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Real Estate Investment Trust Activities in the UK - Market Research Report (2014-2029)

Joseph Maher Joseph Maher London, United Kingdom Last Updated: June 2024 SIC K64.306

Revenue

£8.5bn

2024-25

£8.5bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

£X.Xbn

Employees

4,376

Businesses

112

Wages

£XXX.Xm

Real Estate Investment Trust Activities in the UK industry analysis

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) are attractive investment vehicles, as they are exempt from corporate tax. A reduction in REIT requirements and restrictions has encouraged new entrants, although many were hit hard by the retail crash during the COVID-19 outbreak. Revenue is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 0.4% over the five years through 2024-25 to £8.5 billion including estimated growth of 11.8% in 2023-24, while the average profit is expected to be 19.3%.

Trends and Insights

  • Retail property value has dropped. REITs specialising in residential and industrial property have come out on top, with housing shortages and growing demand for warehouses boosting values.
  • Office portfolios take a hit as companies scale down offices. Companies are re-examining their office space needs and many have adopted work-from-home policies.
  • London, as one of the world's major financial centres, is home to most REITs. Operating in London allows companies to be close to potential investors, financial backers and talent.
  • Larger warehouses meet growing demand from e-commerce and delivery. The scarcity of industrial property in dense urban areas means customers have limited choices and REITs may charge a premium.
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Everything you need in one report

  • Reliable market estimates from 2014-2029
  • Competitive analysis, industry segmentation, financial benchmarks
  • Powerful SWOT, Porter’s Five Forces and risk management frameworks
  • Online membership platform with PDF, Word, Excel and PPT exports

Industry Overview

Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 0.4 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated £8.5bn in 2024.

Trends and Insights

Rising interest rates and subdued economic growth posed challenges to REITs in 2022-23

  • The year 2022-23 was rife with economic headwinds, ranging from geopolitical tensions with the Russia-Ukraine war, spiralling inflation and aggressive interest rate hikes, clobbering investment activity and hurting REIT performance.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Real Estate Investment Trust Activities in the UK
Revenue (2014-2029)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2024-2029)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

REIT tax advantages will become all the more appealing

  • REITs are a property investment company, which simulates direct investment in UK property. This means it avoids the double taxation that can occur when investing through a corporate structure, providing significant tax advantages.

Biggest companies in the Real Estate Investment Trust Activities in the UK

Company
Market Share (%)
2025
Revenue (£m)
2025
Land Securities Group plc
892.9
The British Land Company plc
646.3
SEGRO plc
625.5

To view the market share and analysis for all 6 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Real Estate Investment Trust Activities in the UK
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Retail portfolios, Office portfolios and Industrial portfolios. Retail portfolios is the largest segment of the Real Estate Investment Trust Activities in the UK.

Trends and Insights

Demand for office space makes a slow recovery

  • REITs purchase and lease office space to companies in purposely built buildings or mixed development projects.
  • More insights available in the full report

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Competitors

  • Investment Trusts in the UK
  • Open-Ended Investment Company Activities in the UK
  • Property Unit Trusts in the UK
  • Fund Management Activities in the UK

Complementors

  • There are no industries to display.

International industries

  • Global Commercial Real Estate
  • Real Estate Investment Trusts in the US
  • Real Estate Investment Trusts in Canada

View all industries in United Kingdom

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) are listed companies with closed-ended share capital that hold, manage and maintain property portfolios for investment purposes (i.e. renting to tenants).

What's included in this industry?

Office portfoliosRetail portfoliosIndustrial portfoliosResidential portfoliosStudent accommodation portfoliosHealthcare portfolios

Companies

Land Securities Group plcThe British Land Company plcSEGRO plc

Purchase this report to view all 6 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

AGGREGATION CLOSED-ENDEDPOOLING ROBO-ADVISER

Industry Code

SIC 2007

SIC 64.30/6 - Real Estate Investment Trust Activities in the UK

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Retail property value has dropped. REITs specialising in residential and industrial property have come out on top, with housing shortages and growing demand for warehouses bo...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Office portfolios take a hit as companies scale down offices. Companies are re-examining their office space needs and many have adopted work-from-home policies.

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2024
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2024
  • Major market segmentation in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

London, as one of the world's major financial centres, is home to most REITs. Operating in London allows companies to be close to potential investors, financial backers and t...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each region in 2024
  • Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of employees in each region in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across Europe, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Larger warehouses meet growing demand from e-commerce and delivery. The scarcity of industrial property in dense urban areas means customers have limited choices and REITs ma...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

Intu was the standout victim of the pandemic. It fell into administration in June 2020, unable to recoup losses from its retail-heavy portfolio.

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
  • Overview of Land Securities Group plc's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of The British Land Company plc's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of SEGRO plc's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for 3 additional companies

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Land Securities Group plc, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for The British Land Company plc, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for SEGRO plc, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description, key data and performance trends for 3 additional companies

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Relaxed regulations support new entrants. The Finance Act 2012 and 2013 removed entry fees for companies trying to convert to REIT status, reduced listing requirements and ma...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Profit dropped during COVID-19 lockdowns. The pandemic devastated many REITs with retail- and office-heavy portfolios as rent collection plummeted.

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Liquidity Ratios (2018-2022)
  • Coverage Ratios (2018-2022)
  • Leverage Ratios  (2018-2022)
  • Operating Ratios (2018-2022)
  • Assets (2018-2022)
  • Liabilities (2018-2022)
  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Average Wage (2014-2029)
  • Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
  • Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2014-2029)
  • IVA (2014-2029)
  • Establishments (2014-2029)
  • Enterprises (2014-2029)
  • Employment (2014-2029)
  • Exports (2014-2029)
  • Imports (2014-2029)
  • Wages (2014-2029)

Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in the UK include:

  • Office for National Statistics
  • Office for Budget Responsibility
  • Bank of England

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.

Frequently Asked Questions

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Real Estate Investment Trust Activities in the UK industry in United Kingdom in 2024?

The market size of the Real Estate Investment Trust Activities in the UK industry in United Kingdom is £8.5bn in 2024.

How many businesses are there in the Real Estate Investment Trust Activities in the UK industry in 2024?

There are 112 businesses in the Real Estate Investment Trust Activities in the UK industry in United Kingdom, which has grown at a CAGR of 9.2 % between 2019 and 2024.

Has the Real Estate Investment Trust Activities in the UK industry in United Kingdom grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Real Estate Investment Trust Activities in the UK industry in United Kingdom has been growing at a CAGR of 0.4 % between 2019 and 2024.

What is the forecast growth of the Real Estate Investment Trust Activities in the UK industry in United Kingdom over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Real Estate Investment Trust Activities in the UK industry in United Kingdom is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Real Estate Investment Trust Activities in the UK market in United Kingdom?

The biggest companies operating in the Real Estate Investment Trust Activities market in United Kingdom are Land Securities Group plc, The British Land Company plc and SEGRO plc

What does the Real Estate Investment Trust Activities in the UK in United Kingdom include?

Office portfolios and Retail portfolios are part of the Real Estate Investment Trust Activities in the UK industry.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Real Estate Investment Trust Activities in the UK in United Kingdom?

The company holding the most market share in United Kingdom is Land Securities Group plc.

How competitive is the Real Estate Investment Trust Activities in the UK industry in United Kingdom?

The level of competition is moderate and increasing in the Real Estate Investment Trust Activities in the UK industry in United Kingdom.