As the dust settles on an energising and thought-provoking few days at UKREiiF 2025, Sutcliffe reflects on the conversations, challenges, and opportunities that emerged from this year’s event, and what they mean for the future of our housing sector.
With over 16,000 attendees, including investors, developers, local authority leaders, housing associations, and senior political figures, UKREiiF was more than a showcase of innovation in the built environment, it was a strategic forum for honest dialogue and collaborative thinking. Crucially, it brought together key voices from across public and private sectors to ask necessary questions.
A forum for real change
What stood out this year was the seriousness of intent. Discussions were not just about vision, they were about delivery. Whether on main stages, in roundtables, or during informal conversations, one clear message emerged: we can no longer afford to let ambition run ahead of reality.
Housing remains one of the UK’s most pressing social and economic issues. And while the oft-quoted target of 1.5 million new homes may appear ambitious, it is increasingly apparent that it doesn’t reflect the current capacity of our system. From supply chain fragility to workforce shortages, and market absorption limitations, the barriers are real and growing.
Instead, a more grounded target of 1.25 million homes would better reflect what’s truly achievable, allowing for a renewed focus on quality over quantity: the right homes, in the right places, supported by the right infrastructure.
To achieve these targets, our government needs to inject confidence into the affordable homes programme to encourage residential social landlords to invest by confirming their medium-term budgets in the forthcoming spending reviews. Secondly, the country needs a program for first-time buyers, for all, to kickstart sales in the private housing sector. The housing sector is ready like a coiled spring and is waiting to bounce into action.
The workforce challenge
To even reach that revised target, the sector would need a 50% increase in employment, a monumental ask, particularly in a market that remains flat and uncertain. The demand for skilled professionals in planning, engineering, construction, and design is already outpacing supply. Without urgent investment in training, upskilling, and career pathways, we risk falling further behind.
The peaks and troughs in demand within the construction industry does not help companies plan for the future.
This is not simply a challenge for the housing sector, it’s a national priority. If we’re serious about solving the housing crisis, we must be equally serious about building the workforce to deliver it.
Bridging the policy gap
One of the most powerful aspects of UKREiiF is its ability to bring together policy-makers and investors in one space. It creates the conditions for alignment, and accountability. With senior government representatives and local authorities in the room, the conversations moved well beyond surface-level talking points. They became moments of strategic lobbying, honest critique, and collaborative problem-solving.
We left with a sense that the will is there, but so too is the need for stronger frameworks, bolder interventions, and a more transparent acknowledgment of the challenges we all face.
The scale of the housing crisis requires ambition, but also humility, realism and a long-term plan. We were proud to share our insights at UKREiiF, listen to others, and contribute to a sector-wide call for practical, deliverable reform.
State of the market
To achieve these targets our government needs to inject confidence into the affordable homes programme to encourage residential social landlords to invest by confirming their medium term budgets in the forthcoming spending reviews. Secondly, the country needs a program for first time buyers, for all, to kickstart sales in the private housing sector. The housing sector is ready like a coiled spring and is waiting to bounce into action.
A better future for British housing is possible. But it requires more than targets, it demands vision, investment, and collaboration between those who shape policy and those who deliver it.
