CERT

What CERT does

CERT Property is a privately held UK property development and management company founded in 2003 as Land Search by Howard Lord and headquartered in Manchester. It operates through CERT Property Limited, CERT Investments Limited, and CERT Residential Property Management Limited, with 11-50 employees and a footprint that extends from North West England to Birmingham and London. The disclosed operating scale is more than £103 million in assets under management, more than £250 million in project value, 821,327 square feet under management, approximately 500 residential units, and 500,000 square feet of commercial property.

Its disclosed development and investment portfolio includes SONA, Cross Keys, Wellington Street, Droylsden Marina, One Albert Street, Shena Simon Campus, Insignia, POPworks, Centric, Clippers Quay, Hilton House, and Duke & Parr. The company serves residential and commercial occupiers, institutional investors, family offices, wealth managers, local authorities, and property-development or capital partners. Named relationships include Oliver Cookson, Trafford Council, True North Partnerships, Bruntwood, Salboy, Firesprite, and Feel Good Club, while the company also cites recognition including the North West Property Awards 2024 and Property Week Awards finalist.

The business is described as generating revenue from property development, property management, and asset management, with a go-to-market approach involving direct sales to institutional investors, family offices, wealth managers, and local authorities. CERT Life is identified as a proprietary property-management technology platform, but the supplied information does not specify its architecture, product features, customer access model, or use of artificial intelligence. The business therefore combines development execution and recurring portfolio-management activities, with project timing likely affecting the mix and timing of revenue.

Name

CERT

Legal name

CERT Property Limited

Website

https://certproperty.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CERT Property is a Manchester-based property development and management company serving residential and commercial occupiers, investors, family offices, wealth managers, local authorities, and property partners across the UK with a proprietary property-management platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Property Management and Development

NAICS

Residential Property Managers (531311), Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (5312)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Operators Of Nonresidential Buildings (6512), Real Estate Dealers (For Their Own Account) (6532), Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552)

akta.pro primary industry

Build-to-Rent (BTR) Community Management (BPAJAFAC)

Keywords

• Build-to-rent management
• Residential property management
• Commercial property management
• Property development services
• Asset management

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Property Development: Developing residential, Build-to-Rent (BTR), and commercial properties for sale or retention. Projects include SONA (45 units), Cross Keys (104 units), Wellington Street (116 units), Droylsden Marina (160 units), One Albert Street (124 units), and Shena Simon Campus (hotel). Revenue generated through property sales, development fees, and retained investment properties.
2. Property Management Services: Ongoing property management services for residential, BTR, and commercial properties. Services include block management, lettings, end-to-end buy-to-let service, and tenant management. CERT Life technology platform enhances tenant experience while reducing operational costs.
3. Asset Management: Asset management for institutional investors, wealth managers, family offices, and local authorities. Managing approximately 500 residential units and 500,000 sq ft of commercial space. Portfolio valued at £103m+ with £250m+ in development projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CERT acquires, develops, and manages residential, Build-to-Rent (BTR), and commercial properties across the UK, delivering Build-to-Rent operations, residential and commercial property management, and development management services on behalf of institutional investors, family offices, wealth managers, and local authorities. The offering is enhanced by CERT Life, a proprietary tech-enabled platform for tenant experience and operational efficiency.

Product overview

CERT is a tech-driven property management and development company operating across the UK. The company offers four core service lines: Build-To-Rent (BTR) property management, Residential Property Management, Commercial Property Management, and Development Management. These services are supported by CERT Life, a proprietary tech-enabled platform designed to enhance tenant experience and reduce operational costs. CERT's portfolio spans residential and commercial developments including Build-to-Rent schemes (SONA, Cross Keys), commercial properties (Hilton House, Duke & Parr), and residential developments (Centric, Clippers Quay, Insignia, POPworks, Wellington Street, One Albert Street, Droylsden Marina). The company also has an upcoming hotel development (Shena Simon Campus). CERT manages assets for institutional investors, wealth managers, family offices, and local authorities across the North West of England and nationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CERT Life: Tech platform developed by CERT to enhance tenant experience and reduce operational costs
• The No Bullsh*t Property Podcast

Products and services

• Build-to-Rent End-to-end Build-to-Rent (BTR) service for institutional investors: creates and manages vibrant new residential communities with social value creation, operating schemes upon completion under long-term asset management mandates.
• Residential Property Management Holistic residential property management covering block management, lettings, and an end-to-end buy-to-let service that prioritises compliance and tech-enabled tenant management via the CERT Life platform.
• Commercial Property Management Management of commercial properties with dedicated community coordinators, tenant engagement, transparent reporting, and investment performance maximisation across creative workspace and mixed-use assets.
• Development Management Property development services managing projects from acquisition through construction to completion and operation, including site sourcing, planning, JV structuring, and delivery oversight.
• CERT Life Proprietary tech-enabled platform enhancing tenant experience and reducing operational costs; provides a fully tech-enabled approach to property and community management across CERT's residential and commercial portfolio.
• Hilton House 31,000 sq ft landmark creative workspace in Manchester's Northern Quarter, restored and redesigned by CERT; serves as CERT's head office and houses creative tenants including Softwire, Hawkins Brown, Grayce, Train Urban, and Feel Good Club. Completed 2020.
• Duke & Parr 50,893 sq ft part Grade II listed commercial building in Liverpool's Ropewalks area, leased in entirety to Sony-owned Firesprite on an 11.5 year lease. Won Insider North West Property Awards 2024. Completed 2022.
• SONA 45-unit, 6-storey Build-to-Rent development in Ardwick, Manchester, featuring design-led apartments, extensive amenities, all-inclusive rents (utilities and WiFi), and the CERT Life tech-enabled community. Completion expected 2026.
• Cross Keys 104 apartment and townhouse Build-to-Rent development in New Cross, Manchester; 9-storey scheme with public courtyard and rooftop garden. Expected completion 2027.
• Centric 46-unit residential development in Liverpool's financial district (Moorfields) — 42 one-bedroom and 4 two-bedroom apartments — fully tech-enabled with the CERT Life property management app; operated by CERT on completion.
• Clippers Quay 312-unit development in Salford Quays comprising 171 co-living studio apartments and 141 traditional 1 and 2 bed apartments, including a 30-storey tower with sky spa on the top 2 floors.
• Insignia 90-apartment residential scheme in Trafford (Old Trafford) completed early 2021; currently at 90% occupancy with investor yields up to 6.5% and 10GB fibre optic broadband. 27.75% rental growth recorded.
• POPworks 28-apartment residential development in Ancoats, Manchester completed summer 2019; includes cycle store, car parking, 1GB fibre optic connectivity, and has delivered up to 7% investor yields and 30.39% capital growth.
• Wellington Street 116-property development in Stretford forming Plot 3 of the Stretford Town Centre Masterplan (with Trafford Council and Bruntwood); 16 three-bedroom townhouses and 100 apartments/duplexes around a landscaped communal courtyard.
• One Albert Street 124 design-led apartments and townhouses in Eccles town centre regeneration zone; mix of 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom units with private gardens. Plans submitted.
• Shena Simon Campus 97,000 sq ft historic building in Manchester city centre being transformed into a luxury hotel; acquired in 2025 from The Manchester College, in partnership with Oliver Cookson (MyProtein/Verve founder).
• Droylsden Marina 160 affordable homes development on a waterside site in Droylsden, delivered in partnership with True North Partnerships and aligned with Tameside Council's wider regeneration plans; mix of 1- and 2-bedroom apartments and 3-bedroom family houses.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 6.5% yields achieved for investors at Insignia development
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Oliver CooksoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership with Oliver Cookson (founder of MyProtein and Verve) for the Shena Simon Campus hotel development in Manchester. Cookson is co-investing in the transformation of the 97,000 sq ft historic building into a luxury hotel. Described as a deeply personal investment in his hometown of Manchester.
• Trafford CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partnership with Trafford Council and Bruntwood for the Stretford Town Centre Masterplan. CERT is developing Wellington Street (116 properties) as part of Plot 3 of the masterplan. The vision is to transform Stretford town centre into a vibrant, sustainable place.
• True North PartnershipscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with True North Partnerships for the Droylsden Marina development. The project will deliver 160 affordable homes on a waterside site in Droylsden, working alongside Tameside Council's wider regeneration plans.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Urban Splash: Long-established Manchester-based residential developer and regeneration specialist with placemaking focus. Comparable in North West footprint, placemaking philosophy and BTR/residential development pipeline overlap.
• Salboy: Manchester-based property developer and investor with a portfolio of residential, BTR and mixed-use schemes across the North West. Directly comparable to CERT as both a development partner and investor client; Salboy is named as a CERT institutional customer on Insignia.

Direct peers

• Ask Real Estate: Manchester-based commercial and residential property developer active across the North West. Comparable in scale, geography and mixed-use residential/commercial development focus.
• Peel L&P (Peel Group): Large North West-based regeneration developer and asset manager (MediaCity, Liverpool Waters, TraffordCity). Comparable as a North West property developer and operator with similar placemaking and regeneration focus.
• Quintain: Developer and operator behind Wembley Park, one of the UK's largest BTR-led neighbourhoods. Directly comparable in BTR community management, placemaking, and institutional capital partnership model.
• Get Living: One of the UK's largest Build-to-Rent operators and developers with large-scale residential neighbourhoods (e.g. East Village, Elephant Central). Directly comparable to CERT in BTR community management, placemaking and institutional capital aggregation, though at significantly larger scale.
• Bruntwood: Major Manchester-based commercial property developer, operator and investor with offices, labs and mixed-use schemes across the North West. Comparable as a North West commercial property peer and JV partner on the Stretford Town Centre Masterplan alongside CERT.
• Grainger plc: UK's largest listed residential landlord with a growing PRS/BTR portfolio and in-house operating platform. Direct peer in BTR investment, development and asset management; national scale gives a clear benchmark versus CERT's regional-to-national strategy.
• True North Partnerships: Northern-based residential developer partnering with local authorities on affordable and mixed-tenure housing. Direct peer and JV partner on Droylsden Marina with CERT.

Broad incumbents

• Legal & General Affordable Homes: Institutional investor/operator building BTR and affordable housing in partnership with developers and local authorities. Comparable as a counterparty and competitor for BTR/affordable housing mandates like Droylsden Marina and Wellington Street.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CERTpropertyUK
• Instagraminstagram.com/cert_property
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cert-property-limited
• Xx.com/cert_property

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 CERT