DONARD LIVING LIMITED

What DONARD LIVING LIMITED does

Donard Living Limited is a Northern Ireland-incorporated living developer operating under three trading names: Donard Real Estate (core development), Donard Living (brand), and Donard Ascent (delivery and modular construction services). The company develops and manages Build-to-Rent (BTR), Co-Living, Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA), and hotel/temporary accommodation assets across the UK and Ireland, with a stated pipeline exceeding 1,600 plots and projected Gross Development Value above £500 million. Approximately £275 million of GDV is currently moving through the UK Build Safety Act Gateway 2 regulatory process.

The company's technical differentiation rests on an exclusive UK & Ireland partnership with SIBS (Scandinavian Industrial Business Systems), a volumetric modular construction system that received BOPAS accreditation in September 2023, enabling 60-year mortgageable modular homes and delivery up to 9 months faster than traditional build. Donard Ascent extends this capability beyond own-balance-sheet projects by providing pre-construction and modular delivery services to third-party developers. The technology is third-party-proven rather than proprietary; Donard's edge is exclusive UK/Ireland distribution rights to it.

Revenue is generated through development fees, asset management of BTR portfolios, forward funding partnerships with institutional capital (pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, REITs), and modular construction services. Go-to-market relies on enterprise field sales to institutional investors, supported by appointed advisors (Knight Frank for capital sourcing) and co-developers (Zetland Capital on specific schemes such as the £140m Crown Gardens Woking BTR). Leadership comprises CEO Steven Flannery (20+ years in banking and real estate private equity), Chairman Martin Davison (former MD at Barclays and Lehman Brothers Wealth Management property investment), and Paul Thornton as Head of Commercial and Development. The company was founded in 2022 and operates with a small team (1-10 employees).

Name

DONARD LIVING LIMITED

Legal name

Donard Living Limited

Website

https://donardre.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Donard Living Limited is a UK and Ireland living developer that delivers Build-to-Rent, Co-Living, PBSA, and hotel assets via Donard Real Estate and modular construction services via Donard Ascent, targeting institutional investors through forward funding partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Real Estate Development (Build-to-Rent)

NAICS

New Multifamily Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (236116)

SIC

Real Estate Dealers (For Their Own Account) (6532), General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520), Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential General Contracting (New Build) (IMAFAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Construction & Development (C&D) Lending — Commercial/Multifamily (FSALADAH)

Keywords

• Build-to-rent development
• Modular construction services
• Purpose-built student accommodation
• Co-living developments
• Real estate asset management

Headquarters

HQ city

Portadown

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Development Revenue: Donard develops Build-to-Rent, Co-Living, and PBSA properties and generates revenue through development fees, project management, and the appreciation of developed assets. The company has a portfolio of over 1,600 plots with projected GDV in excess of £500 million.
2. Asset Management: Long-term asset management of BTR properties providing stable, recurring income streams from rental operations across sectors.
3. Modular Construction Services: Donard Ascent provides pre-construction services (development viability, design assessment, value engineering, procurement) and modular delivery to third party developers and landowners, creating a service revenue stream.
4. Forward Funding Partnerships: Institutional investors provide forward funding for developments. Donard secures planning, navigates Gateway process, then brings in capital partners for completion.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Donard Living Limited is a UK and Ireland real estate developer of Build-to-Rent, Co-Living, PBSA, and hotel/living-sector assets, holding a portfolio of over 1,600 plots with projected GDV above £500 million. Through its Donard Ascent arm and exclusive partnership with SIBS, it delivers projects using volumetric modular construction that compresses build programmes by approximately 9 months, with sustainability credentials including EPC A ratings and Home Quality Mark 4+. The company sources institutional forward funding for each scheme and provides long-term asset management of the completed rental stock.

Product overview

Donard Living Limited operates as a living developer through two main brands: Donard Real Estate (core product) is a leading UK and Ireland developer providing high-quality sustainable homes across Build-to-Rent, Co-Living, PBSA, and related living sectors with a portfolio exceeding 1,600 units and £500m GDV; and Donard Ascent (delivery arm) focused on modern methods of construction and modular homes, serving as the sole UK/Ireland partner for SIBS modular systems. The company utilizes both traditional and modular construction methods to deliver residential developments including Build-to-Rent apartments, co-living spaces, and student accommodation across multiple UK locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Donard Real Estate (Build-to-Rent, Co-Living, PBSA, Hotel Developments) Full-cycle residential real estate development covering Build-to-Rent, Co-Living, Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA), and hotel/living-sector assets for institutional investors and capital partners in the UK and Ireland.
• Donard Ascent (Modular Construction and Pre-Construction Services) Pre-construction consultancy (development viability, design assessment, value engineering, procurement, development management) plus SIBS-backed volumetric modular construction delivery for third-party developers, landowners, and housebuilders in the UK and Ireland.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9 months faster delivery than traditional build
• +5 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• SIBS (Scandinavian Industrial Business Systems)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerDonard is the sole partner of SIBS in the UK and Ireland for modular homes. SIBS provides advanced volumetric modular technology for manufacturing apartments. This exclusive partnership enables Donard to deliver projects 9 months faster than traditional construction and up to 2,000 homes per year. The SIBS system received BOPAS accreditation in September 2023, enabling mortgageable modular properties.
• Knight FrankmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKnight Frank appointed to find forward funding partner for the £140m Woking BTR development. Represents Donard in capital markets engagement for Crown Gardens scheme.
• HG ConstructionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProfessional advisor on Bristol BTR project (Gateway 2 submission), providing construction expertise.
• Currie & BrownminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProfessional advisor on Bristol BTR project, providing cost management and consultancy services.
• TODD Architects Ltd.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitectural design partner on Bristol BTR project.
• Hoare LeaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMEP engineering and sustainability consultancy on Bristol BTR project.
• Mason Navarro Pledge LtdminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerStructural engineering partner on Bristol BTR project.
• SavillsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerReal estate advisory on Bristol BTR project.
• Kent Construction ConsultantsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction consultancy on Bristol BTR project.
• Pod ArchitectsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDesigned the Crown Gardens Woking scheme, creating new plans for the 26-storey development after previous application for 39 storeys was refused.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Direct peers

• Telford Homes: London-focused residential and Build-to-Rent developer acquired by CBRE Global Investors. Comparable to Donard as a UK BTR specialist focused on urban rental housing for institutional investors, with overlapping customer base and project types.
• Greystar: World's largest Build-to-Rent operator and developer with significant UK operations. Directly comparable to Donard as a specialist BTR developer targeting institutional capital with professionally managed rental stock across major UK cities.
• Get Living: UK Build-to-Rent operator and developer (East Village Stratford, Elephant Central). Directly comparable to Donard as a UK BTR specialist focused on professionally managed, institutionally-funded rental housing in major urban markets.
• Urban Splash: UK residential developer known for modular and modern methods of construction, including factory-built housing. Directly comparable to Donard through its pioneering use of MMC and modular construction for residential developments in the UK.
• Mount Anvil: London-focused Build-to-Rent and residential developer with strong institutional capital partnerships. Comparable to Donard as a UK BTR specialist pursuing forward funding from pension funds and institutional investors for large-scale rental schemes.
• Quintain: UK Build-to-Rent developer behind Wembley Park, one of the largest BTR schemes in the UK. Directly comparable to Donard as a specialist BTR developer pursuing institutional forward funding partnerships for large-scale purpose-built rental.

Broad incumbents

• Patrizia: European real estate investment manager with significant UK Build-to-Rent investment activity. Comparable to Donard as an institutional capital partner for UK BTR developments, though operating as a fund manager rather than developer.
• Lendlease: Global real estate developer with significant UK Build-to-Rent operations. Comparable to Donard as a large-scale developer of purpose-built rental and residential developments, though operating as part of a global construction and development conglomerate.
• Legal & General Capital (L&G BTR): Major UK institutional investor and developer in Build-to-Rent through L&G Capital. Comparable as an institutional-grade BTR owner/operator in the UK, though operating as part of a much larger financial services conglomerate rather than a focused developer.

Emerging players

• Ilke Homes: UK modular housing manufacturer and developer with factory-built homes for housing associations and developers. Comparable to Donard through its focus on modular construction, though at smaller scale and primarily serving affordable housing rather than institutional BTR.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/donard-living-limited

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 DONARD LIVING LIMITED