Bob Faith’s Post

When I was at the helm of the South Carolina Department of Commerce, our favorite saying was “businesses create jobs, not governments.” Fast forward a decade or so and this was very much the war-cry of the UK Government at this week’s Global Investment Summit. We employ nearly 600 people in our London office and at our sites across the UK, so this was music to my ears and shows a clear commitment to partnering with the private sector.   The historic backdrop of Hampton Court Palace, one of Henry VIII’s most favored residences, provided an interesting contrast to discussions that squarely focused on the future. High on the agenda were clean energy, AI and the future of manufacturing, but old stalwarts like planning were given just as much weight. The latter is something that we often think is exclusively a real estate problem, but the reality is that it affects every business regardless of the sector it operates in and can hamper growth.   The audience was made up of more than 200 senior executives from leading global companies, representing sectors from manufacturing to financial services, and institutional investors from as far as North America, Australia and the Middle East. Cabinet Ministers were visible and in listening mode, keen to hear how they could ensure the UK remains an attractive place for inward investment.   I was pleased to hear that the UK Government not only has an acute awareness of the need for more housing, but the important role that a purpose-built and professionally managed rental product must play in meeting demand. Several of our clients were at the event and in partnership with them, we have invested £11.3bn in the UK market since 2013. Our rental housing portfolio in the UK currently comprises 11,000 build to rent homes – all of which represent new supply – and 37,000 student beds.   During the post-Summit reception at Buckingham Palace, I found myself in conversation with the founder of BioNTech. It was fascinating to hear first-hand the role his organization played in producing the COVID-19 vaccine and his plans for what’s next. The work he is doing saves lives while we just build homes, but Greystar can play an important support role to those businesses by housing their highly educated workforces as they create new high-quality jobs for the UK economy.   With housing so high on the news agenda, it was encouraging to see that the real estate industry has a seat at the table at this important Summit. Attracting inward investment is critical for economic growth and I agree with the Prime Minister that the UK is truly a nation of opportunity. #GlobalInvestmentSummit #RealEstate #GIS2023

I'm really proud to see the great work our team is doing to address the need for attainable housing featured in MFE. This is such an important issue and there is such a shortage of housing supply across the US. What Andy Mest, Scott Berka and the team are doing is really exciting and I hope you'll read this article to learn more about the challenge, our modular construction factory, and our new Ltd. brand: https://lnkd.in/g7aKv-hf We've made a lot of progress so far, and there's much more to come. 

I am humbled to announce Greystar has been nominated for SIX 2022 Private Equity Real Estate (PERE) Awards including Residential Investor of the Year - Global, Debt Firm of the Year - Global, Firm of the Year - Europe, Capital Raise of the Year - Europe, Residential Investor of the Year - Europe, and Residential Investor of the Year - Asia. Support Greystar by voting for us between now and January 9th: http://bit.ly/3Yer94B #PEREAwards2022 #Greystar

I am humbled to announce Greystar has been nominated for SIX 2021 Private Equity Real Estate (PERE) Awards including Residential Investor of the Year – Global, Firm of the Year - North America, Industry Figure of the Year - North America (Kevin Kaberna), Deal of the Year - North America (fund disposition w/ Ivanhoe Cambridge), Residential Investor of the Year – Europe, Residential Investor of the Year – Asia! Support Greystar by voting for us between now and January 14th: https://bit.ly/3pXJ4gY #PEREAwards2021 #Greystar

Diversity and inclusion is a long-term effort built on learning, understanding, and adapting, and Greystar embraces the opportunity to learn more and do more. I am honored to be a part of an effort with other leading companies who are committed to taking on challenges, presenting opportunities, and sharing perspectives. I am excited to share what Greystar is doing, and I’m very interested in learning how others are addressing this priority. #CEOAction

I am proud to share that Greystar has been recognized by Private Equity Real Estate (“PERE”), the leading global publication for private equity real estate markets, as the winner of the three 2020 PERE Awards, including Global Residential Investor of the Year, North America Residential Investor of the Year and Firm of the Year, Australia. To be recognized by PERE in these areas is truly humbling and a testament to the great work our team does every day. #PEREAwards2020

Over the month of February, I’ve been encouraged by the activity across LinkedIn sharing what many companies and organizations are doing to celebrate Black History Month. It is inspiring to see what words, actions, and moments connect people across the country – and around the world – to Black history. To me, this month is an opportunity for some to learn and others to share, and ultimately, build empathy for one another. Thank you, Dr. Elijah Heyward III, PhD, for such a great and impactful discussion. We are proud to support the International African American Museum in Charleston, SC, and look forward to the grand opening in 2022.

I am humbled to announce Greystar has been nominated for EIGHT 2020 Private Equity Real Estate (PERE) Awards, including Residential Investor of the Year (Global), Residential Investor of the Year (North America), Residential Investor of the Year (Asia), Alternatives Investor of the Year (Europe), Firm of the Year (Europe), Firm of the Year (France), Firm of the Year (Australia), and Industry Figure of the Year (North America)! Support Greystar by voting for us between now and January 8th #PEREAwards2020 #Greystar