Sentinel Fund Manager Australia (Sentinel), the Australian arm of leading American real estate investment firm Sentinel Real Estate, has announced two major appointments to its local team. Keith Lucas, has been promoted to Managing Director and relocated to Australia from the US and Georgina Duckworth to manage investor outreach and relations in Australia and New Zealand. 

These appointments come as Sentinel plans to expand its development pipeline, with an anticipated A$1 billion of investment in the Australian Build to Rent market over the next four years.

Keith Lucas, AIA, ARA, LEED AP, has been promoted to Managing Director and relocated to Australia from the US to oversee the expansion of the firm’s Build to Rent platform in the country. Mr. Lucas previously served in a similar capacity from New York.

 In his role as Managing Director, Mr. Lucas will focus on expanding the firm’s local team to support its rapidly growing Build to Rent platform, across functions including land acquisition, design, development, property management and government relations. This comes as the spotlight on Australia’s traditional rental market and emerging Build to Rent sector grows.

 Sentinel has also added Georgina Duckworth to the team to manage investor outreach and relations in Australia and New Zealand as Director of Client Services and Marketing. In this role, Ms. Duckworth will be responsible for helping to advance Sentinel’s strategic growth priorities and providing best-in-class solutions and service to the firm’s global capital relationships.

 Prior to joining Sentinel, Ms. Duckworth served as Director of Business at the American Australian Association, where she focused on developing relationships with key stakeholders in the US and Australia to promote economic and governmental cooperation and understanding between the two nations. She earned a Bachelor of International Business from Flinders University of South Australia and has previous experience working in the Australian real estate market.

 Michael Streicker, President of Sentinel Real Estate, said: “It’s an incredibly exciting time for Sentinel in Australia. We have continued to expand our local organization in anticipation of substanital growth over the coming years. Keith and Georgina’s expertise will bolster our Australian business, growing the development pipeline and supporting the successful execution of our Build to Rent strategy. We’re in a unique position to successfully deliver this, given our 51 years of global multifamily property experience and first-to-market position in the Build to Rent class in Australia.”

 Sentinel was one of the first institutional real estate investors to establish a dedicated Build to Rent platform in Australia and the first to create an operational Build to Rent property – Element 27 – in Perth, Western Australia. Element 27 has been open since May 2019 and 100% leased since December 2019. Sentinel’s current Australian pipeline also includes a Build to Rent project in Melbourne at 164-168 Roden Street, and in Perth it has submitted a proposal for a project in Scarborough. The company has more than 1,000 Build to Rent units under various stages of development throughout Australia and globally has approximately A$10.0 billion of assets under management.

 Keith Lucas, Managing Director of Sentinel Real Estate said: “The current supply-demand characteristics in the Australian housing market are favourable. We’re seeing movements in tax legislation that support the Build to Rent model and consumer mindsets about home ownership are shifting – this is all fuelling strength in Australia’s Build to Rent sector. Sentinel is committed to delivering sustainable and quality housing for Australians that brings residents prime location, on-site management and quality amenities and fit outs. I’m looking forward to working with our expanded team to ensure that our innovative offerings are tailored to the local market and ultimately redefine the rental experience in Australia.”