The new firm will complement the established investment, commercial and residential departments, creating a fully-integrated, multidisciplinary business.

London-headquartered Robert Irving Burns has launched RIB Private Finance, a new specialist real estate finance advisory, to help bridge the equity gap facing £33 billion ($44 billion) of commercial loans maturing in 2026. The large maturity cohort is refinancing into a market of higher-for-longer interest rates, lower loan-to-value ratios and repriced assets. 

RIB Private Finance will also complement the established investment, commercial and residential departments, creating a fully-integrated, multidisciplinary business, the firm said in a statement.

Adam Jaffe, who has more than 25 years’ experience in the London real estate finance market, across lending, borrowing and asset management, has been appointed as senior director of the private finance practice. Sitting alongside him is RIB’s CEO, Antony Antoniou, whose expertise in investment management, structured funds, syndicated and co-investment products spans both RIB’s commercial and investment departments and family office Aspida Capital, of which he is managing director.

“It launches at a critical moment for our clients, who need disciplined, professional counsel to navigate today’s market,” Antoniou said. “The capital is there and lenders are offering increasingly sophisticated solutions to the equity challenge – but knowing how and where to apply them is what makes the difference.”

The new senior-led advisory team is working with investors, lenders and developers to create and protect value throughout new and existing real estate assets and portfolios. The professional, tailored services position the ambitions and objectives of its client at heart, with a focus on trust, practical judgement and clear specialist advice throughout the process, the firm said.

“Having worked as both borrower and lender through fluctuating real estate markets, I’m excited to bring that experience to a part of the market that has been underserved for too long,” Antoniou said. “Working alongside Antony and the wider RIB team means our advice is grounded in deep transactional knowledge across the wider property market and the underlying assets – not just the debt secured against them.”