘sleeping giant’ with tremendous potential for building at scale across the country. He spoke further about the push towards the tri-tenure approach in development and the importance of integrated communities. As with our previous speaker, he highlighted how we must consider how people live in their homes and communities and tailor our approach to each development.

Looking to the future Alasdair discussed how institutions can create consistency in service delivery for renters in the future. The idea that we can set a high standard for private renters, which currently varies widely across the board, is something we should strive for. Alasdair also touched upon whether institutional landlords should always build new developments or seek to repurpose or retrofit other buildings and properties and talked about the benefits and drawbacks of both, particularly when considering changing Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) regulations. Finally, he talked about how rental homes must evolve for different age groups, adapting to life stages, if the shift we’re seeing in the demographics of renters continues.

Michela Hancock, CEO of Hilltop Property Partners was up next and she spoke of her career in BTR, how the market has changed and what prompted her to start her business. Having worked both stateside and in the UK, Michela talked about the differences in the more mature American BTR sector and the lessons we can take from it in the UK.

Using case studies from home and abroad to illustrate her points, Michela explained how services and amenities should be considered with care and that rental price points will reflect what’s expected in different areas. She highlighted that the median income in this country is £37,400 and affordability is a key element of the future of rental housing. Hilltop wants to be part of the solution.  Several UK cities are being targeted for development, such as Liverpool, Birmingham, Newcastle and Leeds to name but a few, where potential was high for successful schemes. Michela said balancing quality with an attainable rental price point, targeting the considerable middle-part of the bell curve of amenities was key to attracting residents.

The evening’s Pecha Kucha ‘contestants’ all performed brilliantly, giving concise, insightful presentations and congratulations must go to them all for sticking to the time limit, beating the bell!

Key takeaways from the event

A broad range of topics were explored over the evening, but some common themes emerged:

• AI will not diminish the intrinsic need for human connectivity and community
• We need diversity of thought and cross-pollination of ideas to overcome the numerous challenges facing the sector
• Delivering more homes of varying tenure such as co-living will help address the affordability squeeze, but...
• With over a quarter of a million construction workers needed by 2028 (CITB), we all have a vested interest in nurturing future talent to build at scale
• We cannot postpone planning for the future due to current challenges; always keep the big picture in mind
• The stigma around renting needs to be addressed – increasingly people are recognising the benefits of renting, particularly from institutional landlords

John Vary, our keynote speaker said something which stuck with me - ‘design boldly, build for difference, lead with trust’, which I think was a beautiful way to define our sector’s mission and he posed the question of how neurodiversity is also considered when designing homes

On a personal note, I’d like to thank everyone who helped make our third Build to Rent Innovators event such a success. Our speakers were thought-provoking and insightful, and many of the industry’s leaders were in attendance.

The BTR market is becoming increasingly prominent in the UK rental mix and we’re enjoying year-on-year growth. Developers and investors are seeing the potential of the BTR model and private renters are recognising the benefits of institutional landlords. This evening’s speakers all agreed the future of the private rented sector will look very different from the past, but during this time of change we must maintain high standards and strive for quality placemaking.

Every year our delegates comment on the quality of the speakers featured and the rich variety of insight they provide. We were fortunate once again to attract some brilliant presenters and many of the leaders in the sector. Addressing our audience at the close of our event, I spoke about how pleased I was for NHBC to partner with the British Property Federation for this popular, informative event. Both organisations see bringing the sector together as important to our work and it’s a unique opportunity for stakeholders across the spectrum to hear the latest industry thinking and network.

Danny Pinder, Director of Policy, British Property Federation commented, “Against a backdrop of stark viability pressures facing the sector and ongoing Budget speculation, this event provided a welcome opportunity to focus on the value of the UK BTR sector and hear sector leaders share reflections on future opportunities. Growing demand for high-quality professionally managed homes, PRS landlord departures and the government’s commitment to deliver 1.5 million homes all underscore the increasingly important role BTR can play moving forward. A big thanks to the NHBC team, guest speakers and those that engaged in the Q&A for contributing to an interesting and enjoyable evening.

Watch the highlights from the 2025 Build to Rent Innovators event, featuring some of the evening’s delegates about the future holds of Build to Rent.

NHBC’s role in the Build to Rent industry

Build to Rent is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the UK property market and NHBC’s warranty, insurance and services have been developed to reflect its specific needs.

As an established and trusted industry partner, NHBC provides unrivalled insight and horizon scanning throughout the build journey. A direct insurer underwriting its own policies, NHBC has a vested interest in the prevention of structural defects and in successful, long-term asset protection for owners, operators and residents.

NHBC is proud to work with leading developers to help them get it right first time. To learn more about how NHBC can assist at every stage of development, contact Niki Kyriacou, Sector Lead for Build to Rent.