With a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Alfaisal University, Riyadh, and a Master’s degree in Business Economics from Henley Business School (University of Reading), Abdullah Alibrahim was ideally qualified to join one of the UK’s leading property investment companies. Since joining GRE Assets in 2012, he has become a key member of the team.
Starting his career as Relationship Manager, Abdullah is now the General Manger of the company’s office in Saudi Arabia. His role involves advising clients on property investment opportunities in the UK and Spain and managing the Riyadh team.
In this interview with Abdullah, we find out what a typical day at GRE Assets looks like for him, what is unique about GRE Assets and what makes a good property investment opportunity.
What does a typical day at GRE Assets look like for you?
I started my career at GRE Assets and almost eight years later I’m still here. I love being able to have access to different markets to learn and gain experience, which has helped me progress into my current role as General Manager. At the core of what we do in our Riyadh office is meeting the demands of Saudi investors by finding the right investment opportunities in the UK and Spain, with the support of our colleagues based there.
Our team also works with our colleagues from the company’s other offices to provide full investment services for our clients. We understand that being a landlord can turn into a fulltime job, especially for those with multiple properties in different countries, so we take care of things on behalf of our investors.
What is unique about GRE Assets?
I would say there are three main things that set us apart from our competitors. Firstly, we have a strong research team, who can recognise investment locations that are in high demand and have planned regeneration. By doing this we can understand the needs of potential residents and create developments that are reflective of what people want.
Secondly, from operating internationally GRE Assets has a unique perspective and insight into global property markets. This has allowed us to develop in different areas of the UK and overseas, while maintaining the high standards that we have built our reputation upon.
Finally, a big thing that appeals to our investors is that we offer full investment services including property management, legal services, tax advice and exit strategy. So not only do we deliver good returns on investments, we can take care of everything in-house, without our clients having to look elsewhere for certain services associated with property investment.
What makes a good property investment opportunity?
As you can imagine, a lot of thought goes into selecting where we locate our developments and GRE Assets are experts at identifying a good property investment opportunity. I would say the right location with the right demand, healthy yields, minimal supply threat, high liquidity and good property management are essential when finding property to invest in.
From working closely with Saudi investors, I have a good understanding of the opportunities the UK and Spanish residential property markets present to them. A developed economy, highly regulated markets and strong infrastructure are among the reasons that attract our clients to those markets.
GRE Assets is a property investment company with major residential schemes in the UK and Spain.
