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SWIP Property Trust sees dramatic growth in assets

4th August 2010 Print

The SWIP Property Trust (SWIPPT) has seen a dramatic growth in assets under management to more than £2bn and has doubled in size over the last 15 months due to strong inflows.

SWIPPT has committed over £750m in new investment to the market since mid-2009 and the fund was the largest net investor in the real estate market last year.

In challenging markets, SWIP was the first company to redress liquidity issues in open-ended property funds.  SWIPPT diversified its investment strategy to ensure efficient management of liquidity by widening the investment arena into REITS and Property Fixed Income Derivatives. With no forced selling or restrictions placed on redemptions, SWIPPT was able to meet the needs of investors quickly and was very much open for business.

Existing and new discretionary managers looking for more exposure to real estate have been attracted to the fund based on SWIP's proven track record of managing real estate portfolios effectively and delivering returns.

Gerry Ferguson, head of UK real estate fund management at SWIP said: "The success of SWIPPT is based on a number of factors. We identified very quickly what was happening in the real estate markets, made changes, and were always open and honest and available for our investors. We have proved highly resilient and our number one priority continues to be returns which we've delivered to our clients."

In a move that reflects SWIP's plans to further strengthen the team and build on the successes of the Trust, Kerri Hunter has recently been appointed as Deputy Manager of SWIPPT.  Kerri has played a key role in helping support the implementation of SWIPPT's strategy and contributing to the performance of the portfolio.

Kerri Hunter commented: "Our fund strategy is underpinned by tough criteria which we've not comprised with market changes. We've not bought real estate for the sake of it and we're in the perfect position to buy the right properties when they come to market. Since the middle of last year, we committed over £750m to the market in new investment and SWIPPT was the largest net investor in the real estate market in 2009."