UK, 11 SEPTEMBER 2025 – Alternative Real Estate Advisors (AREA), the UK’s specialist advisor in the Living and Alternatives sectors, has accelerated its growth with the acquisition of Fjeld Consulting, the market leading operational real estate procurement consultancy.
The acquisition marks another major milestone and adds strength to AREA’s
operational advisory capabilities and embeds central procurement and asset
mobilisation oversight services for both investors and owner operators into the
business.
AREA was set up in 2021 to focus on alternative residential assets, offering
investment, development and operational advisory services in the residential living
sector. The firm’s forensic insight and deep sector knowledge have given
institutions, asset managers and developers a competitive advantage across the full
lifecycle of their operational assets.
Fjeld Consulting adds unrivalled procurement and mobilisation expertise to AREA’s
platform. The acquisition adds another four highly regarded professionals into the
business including Grace Morgan as Director, who has previously held senior roles
at companies such as CompassRock, Greystar and iQ Student Accommodation.
Grace will oversee the Strategic Procurement and Asset Mobilisation Services Line
with AREA. Also joining are senior consultants Noah Gonzales, Nadeem Ahmed
and analyst Waleed Sabawi.
Fjeld’s founder Dustin Fjeld will take up a non-exec Director and Consultancy role at
AREA, as the team works on delivering a seamless integration to new and existing
clients and suppliers.
Fjeld is the market leader in rental living procurement and cost analysis and, like
AREA, focuses on delivering operational services with forensic detail which creates
value and minimises costs for asset managers. The new team’s work with owner
operators also opens up opportunities for AREA to work with new clients, whilst
being able to offer more services to existing clients that include institutions,
developers and lenders. Fjeld will now be known as AREA.
Matthew Neal, Director of AREA says: “Procurement of key contract services is an
integral part of any operational strategy for owner operators and investors alike, and
by having this service line within AREA, it enables us to seamlessly offer consultancy
throughout acquisitions and into operations and ultimately disposal, with the potential
for huge cost savings throughout the process.
Richard Servidei adds: “This acquisition is another step in our expansion programme
which positions us as a unique lifecycle advisor to the living sector. With Fjeld on
board, we’re raising the bar in how operational real estate is advised, procured and
optimised.”
Organically, AREA have also continued to expand its existing Operational
Consultancy and Investment Brokerage service lines with three appointments to the
investment and transactional side of the business led by Founder and Director
Richard Servidei. Matt Pickering joined as Associate Director from Cushman and
Wakefield specialising in the forward funding of Build-to-Rent (BTR) and co-living
assets, alongside the acquisition and disposal of operational residential investment
assets. Karolina Mickiewicz joined as surveyor and George Inman as Investment
Analyst.
Dustin Fjeld added: “AREA is one of the only advisors to be able to offer streamlined
transactional and operational consulting to the rental living sector, with a reputation
for forensic analysis and deep sector insight. By combining Fjeld’s market leading
procurement expertise with AREA’s end to end advisory platform, we are now able to
offer a combined seamless service across the entire asset lifecycle, identify
opportunities, structuring deals, driving development visions forwards, creating
value, solving challenges and delivering measurable cost efficiencies. In addition, for
both parts of the business, we have a broader reach of clients to support – in all,
AREA was the perfect fit for our team to join.”
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For further information, please contact:
Laura Gibson, Calvermont, laura@calvermont.com or +44 (0) 7493 7222294
About AREA
AREA is a leading independent firm of commercial real estate advisors specialising in the
Alternative property sectors.
AREA provides forensic level insight and advice supporting the transaction and operation of
Alternative Real Estate that gives clients significant competitive advantage.
Formed in 2021, AREA is a unique Alternatives Advisory business, supporting the activities of
institutions, asset managers, developers, owners and occupiers predominantly in the BTR,
Hotel, Roadside & Student Accommodation sectors.
The business is led by Richard Servidei, formerly Investment Director at JLL, and Matthew
Neal, formerly Head of Build to Rent at Get Living and Investment Manager at IQ Student
Accommodation. The leadership brings together deep knowledge of both the investment
and operating sides of long income real estate, supported by a broad team of talented
analysts and agents.
For further information, please contact:
Laura Gibson, Calvermont, laura@calvermont.com or +44 (0) 7493 7222294
About AREA
AREA is a leading independent firm of commercial real estate advisors specialising in the
Alternative property sectors.
AREA provides forensic level insight and advice supporting the transaction and operation of
Alternative Real Estate that gives clients significant competitive advantage.
Formed in 2021, AREA is a unique Alternatives Advisory business, supporting the activities of
institutions, asset managers, developers, owners and occupiers predominantly in the BTR,
Hotel, Roadside & Student Accommodation sectors.
The business is led by Richard Servidei, formerly Investment Director at JLL, and Matthew
Neal, formerly Head of Build to Rent at Get Living and Investment Manager at IQ Student
Accommodation. The leadership brings together deep knowledge of both the investment
and operating sides of long income real estate, supported by a broad team of talented
analysts and agents.
