Property Litigation Association chair Kate Andrews attended this year’s UKREiiF, now in its fifth year, as part of the PLA’s continued presence at this annual gathering of UK property professionals.
Kate attended as PLA ambassador, representing the views and interests of our 1,800 members and gaining an insight into the latest trends, challenges and opportunities facing the industry.
In this blog, Kate shares her impressions and key takeaways from one of the UK real estate industry’s most important get-togethers.
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UKREiiF 2026 was my first time at the event as PLA chair, although I attended offsite social and networking events in 2025. As previous PLA chair Mark Reading described in his own blog about the event, I have to admit I was somewhat sceptical of the degree to which UKREiiF would justify the time spent away from the office.
Listening to industry thought-leaders discussing the latest sector topics and meeting up with my peers who were among the 16,000 or so people attending sounded both enjoyable and useful. But would it be a high price to pay for what would undoubtedly be an overflowing inbox when I returned to my desk?
Working in the private sphere as I largely do, I also wondered about the relevance of the event’s content. Would I be able to contribute to conversations in a meaningful way? Would they be relevant to the work I do in my day job as a Partner in the Real Estate team at Hamlins?
Despite these initial concerns, I decided to attend all three days in Leeds and it proved a worthwhile and thought-provoking experience.
UKREiiF kicked off with an excellent joint PLA and Professional Bar Association (PBA) event – a ‘Casino Night’ featuring roulette, poker and blackjack, complete with play money, drinks and canapés. This was a hugely successful and fun way to get into the UKREiiF spirit, meeting up with former colleagues and friends as well as making new contacts.
Over 100 PLA and PBA members joined us on the night to kick off UKREiiF 2026 in fabulous style.
A wide range of attendees
During my three days in Leeds, I had the opportunity to meet with a really good mix of people. There was a strong presence from the developer and promoter communities, who shared their goals of getting schemes delivered without reliance on additional finance.
Landowners and investors were also present and a common theme amongst this cohort was the focus on diversification, particularly in the sub-sectors of build to rent (BTR) and later living.
Planning consultants and local authority representatives were aligned in their views of how the planning system needed to adapt to keep pace with demand.
Meanwhile, intermediaries and professional contacts – including solicitors, agents and consultants – were clearly keen to build relationships in person, which felt particularly valuable given how much interaction is still online, even in our post-Covid world.
My key takeaways
A few themes emerged quite clearly from the talks and presentations I attended.
Firstly, there was a cautious optimism in the market, though viability remained front and centre of every conversation.
There was the real shift towards alternative asset classes, particularly BTR and later living.
Pressure is also building on the planning system to move more quickly. And there is growing interest in how technology might help ease the administrative burden; including the use of AI in the planning arena.
There was a renewed appreciation for face-to-face meetings – the ability to have informal discussions and identify opportunities for collaboration was genuinely one of the most valuable things I learned while at UKREiiF.
Top tips for solicitors attending
I appreciate that, for litigators, attending UKREiiF might not seem a good use of your time, but it’s a huge event with diverse content, so I’d encourage anyone who’s sitting on the fence to try it for yourself at least once in your career, if the opportunity arises – you’ll be so glad you did.
Here are my top tips for anyone thinking of attending next year:
- Plan your diary early– the value is in the meetings you line up in advance, not just the sessions you go to on the day.
- Focus on relationships, not just content– the best outcomes come from conversations rather than panel sessions.
- Keep a clear sector focus– having a defined lens (e.g. living sectors, development viability, planning issues) helps make discussions more focused and meaningful.
- Follow up quickly– without prompt follow-up, the volume of people you meet makes it easy to lose momentum and miss valuable opportunities.
- Be visible– attending fringe events and smaller gatherings is often where the most useful conversations happen. And remember to share your movements on LinkedIn, in case people want to connect with you that way.
Overall, going to UKREiiF was a really worthwhile experience for me. It was a real hub of activity, with everyone excited to get together and discuss the latest market developments.
In terms of the time invested, UKREiiF was definitely worth it. It was a great opportunity to reconnect with clients and peers, brush up on the latest industry happenings, and meet with a number of new organisations and contacts the PLA can work with going forward. Above all, UKREiiF 2026 made me excited to get back to my desk and inbox to take all these new leads and ideas forward – even if it was overflowing a bit.
Kate Andrews
Chair, Property Litigation Association