What not to miss at UKREiiF 2026

Did you think your conference attendance was done for the year after MIPIM? Oh sweet summer child, don’t you know there’s much work still to do?  

Fresh on the heels of our March jaunt to Cannes and the French Riviera, UKREiiF comes to Leeds for the UK’s biggest real estate conference of the year. In this short blog from event maestro and UKREiiF delegate, Katie Beckham, we give you the rundown on the must-see events on the agenda at this year’s conference.

Manchester’s £1bn good growth play

If you’re interested in how we actually get schemes moving in the current climate, this one’s worth your time. Greater Manchester’s Good Growth Fund has been one of the more talked-about interventions in recent years. It was the phrase on everyone’s lips at the Manchester delegation at MIPIM, and for good reason. The campaign is tackling viability head-on by using patient capital in a way that most traditional funding routes simply don’t.

This session will look at how the revolving fund model can unlock sites that would otherwise sit stalled, and how that approach could be replicated elsewhere. Expect to get deep into the weeds on delivery without wallowing in the word of “will they? won’t they?” ambition.

What’s next for Homes England?

National housing policy creates a lot of conversation. We live in a world where housebuilding targets are consistently missed year after year, and all the while, fewer and fewer people can afford to buy homes. If this is a topic close to your heart, this event is one of the better opportunities to hear directly from the people shaping it.

With a new chapter for Homes England in the offing, this session should give a clearer sense of direction on how the agency plans to support delivery, unlock sites and respond to ongoing challenges across the housing market.

There’s also a drinks reception to boot. A few tipples and networking opportunities with some big names. What’s not to like?

The partnerships shaping housing across the north

Partnerships are always top of the conversation when it comes to housing and this event sees them put front and centre.

With organisations collectively managing hundreds of thousands of homes and planning tens of thousands more, this session brings together the people driving some of the most significant housing programmes in the North. You can expect a  focus on collaboration, how different sectors are working together, and where the real opportunities sit.

If you’re looking to understand who’s doing what, and where you might fit into that ecosystem, this is a useful room to be in.

Why joy might be the missing ingredient in our cities

A slightly different angle a mile away from cold numbers and dispassionate pragmatism.

This session tackles something the industry doesn’t always articulate well: how places actually feel. With a strong line-up of city leaders, designers and cultural voices, the conversation will look at how we move away from safe, forgettable development and towards places with character and identity.

There’s a serious point to be made here about long-term value, civic pride and the role that better, more thoughtful design plays in making places work.

Cambridge meets Manchester: a partnership worth watching

When done well, city-to-city collaboration can create genuine impact and value.

Bringing together two of the UK’s strongest innovation economies, the Manchester/Cambridge partnership is focused on good growth and how it can benefit both of these very different cities. For anyone interested in innovation districts, knowledge economies or the future of UK growth beyond London, this is one to keep an eye on.

Plus, it’s another drinks reception. Never a bad thing!

SME housebuilders: pressure, potential and what comes next

SME developers are under more pressure than most right now, caught between rising costs, regulatory change and ongoing viability challenges.

But what does that actually mean on the ground? This session gets into it. From the impact of the Building Safety Act to the realities of funding and delivery, it’s a chance to hear from both finance and development perspectives.

As well as the challenges, there’s a focus on where the opportunities still are, and how SME housebuilders can navigate the current market rather than sit on the sidelines.

So, what’s worth your time?

Like any big conference, UKREiiF is always a bit of a whirlwind. There’s a temptation to bounce between sessions, chase the biggest names, and come away feeling like you’ve been everywhere but not actually taken much in.

As we always say, planning where you’re going to be is one of the most powerful things you can do to avoid this.

Hopefully, our breakdown of the big events above will help you create the first outlines of that list. They cover the big themes shaping the industry right now: viability, funding, partnerships, design quality and the future direction of housing delivery.

That being said, don’t let this list be exhaustive. There are lots of events, official and fringe, to get your teeth into. For example, our friends at Layer and Studio Hoodless are running one of their famed Circ_It events at Piglove on the 19 May 1-3pm. Find out more on their website.

The bottom line

UKREiiF is a land of opportunity when done well, but having a plan is important if you’re going to get the most out of it. If you’re planning on going but you’re still a bit unsure about how to capitalise on it, the time is now to start building a plan of action.