Ascend launches resident-facing white label BTR brand
> Ascend Living provides owners of unbranded platforms with turnkey operational identity
> New brand launches with 2,500 homes from existing Ascend mandates in its initial delivery
Ascend – the UK’s largest third-party operator of single-family rental homes, with two thirds of the entire asset class under management – has launched a new resident-facing brand to provide investors with a turnkey operational identity for BTR portfolios.
Ascend Living will be a ‘white label’ brand for unbranded platforms managed by the firm, enabling investors to benefit from operating under a consumer-facing name without the costs associated with creating and establishing a standalone identity.
In its initial delivery programme, the new brand will be used across 2,500 single-family rental (SFR) homes over 52 schemes within existing Ascend management instructions from several major investor clients. Ascend Living will cover both SFR and multifamily BTR platforms, with further expansion anticipated from current mandates and new appointments.
The launch represents a unique ‘off-the-shelf’ service in the institutional residential property management sector, for the first time giving investors the advantages of a resident-facing brand with which to market their growing portfolios.
The arrival of new entrants into the SFR and multifamily BTR markets is driving the creation of a number of new platforms of scale, with generalist investors seeking exposure to the asset classes. For such investors, without operational experience, a turnkey solution is a particularly attractive proposition.
Lee Hill, Commercial Director of Ascend, said:
“The operational advantages of having a resident-facing brand are well understood and appreciated, but up until now investors have had to create their own identities to capitalise on this, with all the costs and understanding that requires. Ascend Living is our answer, providing investors with a turnkey, resident-facing brand backed by our market-leading management. We view Ascend Living as a value-add service for our investor clients, an off-the-shelf solution with which to market their homes and drive enhanced returns.
“As the homes under the Ascend Living umbrella grows, the brand will drive ever greater value for those portfolios, representing best-in-class resident experience wherever it is seen. This is a valuable and effective tool for owners of currently non-branded platforms, and we look forward to seeing the brand reach its potential as SFR and multifamily BTR continue to become vital pillars of the UK’s housing mix.”
Visit the new Ascend Living website at www.ascendliving.co.uk or check out Ascend Living's social profiles
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