Real Estate · Head of Investment
Head of Investment executive search for real estate.
Retained Head of Investment and Investment Director search for real estate investment managers, REITs and family-office property vehicles.
What the role is
A short definition.
A Head of Investment in real estate leads investment origination, underwriting and execution — sourcing opportunities, running diligence, negotiating deal terms, and managing the investment through to closing and ongoing asset performance. In institutional investment managers the role sits alongside Head of Development and Head of Asset Management; in REITs and family-office vehicles the role can extend into fund strategy and portfolio construction.
Core responsibilities
What we assess candidates against.
- Deal origination and pipeline development across target sectors and geographies
- Underwriting, structuring and diligence coordination
- Investment committee representation and papers
- Deal execution — negotiation, legal coordination, closing
- Ongoing portfolio and asset performance monitoring
- LP and investor reporting (in institutional environments)
When to run this search
Typical triggers.
On the departure of an incumbent Head of Investment; on entry into a new sector or geography; on the launch of a new fund or vehicle; on a strategic reset of the investment thesis.
How we search
The specific approach we take.
Retained. Candidate pools include sitting Heads of Investment at comparable managers, senior Investment Directors ready for the step-up, and (for institutional roles) senior Deputy CIOs or Fund Managers from adjacent asset classes. Every mandate is led by a partner with genuine real estate sector fluency.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do you handle Head of Investment searches for specific sectors (living, life sciences, logistics)?
Yes. Sector-specific investment leadership (BTR / PBSA / Living, Life Sciences real estate, Data Centres, Logistics) is a growing specialism.
Can you support institutional investment manager roles vs REIT roles?
Yes. The two are handled as distinct search types — institutional investment management roles typically emphasise LP-facing and fund-strategy fluency; REIT roles emphasise public-markets-facing and shareholder communication.
Do you recruit for family-office property investment leadership?
Yes. Family-office property investment leadership sits at the intersection of Real Estate and Private Client & Family Office practices and is handled with the same discretion as our UHNW mandates.
How long does the search take?
Twelve to sixteen weeks brief to accepted offer is typical.
How is compensation structured?
Base, cash bonus tied to deal metrics, and carry or LTIP participation in institutional and PE-adjacent environments.
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