KPMG adds Fabian Watts to Real Estate Advisory practice
KPMG has added Fabian Watts to its Real Estate Advisory practice team. Meeting the pipeline of deals lined up following an increased demand for real estate advisory within the buoyant UK property market has required the firm to expand its team. Watts will provide the firm with expertise in investment sourcing and underwriting, as well as regeneration appraisal.
Prior to joining KPMG, Fabian Watts was an Investment Analyst and Valuer at Savills, in the two year role he, among others, provided registered social landlords, local authorities and senior lenders with valuation advice. Previously he worked as an independent contractor for more than a year, the role, as Investment Consultant, saw Watts source investment opportunities for private investors seeking mixed use real estate in Central London. Between 2011 and 2012 he spent a year at the Zhejiang Yuexiu University of Foreign Languages, teaching English and French. Prior to which, from 2006, he worked at Aviva Investors as an Assistant Fund Manager. Watts started his career at DTZ Debenham Tie Leung, where he was a Surveyor (Valuation/Property Management) focused on retail and valuation in the UK/Europe market.
Watts holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Real Estate focused on Property Valuation and Law. He is a Chartered Surveyor/Investment Manager, and speaks, in addition to Fluent French, Mandarin and German.
KPMG recently announced that Watts has been appointed to the firm’s Real Estate Advisory practice, although his title and rank has not been disclosed. The position will see Watts provide the firm with his specialised knowledge of investment sourcing and underwriting, particularly in the housing sector, as well as regeneration appraisal, among others. The rapid growth of the UK housing market, particularly in and around London, is driving KPMG into further expanding its advisory team, with Watts called in to support the execution of the practice’s considerable pipeline of deals.
Commenting on his appointment, Stephen Barter, KPMG’s Chair of Real Estate Advisory, says that the firm is “delighted to welcome Fabian”, adding that he “brings solid experience in handling investment transactions and fundings across many asset classes and international markets, alongside his broader real estate skills.”
Fabian Watts remarks that, “KPMG’s Real Estate Advisory team has a strong position within the market and great expertise, backed by the breadth and depth of KPMG’s broader financial expertise, sector knowledge and global reach. I’m looking forward to being part of it.”