Firma Partners CEO Featured as Industry Leaders Deliver Their Predictions for the Year Ahead
Estimated reading time 2 minutes
In BE News’ 26 for ’26 outlook, Firma Partners’ Chief Executive, Victor Librae, sets out a pragmatic and increasingly confident view of the UK real estate market heading into 2026. While the backdrop remains complex, he points to improving sentiment as interest rates begin to ease and capital markets adjust to a more stable footing. Across development and lending, delivery capability and adaptability are expected to be the defining themes. In the residential sector, renewed momentum is anticipated as affordability improves, with regional markets likely to outperform London in terms of growth speed, even as the capital continues its steady recovery.
Victor also highlights a growing divergence across commercial real estate, with specialist, technology-enabled and ESG-led assets attracting demand while secondary stock continues to fall behind. Policy and regulation, including planning reform and the Building Safety Act Gateway process, will play an increasingly influential role in underwriting, exit planning and risk assessment. Against this backdrop, he argues that experience, realism and flexibility in both capital and decision-making will be critical. For lenders and investors alike, the focus must shift towards long-term cashflow resilience rather than short-term valuation uplift, reinforcing the importance of aligned, specialist capital in navigating the next phase of the market cycle.
