Gurner Group is continuing to focus on the evolution of its strategic capital-light funds management arm that sits primarily across residential investments, alongside lifestyle investments. As part of this next phase of growth, Gurner Group has appointed senior property executive Rahul Bharara as its first Chief Investment Officer.

The group’s current assets under management of circa $5.1 billion includes its work across joint venture partnerships, which will extend further as landowners, like-minded fund managers, global institutional funds and family offices choose to work with Gurner Group for its expertise across design, management and delivery.

Rahul Bharara joins Gurner Group following a successful nine-plus year career at Credit Suisse where he was Managing Director and Head of Australian Real Estate Coverage. He has worked on a number of high-profile transactions with both public and private property groups and brings significant experience in strategic advisory, capital relationships – both wholesale and listed – and structured finance to the Group.

Bharara joins Gurner Group at the commencement of the brand’s 10th year, marking its continued evolution into one of Australia’s largest private developers with a capital light partnership/funds model.

Elsewhere across Gurner Group, former Southern Cross Austero CFO Nick McKechnie was recently appointed as the Chief Financial Officer, bringing nearly 30 years of experience across cash flow management, capital projects, strategy, business transformation and strategic planning, and playing a pivotal role in growing the group’s capital.

The ‘capital-light’ model means Gurner Group can be nimble in its approach to new opportunities, leveraging its exceptional experience across design, delivery and construction to create a structure similar to other partners in the traditional property sectors – like office, industrial and retail – but with more of a focus on residential and lifestyle.

With diversified and significant capital partners, the Group will be keenly observing current market conditions with the ability to capitalise on any opportunities that might arise, whilst also continuing to execute on its current national pipeline.

Gurner Group has a multi-billion national pipeline across a number of divisions spanning Build to Sell (BTS), Build to Rent (BTR), hotels, funds management, wellness, hospitality, and property management and is the parent company of the GURNERTM development brand founded by CEO Tim Gurner over a decade ago.

The group will be targeting domestic and wholesale capital, like-minded fund managers, family offices and private capital.

Gurner Group CEO, Tim Gurner, commented, “ As the Gurner Group continues to evolve into an operator, manager, developer and capital light developer of city-defining projects, Rahul’s experience and impressive track record around working with diverse capital and property groups is invaluable during our next phase of growth.

 “ Rahul’s appointment outlines our commitment to funds management, capital partnering and asset management with our ultimate goal of creating value for our investors and providing best-in- class product for our residents.

“ We’re aiming to be the partner of choice for investments across Build-to-Rent and Build-to-Sell, hotels and other accommodation sectors which draw upon our decade of experience in the premium Australian residential market, giving us an unrivalled knowledge of both the customers and the product.

“ Our ability to design and deliver an incredible product has resulted in attractive returns for our partners and investors, with global capital recognising the unique ability we have to curate residences unlike anything available on the market.

“ The innate knowledge we have of Australia’s premium residential market and its buyers means we can leverage our experience into opportunities across other similar sectors.

“ The funds management strategy is an extension of what we’ve always done through joint ventures – working with landowners, family offices and other fund management partners to create industry leading property that pushes the boundaries of what is possible.

“ We know from experience that global capital is keeping a really close eye on the Australian residential market, and as migration roars back and population growth continues to boom, we are ready to make the most of these conditions.

Gurner Group Chief Investment Officer, Rahul Bharara, said “It is an exciting time to be joining Gurner Group; a company with a multi-billion dollar national pipeline of accommodation focused real estate product in a supply constrained market.

“The Group has a rich heritage in capital partnership with support from some of the most astute investors both globally and in Australia.

“ I look forward to working with the 80-plus team at Gurner Group in its next phase of growth.

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L to R: Rahul Bharara, Kate Cookes, Tim Gurner and Nick McKechnie