damienabbott.com

Damien Abbott BSc, FRICS, ARPS has specialised in real estate since 1966. He is a graduate of the University of London. His real estate experience has been gained in over twenty countries spread over five continents. He has worked with such prestigious companies as Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, CB Richard Ellis, Ford Motor Company, Land Securities and INVESTCORP International. He has lived and worked in Abu Dhabi, Brisbane, Brussels, London, Istanbul, New York, Sydney and San Francisco.

Damien Abbott's extensive experience, over more than 40 years, has involved development, investment, appraisal, management and financing of real estate with a total present-day value in excess of US$2.5bn. His work has taken him from new town development to real estate financing, development and investment extending to over 20 countries. This has included such diverse responsibilities as appraisal work in Cairo and Damascus; property management in Antalya; condominium development in California; acquiring or financing office investments and shopping centers in London, Boston, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Brussels and Paris, and industrial development in Dublin, Ireland and Pori, Finland; as well as collateralized-mortgage financing for Saks Fifth Avenue, as well as one of the first Islamic Financings (sukuk al-ijara), secured against an office building in Manhattan.

Damien now spends most of his time writing his latest book, as well as updating the Online version of the Encyclopedia and the International Real Estate Research website.




Professional Experience


Damien Abbott - Author Writer Lecturer International Real Estate


Company Responsibilities Selected Deal
Delta Alpha Publishing Logo

Damien is the author of the Encyclopedia of Real Estate Terms, a director of Delta Alpha Publishing and an Associate of the Royal Photographic Society.

He is currently writing a new book on How, Why and Where We Build Tall Buildings. The book will include over 350 of his photographs, from over 30 countries, and should be published in 2024.



CBRE

In 1994 Damien left INVESTCORP and lived and worked in Turkey for 10 months. At that time he acted as consultant to CB Richard Ellis. He then moved to San Francisco to set up Delta Alpha Publishing and write the Second Edition of the Encyclopedia of Real Estate Terms. From 1998 he returned to London and continued to act as a consultant to CBRE in Istanbul. He provided consultancy advice for valuations and investments in Turkey, Egypt, Syria and Mauritius.

This included work for the governments of the United States, Australia and advice on land tenure in Mauritius.


Rixos Premium Hotel,
Turkey
Investcorp

Investcorp was founded in 1982 to source investments that were to be placed with investors in the six Gulf Co-operation Council countries of the Arabian Gulf. Damien joined Investcorp in 1984 and he worked in its London and New York offices.

During his 10 years at Investcorp he arranged over US$750m of real estate financing and investment.

This included the sale of Investcorp's first investment, ManuLife Plaza, to Nomura. Refinancing and management of the Packard Building in Philadelphia. Development of condominiums at Lombardia and Montaire in San Francisco. Development of a first-class apartment project at Beverly House, Park Road, London.

Development of a prestige office building at Herald Square Building at 1250 H Street, Washington, D.C. and Dominion Point, Reston, Virginia. Sale of the Gucci building, Bond Street, London to Matsushita. The collateralized-mortgage of the Saks Fifth Avenue real estate portfolio and the subsequent syndication of the Swiss Bank Tower above the retail store.

San Francisco Development Damien Abbott
Lombardia,
San Francisco


Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue,
New York

Abu Dhabi Investment Authority

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) was established in 1975 to invest surplus funds from the oil revenues of Abu Dhabi. It is a premier global institutional investor with the mission of securing and maintaining the current and future prosperity of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Its investments include an international real estate portfolio.

Damien was recruited in 1978 to work in Abu Dhabi. He was responsible for the acquisition of real estate investments in the United States and Europe and setting up a portfolio management system to monitor the ADIA's real estate investments post-acquisition. This included monitoring diversification, returns and the reports received from the local managing agents.

He moved to London in 1980 to take responsibility for the management of the Authority's European portfolio.

330 Madison Avenue, NY
330 Madison Avenue,
New York
Ford of Europe

Damien joined Ford of Europe in Warley, England in 1976. He was responsible for the development of new dealership facilities in Europe. This involved finding sites, obtaining zoning approvals and developing facilities in Finland, Sweden and the Republic of Ireland.

In addition, he provided property advice for the development of dealership facilities in the UK, Belgium, France, Denmark, and the Netherlands.


Tallaght Dealership,
Dublin
CB Richard Ellis

Richard Ellis was founded in 1878 in London and has grown to be one of the global leaders in real estate services. Damien joined the Brussels office in 1973. He was responsible for advising international real estate firms on office, retail and industrial development, and investment properties throughout Belgium.

The work ranged from viability analysis, property acquisition and financing, to sales and leasing. Clients included Commercial Union, Heron, Slough Estates, Grosvenor Square Properties, the Property Fund Unit Trust, and Law Land.

39 Av des Arts
39 Avenue des Arts,
Brussels

Land Securities

Land Securities is the largest property company in the UK.

Damien joined its subsidiary Ravenseft Properties in 1971. He was responsible for managing over 300 properties in the City of Birmingham and across the Midlands. The property portfolio included shopping centres, offices and industrial buildings.


Cannon St/New Street,
Birmingham

Redditch Development Corporation

Redditch was officially designated as a New Town in 1964 with the aim of increasing the population from 30,000 to 80,000. Most of the new residents came from Birmingham and other towns of the West Midlands. The New Town was designed so that people could live and work in Redditch with the provision of new factories, shopping facilities and modern housing.

Damien joined the Redditch Development Corporation in 1967 when the plans had been drawn up but no new buildings had been completed. By the time he left in 1971, the Corporation had built over 1,000 houses, 1m sq. ft. of industrial space and completed phase I of the town centre, the 'Kingfisher Centre'.

Kingfisher Shopping Centre
Redditch

© 2022 Damien Abbott