ASK Partners (ASK) has announced the promotion of Joe Freedman to Head of Origination, following the departure of Elliot Blatt, who is leaving to launch his own venture.

The move comes as ASK positions itself for continued growth in 2025, off the back of a strong start to the year and rising demand from private client investors.

Blatt played a key role in the firm’s development over his eight-year tenure, helping to drive ASK’s expansion and reputation in the specialist lending market.

Freedman, who joined ASK in June 2021, has also been a central figure in the business, playing a leading role in the origination, analysis, and execution of a diverse range of real estate transactions.

Since the end of 2024, ASK has closed approximately £200 million in deals, with Freedman directly leading over £100 million of those.

Notable transactions include a development exit loan for a multi-let office building, an office-to-residential conversion, and a pre-development bridge facility to support a residential-led scheme.

Freedman brings deep sector knowledge and a multidisciplinary background. Prior to joining ASK, he spent four years at Lambert Smith Hampton, working across property finance, corporate finance, investment, and asset management. He holds a BSc in Industrial Economics from the University of Nottingham and an MSc in Real Estate from the University College of Estate Management.

PRIMED FOR GROWTH

Daniel Austin, CEO and co-founder of ASK Partners, said: “Joe has been a key part of our origination team in recent years; his promotion is part of our strategy to position ourselves for growth.

“There is increasing appetite for real estate from private capital and we are starting to see an uptick in real estate transaction volumes in the UK with interesting new opportunities in data centres and self-storage bolstered by strong fundamentals in the living sector and an office market recovery.”

But he added: “Overall the market still remains tricky to read with the complex nature of global politics, but Joe has proven experience and success in challenging market conditions and complex transactions; his broad expertise will be invaluable as we continue to grow and strengthen ASK as a leading real estate lender in the UK. We would also like to thank Elliot for his contribution over the years and wish him every success as he embarks on his new venture.”

Freedman said: “I’m thrilled to be leading the origination team at such a pivotal time, as we continue to identify high-quality real estate lending opportunities across diverse UK sectors which provide attractive investment opportunities for our private clients.

“We have built a reputation as a trusted partner and together with my team I will be continuing to work closely with clients to create bespoke and flexible financing strategies in line with achieving their business goals.”