Shaftesbury Capital

What Shaftesbury Capital does

Shaftesbury Capital PLC is a UK-domiciled Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) listed on the London Stock Exchange that owns and manages a 2.8 million square foot portfolio of mixed-use real estate concentrated in London's West End. The portfolio spans three branded destinations: Covent Garden, Carnaby and Soho, and Chinatown, comprising retail, food and beverage, hospitality, leisure, office, and residential spaces. The company was formed in 2021 through the merger of Shaftesbury PLC and Capital & Counties Properties PLC and operates with 51-100 employees, employing a lean management structure that outsources property management to third parties (currently Workman, having replaced CBRE in April 2026).

The company generates revenue primarily through leasing commercial and retail spaces to tenants at market-based rents, with rental rates in 2025 achieved at 10.3% above estimated rental values and 18% above previous passing rents. Its go-to-market is B2B direct leasing supplemented by commercial property agents, targeting enterprise retail, hospitality, and office tenants seeking prime central London addresses. Pricing is quote-based and negotiated individually rather than on a published schedule. In 2025, the company completed 434 leasing transactions generating £39m in contracted rent, and in the first four months of 2026 signed 151 new leases and renewals generating £13.7m. As a UK REIT, the company distributes at least 90% of taxable income to shareholders, having proposed a 2.1p per share final dividend for 2025.

The business model is capital-intensive: the company deployed £113.3m in capital expenditure and acquisitions during 2025 and maintains £0.7bn in undrawn facilities. Portfolio valuations increased 6.6% in 2025 and occupancy stood at 97.4-97.5%, indicating near-full utilization of the irreplaceable asset base. The company is classified as having active operations with an operating status as a going concern, having recently repaid a £275m exchangeable bond on maturity in March 2026.

Name

Shaftesbury Capital

Legal name

Shaftesbury Capital PLC

Website

https://shaftesbury.co.uk

Company type

Public

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Shaftesbury Capital PLC is a UK-listed REIT that owns and leases a 2.8 million square foot mixed-use property portfolio across Covent Garden, Carnaby Street, Soho, and Chinatown in London's West End, serving retail, hospitality, office, and residential tenants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) – Commercial Real Estate

NAICS

Lessors of Real Estate (5311)

SIC

Real Estate Investment Trusts (6798)

akta.pro primary industry

REITs & Listed Real Estate Securities (FSAAAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Real Estate Portfolio & Fund Management (Institutional/REIT/PE) (BPAJAMAJ)

Keywords

• Real estate investment trust
• Commercial property leasing
• London West End real estate
• Mixed-use portfolio
• Retail property management

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Commercial and Retail Property Leasing: Shaftesbury Capital generates primary revenue through leasing commercial and retail spaces across its West End portfolio. In 2026, the company signed 151 new leases and renewals generating £13.7m in new contracted rent. Leasing transactions are priced 5% ahead of market rates and 18% above previous passing rents, demonstrating strong pricing power.
2. Capital Appreciation: As a REIT holding prime West End real estate, the company generates returns through capital appreciation of its portfolio. In 2025, portfolio valuations increased by 6.6%, with rents achieving 10.3% above estimated rental values.
3. Dividend Distribution: As a UK REIT, Shaftesbury Capital distributes rental income to shareholders. The company proposed a final dividend of 2.1p per share for 2025.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Shaftesbury Capital PLC is a UK-listed Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) that owns and leases a 2.8 million square foot portfolio of prime mixed-use real estate across Covent Garden, Carnaby and Soho, and Chinatown in London's West End. The company generates recurring rental income by leasing retail, food and beverage, leisure, office, and residential spaces to enterprise tenants, while distributing the majority of taxable income to shareholders as dividends.

Product overview

Shaftesbury Capital PLC is a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) operating a unified commercial real estate platform across London's West End. The company's core portfolio consists of three distinct branded property groupings: Covent Garden, Carnaby and Soho, and Chinatown, collectively spanning 2.8 million square feet of lettable space. These properties comprise retail, food and beverage, and leisure destinations catering to visitors, workers, and residents in central London's most vibrant districts. The REIT model focuses on generating rental income through leasing to tenants across its prime West End locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Covent Garden: Covent Garden portfolio area - one of London's most vibrant districts featuring retail, food, beverage, and leisure offerings.
• Carnaby and Soho
• Chinatown

Products and services

• Covent Garden Portfolio Prime retail and mixed-use real estate assets in Covent Garden, one of London's most visited tourist destinations featuring heritage buildings and premium retail, food and beverage, and leisure spaces leased to enterprise retail and hospitality tenants.
• Carnaby and Soho Portfolio Diverse real estate holdings spanning Carnaby Street and Soho, encompassing retail, food and beverage, and creative workspace properties in central London's most vibrant districts, leased to retail, hospitality and office tenants.
• Chinatown Portfolio Specialized real estate portfolio in London's Chinatown district, supporting the unique cultural and culinary character of this historic neighborhood with restaurants, shops, and cultural venues leased to F&B and cultural tenants.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97.4-97.5% occupancy rate with only 2.5% of estimated rental value available to let
• +4 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WorkmancoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 21 April 2026Shaftesbury Capital replaced CBRE with Workman as its new property manager in April 2026. The company stated it is working closely with both parties to ensure a smooth and coordinated handover during the transition. This is a significant property management relationship for the company's 2.8 million square foot West End portfolio.
• Shaftesbury Capital PLC (Internal/Shareholders)minorOthers · 12 March 2026The company announced publication of its 2025 annual report and scheduled its 2026 annual general meeting for May 14, 2026. The company also disclosed plans for a scrip dividend scheme renewal and other shareholder-related notices.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Helical plc: London-focused real estate company (LSE: HLCL) specializing in office and mixed-use developments in central London. Comparable as a smaller London-centric property investor with similar tenant type and asset class mix.
• British Land: Large UK REIT (LSE: BLND) with London campus and retail assets including Broadgate and Paddington Central. Comparable as a UK REIT with mixed-use London exposure and similar capital-allocation and leasing dynamics.
• Land Securities Group: Major UK REIT (LSE: LAND) with a significant London office and retail portfolio. Comparable as a publicly listed UK REIT with mixed-use central London exposure, similar institutional investor base, and UK REIT distribution profile.
• Hammerson: UK and Ireland retail REIT (LSE: HMSO) operating prime retail destinations. Comparable as a UK REIT with destination-retail focus and similar leasing economics, though more concentrated in shopping centers versus street retail.
• NewRiver REIT: UK REIT (LSE: NRR) focused on retail and leisure assets across the UK. Comparable as a publicly listed UK REIT with discretionary retail and F&B tenant mix, though more UK-wide rather than London-focused.
• Derwent London: Central London office REIT (LSE: DLN) focused on design-led creative office space in West End and Midtown. Comparable as a London-only REIT competing for the same institutional and creative tenants in overlapping submarkets.
• Great Portland Estates: London-focused REIT (LSE: GPE) specializing in prime central London office and mixed-use real estate. Most directly comparable as a London-centric REIT competing for the same tenant pool and asset class in overlapping West End / Midtown submarkets.

Broad incumbents

• Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield: Major global retail and destination REIT (AMS/Euronext: URW) operating flagship destinations including Westfield centers. Comparable as a larger peer in destination-led retail real estate with similar tenant curation and footfall-driven economics.
• Link REIT: Asia's largest REIT (HKEX: 0823) investing in retail, office, and logistics across Hong Kong, mainland China, and Australia. Comparable as a large Asia-Pacific REIT peer with mixed-use retail destinations and similar UK-style REIT income distribution.

Regional players

• CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust: Singapore-listed REIT (SGX: C38U) with diversified Singapore office and retail assets. Comparable as a publicly listed REIT with mixed-use commercial real estate, though serving a different geographic market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shaftesbury-plc
• Instagraminstagram.com/coventgardenldn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shaftesbury Capital