Rebekah Tobias is Co-founder and Managing Partner of Propela Ventures, providing seed capital to new operators in real estate with a focus on the high conviction living and hospitality sectors – propelling them forward, faster. The company partners with prominent family offices to help diversify their direct real estate portfolios and deliver venture style returns by investing in asset backed operating businesses at an early stage which are scalable across the UK and select EU counties. When the platforms reach a certain size and scale, they will be sold to the larger institutional groups that have raised billions to invest in the sector.
Rebekah is also founder of Independence Ventures, a consulting firm specializing in helping operational real estate businesses scale quickly and become more institutionalized and tech-enabled. Her clients have included major US private equity firms such as Heitman and their portfolio companies: Bo Coliving student housing in Norway and U Store It self-storage in Ireland. She holds various Directorships and Board positions, including Heitman’s UK REIT, U Store It, UndertheDoormat Group, and proptech firm Hococo. In addition, she is Senior Advisor to senior living operator Loopliv, an active Angel investor, and sits on the Real Estate Expert Council at Global Family Office Community (GFOC).
Previously, Rebekah was MD at London-based single family office Marcol leading new growth strategies in real estate, venture and private equity. She led the family’s investment initiatives in asset backed operating businesses in Europe, such as Space Plus self-storage in Germany. Prior to her role at Marcol, Rebekah was Divisional Director at pan European fund manager M7 Real Estate, held various senior roles at CBRE in New York and London and was a Partner at Cushman & Wakefield in the cross-border capital markets team, advising North American private equity and pension funds investing in European real estate.
Rebekah has over 20 years of real estate and investment experience, is a certified real estate appraiser in New York and Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS). She holds a BA in English from San Diego State University, during which time she completed a special study in English Literature at the University of Cambridge which brought her to the UK. She currently splits her time between Amsterdam and London and is married with two children.
Emma is a legal director in the commercial real estate team at BDB Pitmans. She is a ranked lawyer in London in the Legal 500 UK Solicitors, the leading guide to law firms and solicitors in the Uk.
She specialises in providing real estate advice to UK and off-shore private wealth sector clients. She regularly acts for high net-worth individuals, family offices, trust funds and investors.
Her private wealth sector expertise covers all elements of real estate investment from acquisition, through to portfolio management, refinancing, and disposal.
Emma also has a great deal of experience advising both landlords and corporate occupiers on complex leasehold structures. Having acted for a wide array of corporate occupier clients, from established multi-national healthcare providers to tech start-ups, she has an in-depth understanding of the commercial and legal issues faced by a corporate occupier client entering into a lease of new premises.
Emma invests in building long-term relationships with her clients and their other professional advisors, in order to ensure that her advice is tailored to her clients’ individual aims and objectives.
Bradley is President of Major Properties.
A seasoned real estate professional, Bradley Luster has been a consistent Top Producer for Major Properties for 38 years. Mr. Luster joined Major Properties as a sales agent in 1985. In 1992, he and his brother Jeff became owners of the firm started by their father, Arnold Luster, in 1964.
Mr. Luster is the President of the firm and has literally sold millions of square feet in the Downtown Los Angeles real estate market.
Mr. Luster is past Chairman of the Jewish Federation Downtown Division and is on the Board of Directors / Executive Committee for the Jewish Home for the Aging. Mr. Luster was honored as Man of the Year by the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America for his years of charity work in Los Angeles. He has also served as a board member of the LA Fashion District Business Improvement District.
Mr. Luster is a consultant to property owners and a guest lecturer at UCLA and USC Real Estate and Business schools.
Jonathan is Chairman of The Private Office at Savills.
Jonathan started his estate agency career in London in 1986, joining Savills eight years later in 1994.
Since that time, he’s seen the city transform from a national capital into a global giant and been a key player in many of prime central London’s record-breaking transactions.
He credits seven years working in the world of theatre and TV with teaching him two skills that have been fundamental to his successful career: remaining calm under pressure and being comfortable talking to anybody, no matter how famous or wealthy they might be.
With an unmatched knowledge of the capital’s market and counting many of its most prestigious owners as personal friends, Jonathan is expanding on a previous legacy as Chairman of the Private Office. His longevity in the business means he is regularly called upon to provide up-to-date analysis, valuations and market insights.
While his primary focus is on London property, for clients of The Private Office Jonathan uses his extensive network to secure sales and manage transactions across the UK and overseas.
John is a Partner at BDB Pitmans and has specialised in very high value residential properties and in the residential landlord and tenant field for 30 years, and has a particularly strong reputation in the leasehold enfranchisement of houses and flats, and lease extensions for flats. He also advises many managing agents and tenant management companies on lease issues.
John is a leading practitioner for tenant clients in the specialist leasehold reform field and is a ‘go to’ adviser for properties on the Prime Central London estates.
Irene has been with Savills since 2011 and became a co-managing partner in 2012.
A lawyer by training, having read law at Oxford University, Irene has practiced in both London and Monaco, working first as a commercial property lawyer, then in the private client field.
Tempted by the challenge of a career change and raising the Savills profile in Monaco, Irene joined the Savills Monaco team in 2011, bringing her legal skills to the real estate world, playing an advisorial role alongside a commercial one when negotiating sales, purchases and rentals for her clients.
Familiar in dealing with UHNWIs, Irene is seen as a safe pair of hands when high value deals are on the table.
Married with three daughters, Irene has lived in Monaco since 1990, and believes that a combination of life in Monaco and frequent trips to London is as good as it gets.
Charlie Wells is Managing Director of Savills UK buying arm Prime Purchase.
With a degree in rural estate management and a property career starting in 1993, Charlie is their go-to expert on everything from manor houses to farms and estates.
Before joining Prime Purchase, he ran the country property team for an independent firm, and also worked as a buying and selling agent specialising in sporting and agricultural properties.
Having worked in the country property market since 1993, he has built a reputation for making difficult deals happen, hard work and professionalism.
He has been listed in the Spear’s Wealth ‘Top 50 property experts in Britain’ since 2015 and in Chambers High Net Worth guide, an annual directory of the best operators in the private wealth market.
He is also a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Charlie lives in Hampshire with his wife and three young daughters.
Simon has been at Savills since 2007 and specialises in valuations of residential properties for tax driven purposes.
Expertise in particular on Inheritance Tax (including Decennial Charge), Capital Gains Tax (both non-resident CGT and UK resident, 1982 valuations), and ATED matters.
He works for a number of private banks and trust companies.
He advises on the obligations arising under The Charities Act 2011, S119.
He also advises solicitors and accountants advising on residential matters including contentious probates, expert witness matters and HMRC/District Valuer negotiations.