Real estate finance

Our leading real estate finance practice forms one of our five built environment pillars, advising on a diverse range of domestic and international real estate finance transactions including investment, development, infrastructure, private placements and forward funding.

Our experience spans a broad range of sectors, including offices, sci-tech, retail, hospitality, industrial and logistics, healthcare, living, development & regeneration, higher education, landed estates, agribusiness and other not-for-profit organisations. We have the expertise and capacity to handle all aspects of the largest and most complex real estate finance transactions.

We bring together lawyers experienced in finance, corporate real estate, construction, planning, capital markets, insurance, funds, tax, ESG, restructuring and insolvency supported by one of the top real estate teams in the UK with over 200 real estate lawyers, to deliver exceptional client service.

Our experience

We have extensive experience advising clients on:

investment, acquisition and development facilities, on both a bilateral and syndicated basis
senior and mezzanine facilities including advising on complex intercreditor issues
financing of large portfolios
financing of operational real estate, including RCFs and working capital facilities for real estate investors
ground rent portfolio financings
Islamic financing
green and sustainability linked financings
infrastructure finance and grant funding
forward funding agreements and income strips

debt restructuring
security reviews, strategic enforcement advice and the appointment of receivers and administrators
NPLs
loan-on-loan
tax efficient financing structures
private placements secured on real estate
non-transactional work such as drafting lender standard form documents

The team’s knowledge of real estate, backed by our sector experts, allows us to deliver transactions in a manner that balances commercial and operational flexibility with legal risk and is value for money.

Did you know?

Technology adopters

We utilise the latest in legal-tech, including document automation, AI document analysis and transaction management platforms, as well as our own in-house data room Collaborate.

Leading experts

We have lawyers sitting on each of the British Property Federation Committees for Finance, ESG, Build to Rent and Healthcare.

Agile with cross border work

Much of our work is cross-border in nature; we work with like-minded leading independent firms around the globe; we go where our clients go.

What our clients say about us

She [Laura Holdaway] takes the pain out of a painful deal.
Debt fund client
Mills & Reeve has a good breadth of people in the team. Nobody drops the ball, even in the holiday period. They are good value for money and have always been flexible.
Chambers and Partners 2026
Laura Holdaway is held in high regard for her expertise in real estate financing transactions. She regularly acts on behalf of developers and investors as well as banks.
Chambers and Partners 2026

Our clients

Key clients include:

AgFe
Barclays
Coutts & Co
Hines UK
Homes England
HSBC
Kadans Science Partner

LV
Marshall Group
NatWest
OakNorth
Related Argent
ReAssure, part of the Phoenix Group
Urban&Civic

Real estate blog

Our real estate blog offers you regular updates and commentary on the latest legal news in the ever-changing world of real estate.

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Mapping the FutuRE

Our interactive map identifies important changes affecting the real estate industry today and in future. It offers insights into the challenges and opportunities from our leading legal experts.

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