Making hay while the sun shines

Our own 90 North was delighted to be a sponsor of IFN Europe Forum in London on the 11th and 12th September. Its timing could not have been better for Islamic real estate, on which as you would imagine we focused our attention.

With the US having had its long Labor Day weekend, UK children all back to school, Continental Europe back up and running after the summer break and Australia never seeming to slow down, the fl ow of real estate investment opportunities is certainly back up and running.

This supply is being matched by healthy demand among Islamic investors, with many delegates at the forum keen to deploy capital before the end of the year. After one of the wettest summers in recent memory in the UK, and with brighter prospects for better weather, the proverb “Making hay while the sun shines” seems appropriate and hopefully captured some of the enthusiasm at the forum.

This is all great news for the Islamic real estate industry, yet again reminding us of the fundamentals of property that frequently make it a go-to destination for Islamic capital despite global uncertainties.

Presumably not by coincidence, TheCityUK which promotes London’s activities, chose the IFN Europe Forum to announce that the results of their own research had confirmed the UK as the leading western center for Islamic finance, adding that: “Given the UK’s position as a world leader in innovation and development within the sector, we’re well placed to capture this opportunity.”

Having questioned in my previous article whether we were seeing any innovation in Islamic real estate, I had the pleasure of hosting a panel at the IFN Europe Forum on the advances of crowdfunding and fintech within Islamic real estate. Again, the passion could be seen among the panelists, with genuine delight that they were based in London and able to tap into the network of innovative professionals looking to make a difference.

As we head rapidly toward the fourth quarter, I am very confident of being able to report on bundles of hay that have been produced by the end of the year. Good luck to all!

Original article in Islamic Finance News.