The estate agency said the new firm would help bridge the equity gap facing the £33bn of commercial loans maturing this year.
The firm said this had left clients entering a market where interest rates were higher for longer, loan-to-value (LTV) ratios had fallen and assets had been repriced.
RIB said the specialist advisory firm would guide clients in closing this equity gap.
Adam Jaffe (pictured, left) has been appointed senior director at RIB Private Finance, bringing over 25 years of experience in the London real estate finance sector, working across lending, borrowing and asset management.
Antony Antoniou (pictured, right) will be the firm’s CEO, and he has experience in investment management, structured funds and co-investment products from his work across RIB’s commercial and investment departments and family office Aspida Capital, of which he is managing director.
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Antoniou said: “Over more than 60 years, RIB has built an enviable reputation as one of the West End’s leading property advisories, and offering real estate finance advisory is a natural extension of that expertise. It launches at a critical moment for our clients, who need disciplined, professional counsel to navigate today’s market.
“The capital is there and lenders are offering increasingly sophisticated solutions to the equity challenge – but knowing how and where to apply them is what makes the difference. I’m delighted to welcome Adam to lead the team, and I look forward to seeing this practice grow alongside our established departments.”
Jaffe added: “Having worked as both borrower and lender through fluctuating real estate markets, I’m excited to bring that experience to a part of the market that has been under-served for too long.
“Working alongside Antony and the wider RIB team means our advice is grounded in deep transactional knowledge across the wider property market and the underlying assets – not just the debt secured against them.”
The RIB Private Finance team has 55 years of experience altogether and the firm said it would take a relationship-driven approach, guiding clients from origination through to completion.
The firm will advise on structured debt and equity, financial modelling, asset, scheme or portfolio streamlining and simplification, restructuring and contingency planning and recapitalisation.
