The trade body for companies that own, manage and invest in UK property, founded in 1963 and based in London, with about 400 member companies and a Scottish arm in Edinburgh.
The British Property Federation, or BPF, is a not-for-profit membership organisation for companies that own and invest in property in the UK. Its members include property companies, professional firms such as lawyers and surveyors, and other organisations including investment banks, fund managers, institutional investors and housing associations. Roughly a third of its members are real estate companies, a third are professional firms and a third are other organisations. It acts as a voice for the industry, working with government and regulators on topics such as infrastructure, build-to-rent housing and the rules for real estate investment trusts (REITs), which are companies that own property and share the income with investors.
The BPF was formed in 1963. Its three stated objectives are to improve the legislative, fiscal and regulatory environment for the industry, to help members get information and best practice, and to raise the industry's public profile. In its own words, it works with government and regulatory bodies to help the real estate industry grow and thrive. It is led by a chief executive, Melanie Leech CBE according to the information we found, and a board that includes a president and vice-presidents drawn from industry. Past chief executives include Liz Peace, who led it from 2002 to 2014.
The BPF's headquarters is at 88 Kingsway, London WC2B 6AA. In Scotland it works as the Scottish Property Federation, with offices in Edinburgh. Its policy work is organised through 21 committees, 13 working groups and six regional forums, which means members from across the country can contribute. The Investment Property Forum's site says it has joined with AREF and the BPF to form Real Estate:UK, which represents the wider UK real estate industry.
We did not find a first-party description of the BPF's own staff culture, so there is little to say about working there beyond how the organisation is set up. It relies on industry volunteers for committees and working groups, and on a core team to turn their views into policy submissions, research and events. Its leadership has been drawn from well-known property companies, which suggests a network-driven, relationship-based way of working, but that is our reading, not a company claim.
Roles in a trade body like this typically include policy and public affairs advisers, researchers, committee and member relations staff, event and communications teams, and finance and administrative staff. They suit people who like politics, economics, writing and persuading, and who want to understand how new homes, offices, student housing and logistics buildings get built and paid for. Many staff move between trade bodies, government and property companies over their careers.
Website: www.bpf.org.uk
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