Access judiciously designed direct real estate investment solutions built upon a robust investment process to diversify your real estate portfolio.

European real estate for Canadian investors

Significant opportunities

The eurozone has a large diversified market with exposure to just one currency. We offer institutional investors direct access to high-quality real estate in the largest and most liquid markets across Europe.
Income-driven returns

On average, almost three-quarters of European real estate performance is delivered through income growth. Fidelity’s Real Estate team has embedded the full value chain in-house, with our own real estate experts across acquisition, asset management, risk, research, operations, finance and investor relationship management.
Diversification benefits and less volatility

Core European markets are less volatile and cyclical than other regions. The correlation of returns between Canada and the eurozone is low, bringing diversification benefits for Canadian investors.
Why Fidelity for real estate?

Our Real Estate team offers a proven track record and a distinct, hands-on investment approach. 

Located in key markets across Europe, our senior management team has first-hand knowledge of working through several property cycles, across the full range of lot sizes.

Insights

European real estate: A new cycle in focus
Manage-to-green: Sustainable opportunities in European logistics

Meet the team

Our team has over 25 years’ average experience in European real estate investment and combines vast experience with strong expertise in managing European commercial real estate portfolios. Using a hands-on approach to asset management, we aim to generate a consistent income stream coupled with sustainable growth for our clients over the long term.

Alison Puhar
Head of European Real Estate
Alison Puhar is the lead portfolio manager for Fidelity U.K. Real Estate Fund and the Head of European Real Estate Portfolio Management, Fidelity International. Ms. Puhar is responsible for U.K. portfolio strategy and performance, overseeing purchases, asset management and sales. She is also responsible for ensuring consistency in investment processes and best practices across Europe, while taking into account local practices.

Ms. Puhar is a member of Fidelity Real Estate’s Leadership Team, the Real Estate Investment Committee and the Private Assets Governance and Oversight Committee for Real Estate.

Ms. Puhar has transacted over £1.5 billion of real estate investments across all major commercial property sectors through several market cycles and has experience of specialist residential sectors. She has extensive portfolio management experience covering investment strategy, hands-on asset management, refurbishment and development, with an excellent U.K. track record of outperformance.

Ms. Puhar is a Surveyor, Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and an FCA approved person. She holds an MA from Cambridge University and an MBA from The Open University.
Adrian Benedict
Head of Real Estate Solutions
Adrian Benedict is Head of Real Estate Solutions at Fidelity International. In this role, he leads the Investment Directing team responsible for advising and serving clients for Fidelity International’s real estate offerings. Previously, Mr. Benedict was Investment Director for U.K. and European real estate, responsible for capital markets, fund structuring and new offerings.

Mr. Benedict joined Fidelity International in 2008 and has over 20 years’ experience in real estate finance, with extensive experience of advising on and structuring real estate solutions, having previously worked at Invista Real Estate, KPMG and UBS Investment Bank.
Kim Politzer
Director of Research, European Real Estate
Kim Politzer is Director of Research for European real estate at Fidelity International. In this role, she is responsible for establishing the research, strategy and risk management processes for the Fidelity International European real estate funds.

Ms. Politzer joined Fidelity International in 2018 and has over 28 years of experience in European real estate markets. She has carried out extensive research supporting a wide range of investment styles and strategies in both commercial and alternative real estate sectors, having worked previously at Invesco and Atis Real.
Aymeric de Sérésin
Director, European Real Estate
Aymeric de Sérésin is Director of European Real Estate at Fidelity International. In this role, he is responsible for Fidelity International's fund strategy and performance, overseeing purchases, asset management and sales in France and Benelux.

Mr. de Sérésin joined Fidelity in 2008 and has 22 years' experience in the European real estate industry. Prior to joining Fidelity, he was a Director within the European capital markets team at JLL, executing and advising on investment transactions, with a focus on the French and Spanish real estate markets.
Lucy Swinton
Investment Director
Lucy Swinton is an Investment Director with Fidelity International’s Real Estate team. She is responsible for commercializing Fidelity’s European real estate capabilities and the developing new solutions to meet clients’ evolving investment requirements.

Lucy joined Fidelity International in 2019 and has over ten years of industry experience. She previously worked as a relationship manager covering U.K. pension schemes at BlackRock. Before that, she held positions at Julius Baer and UBS Wealth Management as an investment fund specialist.

Swinton holds a BSc in economics from the University of Bath and is a CFA charterholder.