VTS doubles down on Rise push into UK

The leasing management software that claims to be used in one in three London offices is bringing in Seb Abigail from flex operator Convene to drive VTS’s Rise tenant engagement platform.

Abigail joins as principal, rejoining VTS having spent four years at the company until 2019. He will lead the European roll-out of VTS Rise, which competes in the crowded tenant engagement app market. Rise is designed to enable landlords to curate the best possible environment for work with data-driven insights on how tenants are utilising space and amenities.

VTS Rise formally launched to market last month following the VTS acquisition of Rise Buildings and as part of the VTS family the first 100 days post-merger has seen the technology quickly be adopted across 300 million sq ft of commercial real estate in 161 cities.

Charlie Wade, EMEA managing director of VTS, said:“We’ve experienced fantastic momentum in the UK and are excited to expand our team to keep up the rapid pace. It’s great to see VTS alumni Sebastian Abigail return to the team to drive the further expansion of VTS Rise, which has launched to market at a critical time as landlords look to enhance the workplace experience, welcome tenants back to the office, and understand how people are utilising space post Covid-19.”

VTS has also appointed Kuldeep Gadhary from BNP Paribas Real Estate as senior research analyst to expand its data offer and deliver forward-looking market analysis for clients. Other newbies to VTS in the past year include Judy Elvey as EMEA marketing lead; Elizabeth Atkins as data analyst; Daisy Frances Munro as UK client advisor; and Serenella Bardeggia as lead UX researcher.

VTS said it has experienced rapid growth and momentum since the beginning of 2020 expanding its global headcount by more than 30% and its 750+ client roster to include international players like Tishman, Oxford, Starwood, Brookfield, CBRE GI, Blackstone, Barings, Goldman Sachs and GLP. Since the company’s inception, leases with a cumulative value of over $85bn have been executed on the platform across 44 countries. Customers in the UK include Landsec, Crown Estate, British Land, Oxford Properties, CBRE GI, GLP, Blackstone, Brookfield, CBRE, Colliers, BNP Paribas, Knight Frank and Cushman & Wakefield.

VTS has also expanded its office space at 58-59 Great Marlborough Street in London. Its landlord LM Stern was the first UK landlord to sign up to the full VTS platform including VTS Rise and VTS Market in the UK.

VTS manages over 12bn sq ft of commercial real estate assets on the platform encompassing office, retail, and industrial properties. A third of office space in Central London offices is managed on the VTS platform.