Neil Sinclair FRICS
Real Estate Operator • Public Company Advisor • PropTech Adoption Strategist
Six decades across UK property and real estate markets. Nine economic cycles. Multiple public company exits. Judgment shaped by experience most founders have only read about.
Experience isn't the years — it's the cycles survived.
What Neil Does
REIT & Listed Vehicle Advisory
Board-level guidance for REITs and listed property vehicles navigating governance, growth strategy, and capital markets.
- • REIT formation & board structuring
- • Public property company scaling strategies
- • Shareholder alignment & investor relations
Distressed & Opportunistic Strategy
Deep experience navigating 9 major economic cycles. Guidance on distressed assets, workout situations, and counter-cyclical acquisitions.
- • Distressed asset identification & structuring
- • Capital structure arbitrage
- • Cycle-timing & contrarian positioning
Development & Asset Management
Planning risk, development execution, and property repositioning. Track record includes Hudson Quarter (York), Sol Central (Northampton).
- • Mixed-use development strategy
- • Planning risk navigation
- • Regional property market repositioning
PropTech Adoption Strategy
Help PropTech founders navigate landlord incentives, institutional adoption, and design pilot programs that actually scale.
- • Landlord & REIT distribution strategy
- • ROI modeling for asset managers
- • Institutional adoption frameworks
Capital Markets & Transaction Execution
Multiple IPOs, reverse takeovers, and exits (Milner Estates £173m exit to Delancey 1999; Palace Capital £259-280m property portfolio). Deep fluency in public markets and M&A structuring.
- • IPO & AIM listing execution
- • Reverse takeover structuring
- • Strategic exits & M&A advisory
- • Debt & equity capital raises
When you've watched London rebuilt twice, you learn the truth: it's never the tech that decides what changes — it's the families and institutions who control the land.
Philanthropic Leadership
Variety – the Children's Charity is one of the UK's leading children's charities, providing practical support to children and young people who are sick, disabled, or disadvantaged.
Neil joined Variety in 1972 and was co-opted to the Film Premieres Committee and Variety at Work. From the late 70s he Chaired the Annual Dinner & Ball Committees and later the Events and Fundraising Committees. He was co-opted to the Crew in 1982 becoming a Trustee in 1984 and Chief Barker in 1991.
Neil was co-founder of the PROPS, a major fundraiser associated with the property industry, which during his time as Chair raised over £11m and donated more than 2,000 wheelchairs. He was also a co-founder of The Gastronomic Dinner in London which ran for 20 years.
Neil has been a key driver of the success of Variety UK for many decades.
Why Institutions Work With Him
Advisory for boards, founders, and institutions.
Contact NeilFrequently Asked Questions
What does Neil Sinclair FRICS specialize in?
Neil Sinclair FRICS specializes in real estate advisory for REITs and listed property vehicles, board-level governance and growth strategy, distressed and opportunistic real estate strategy, PropTech adoption and landlord distribution strategy, and capital markets guidance for real estate companies. With 60+ years of experience, he provides judgment shaped by operating through 9 major economic cycles.
What experience does Neil Sinclair have?
Neil Sinclair FRICS has over 60 years of experience in UK real estate. He has built and exited multiple listed property platforms, including a £173m exit to Delancey and scaling Palace Capital to a £259-280m portfolio. He has operated through 9 major economic cycles including the 1973 Oil Crisis, 1990 crash, Global Financial Crisis (2008), Brexit (2016), COVID-19 (2020), and interest-rate whiplash (2022-24).
Who does Neil Sinclair work with?
Neil Sinclair works with REITs, listed property vehicles, institutional investors, family offices, public company boards, and PropTech founders navigating real estate adoption. His clients value his deep relationships with long-term owners, families, and institutions, and his operator judgment refined through multiple real estate cycles.
What is FRICS and why does it matter?
FRICS stands for Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the highest level of RICS membership. It represents extensive experience, technical competence, and professional standing in real estate and property. Fellows are recognized internationally as leaders in the property profession.