WW Advisors, a UK-based advisory boutique providing specialised real estate investment advisory and financing advisory services throughout Europe, has been launched.

It is advising organisations on European real estate transactions and funding after receiving Financial Services Authority approval.

In an advisory capacity, it works with property funds and their other advisors to originate, structure and finance deals; to manage their real estate assets; and provide advice as to achieving optimal exits.

WW Advisors has a particular competence in Shariah-compliant finance and investment and is already advising in respect of a EUR225m Gulf-backed company seeking to invest in European real estate.

WW Advisors' team is currently evaluating investment targets and joint-venture partners across all sectors of European real estate, including residential, senior living, student housing, and all key commercial sectors as well as specialist sectors.

The company's acquisition strategy is to identify transactions, ideally off-market, that are either undervalued or have inherent risks. Through advising on aggressive repositioning of these assets - by way of active hands-on property asset management - it seeks to help investors achieve strong risk-adjusted returns.

David Swan, managing director of WW Advisors (pictured), says: 'With the benefit of our advice, based on our diversified experience, investors can deploy capital in the real estate sector without the need for a direct presence on the ground or in individual markets. We recommend the acquisition of the right properties to meet the objectives of a particular investment structure or fund, and then provide advice aimed at achieving efficient, effective and professional property asset management, in order to maximise value through a planned exit strategy.

'We offer significant experience and knowledge across the major sectors of the real estate industry in Europe. With this knowledge and our network of contacts, we are able to secure access to premium opportunities, often off market. This is exactly what we are now achieving for a Gulf-backed company.'

Swan has over 15 years' experience in the real estate industry, which includes acquisition, development, property asset management, financing, structuring joint ventures and brokerage.  To date, he has directed investments with a total value of approximately USD2.25bn.

Previously, Swan was a director with Arcapita, the Middle Eastern private equity group, where he directed acquisitions across Europe in the logistics, residential and senior living sectors, as well as being responsible for all aspects of asset management.  

Prior to Arcapita, Swan was a director of Tishman Speyer Properties in London, where he held a number of senior positions including directing UK and European acquisitions, leading the development of a major office scheme in the City of London and being responsible for the property asset management of the European portfolio.