Kennedy Wilson Europe Real Estate (KWE) has bought 180 UK property assets from multiple receivers on behalf of Aviva Commercial Real Estate Finance.
The company, which raised £750m when it was listed on the London Stock Exchange earlier this year, acquired the mixed-use portfolio for £503m (641m).
Aviva is providing a new senior debt facility for £352m, at 70% loan-to-value.
The purchase of the 3.5m sqft portfolio will increase KWE’s investments in the UK and Ireland to just under $2bn.
The portfolio is 98% occupied and generates a net rental income of £36.1m.
More than half (54%) of the assets are in London and the South East, 41% in the rest of England, and 5% in Scotland and Wales.
Mary Ricks, president and CEO of KWE, said: “This significant portfolio acquisition allows us to access a high quality, mixed-use portfolio with strong tenant covenants generating robust income streams at a material discount to the original loan amounts.
“The portfolio benefits from a number of institutional quality investments with good individual asset liquidity across the remaining portfolio.
“There are significant asset management angles, including growing income through lease re-gears, renewals, rent reviews and the leasing up of vacant space.�
Ewan Tocher, managing director at Aviva UK Life Commercial Mortgage Restructuring, said the sale was “central to concluding our property restructuring strategy for 2014�.


