Key Takeaways
- • Kate Freer appointed CEO of Get Living, joining in autumn 2026 to succeed Rick de Blaby after more than nine years in the role; Freer brings 25+ years of real estate experience across institutional platforms including Blackstone, NHP Plc, and Realstar Group.
- • Get Living transitions to stabilized income platform model: The build-to-rent operator, which owns 6,200+ homes across seven UK neighbourhoods, is shifting from development-led operations toward a more operationally focused REIT structure, signalling a strategic maturation of the business.
- • Freer's track record at Realstar demonstrates scale and value creation: She spent over a decade building the UK multifamily platform and Uncle brand to 28 assets, approximately 6,400 homes, and a gross development value of £2.6bn; at Blackstone, she managed €2bn+ in assets and was involved in €4bn in European acquisitions.
- • Major project launch underway: Get Living is preparing to launch The Elephant in Elephant & Castle during 2026, a mixed-use scheme delivering 485 rental homes alongside retail, leisure, and workspace, representing significant near-term value accretion for the platform.
- • Chair Jeremy Helsby signals strategic inflection point: The appointment comes as the company enters "an important time in our growth strategy," with de Blaby having previously indicated the platform needs "fresh eyes" to professionalize operations over the next five years.
Summary
Get Living has recruited Kate Freer from Realstar Group as its new chief executive, with her appointment effective in autumn 2026. Freer succeeds Rick de Blaby, who steps down after leading the company for more than nine years. The transition represents a deliberate leadership change at a critical juncture in the company's evolution from a development-driven business toward a stabilized, operationally mature rental housing platform.
Freer brings substantial institutional real estate experience spanning 25+ years. Most recently, she spent over a decade at Realstar, where she played a central role in building the UK multifamily platform and Uncle brand from inception to a portfolio of 28 assets comprising approximately 6,400 homes with a gross development value of £2.6bn. Prior to Realstar, she spent 10 years at Blackstone, holding roles across multiple operating platforms including NHP, Nido, Center Parcs, Logicor, MultiRetail, and Chiswick Park. According to a LinkedIn profile on the GRII Institute, Freer has been involved in the acquisition and disposal of substantial European assets—€4bn in acquisitions and €2.7bn in disposals—and has led asset and property management of €2bn+ in holdings while developing over €1bn in assets throughout Europe.
Get Living's strategic inflection is clearly intentional. The platform has evolved into one of the UK's most established build-to-rent operators, managing 6,200+ homes across seven neighbourhoods. The company is currently preparing to launch The Elephant in Elephant & Castle this year, a major mixed-use scheme delivering 485 rental homes alongside retail, leisure, and workspace. Chair Jeremy Helsby stated that Freer's appointment comes "at an important time in our growth strategy." De Blaby himself signalled this shift earlier this year when speaking to Estates Gazette, characterizing the transformation as the business becoming "the REIT we always wanted it to be" and emphasizing that the next phase requires "someone to take it forward with fresh eyes and polish it over the next five years."
Freer's appointment reflects Get Living's transition toward a more operationally disciplined, income-focused model rather than continued development-led expansion. Her experience scaling platforms at Blackstone and her track record building multifamily operations at Realstar position her to execute this operational refinement while maintaining growth through asset quality and management efficiency.
Freer brings substantial institutional real estate experience spanning 25+ years. Most recently, she spent over a decade at Realstar, where she played a central role in building the UK multifamily platform and Uncle brand from inception to a portfolio of 28 assets comprising approximately 6,400 homes with a gross development value of £2.6bn. Prior to Realstar, she spent 10 years at Blackstone, holding roles across multiple operating platforms including NHP, Nido, Center Parcs, Logicor, MultiRetail, and Chiswick Park. According to a LinkedIn profile on the GRII Institute, Freer has been involved in the acquisition and disposal of substantial European assets—€4bn in acquisitions and €2.7bn in disposals—and has led asset and property management of €2bn+ in holdings while developing over €1bn in assets throughout Europe.
Get Living's strategic inflection is clearly intentional. The platform has evolved into one of the UK's most established build-to-rent operators, managing 6,200+ homes across seven neighbourhoods. The company is currently preparing to launch The Elephant in Elephant & Castle this year, a major mixed-use scheme delivering 485 rental homes alongside retail, leisure, and workspace. Chair Jeremy Helsby stated that Freer's appointment comes "at an important time in our growth strategy." De Blaby himself signalled this shift earlier this year when speaking to Estates Gazette, characterizing the transformation as the business becoming "the REIT we always wanted it to be" and emphasizing that the next phase requires "someone to take it forward with fresh eyes and polish it over the next five years."
Freer's appointment reflects Get Living's transition toward a more operationally disciplined, income-focused model rather than continued development-led expansion. Her experience scaling platforms at Blackstone and her track record building multifamily operations at Realstar position her to execute this operational refinement while maintaining growth through asset quality and management efficiency.
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