Goolab has worked at Investec for over 12 years, and in that time has closed over £500m of real estate loans in the development and investment space. She also received an MBA from Columbia Business School in 2021.
Under her guidance, the team will “continue to provide ultra-high-net-worth individuals, family offices and privately owned UK corporates with bespoke financing solutions across the risk spectrum, with a particular focus on value-add and opportunistic strategies”.
Investec said that the 11-strong private client team had a strong 2023-24 financial year, committing around £400m of investment and development finance. This is an increase of 65% year-on-year.
This includes £170m in residential for rent, £100m in residential for sale and £90m in office.
Living development is ‘highly undersupplied part of the market’
The company said that it is targeting an increased loan book weighted towards living development, which it said is a “highly undersupplied part of the market”. It added that it was looking at loan book growth, partially due to “legacy residential sector bias”.
The firm said that it would underwrite larger-ticket loans due to growing distribution capabilities and “retrenchment of the clearing banks”, and will increasingly advise clients on environmental and social considerations.
Mark Bladon, head of real estate at Investec, said: “Versus the wider market, the performance of the private client team in the last financial year, and indeed the wider real estate lending platform, was highly impressive.
“A combination of through-the-cycle experience and early-mover advantage in the living sector, which has turned out to be one of the most resilient parts of the market during the recent period of uncertainty, has enabled us to continue growing the loan book.
“Shivani has been central to establishing the Investec Real Estate team as a dominant force in the market, and as our more entrepreneurial clients look to capitalise on market dislocation and an improving backdrop, she is the ideal leader to take our offering forward.”
Goolab added: “For value-add investors and developers with the experience and conviction, the risk-adjusted returns that UK real estate offers at this stage in the cycle are highly compelling.
“Leveraging our 30-year track record, relationship banking ethos and £3bn platform, we are uniquely placed to be the long-term banking partner of choice for this cohort. Whilst our core sectors remain unchanged, our holistic real estate platform will enable us to originate larger loans in what has been a historically underserved part of the market, and stimulate the delivery of new, sustainable property across the UK.”
