M&G appoints Duncan Batty as head of real estate finance

M&G has appointed Duncan Batty as head of real estate finance, effective 2 November 2026. He will report to Martin Towns, global head of M&G real estate.

Duncan Batty

Batty returns to M&G after previously spending 12 years with the firm, latterly as co‑head of real estate finance, where he played a central role in building and scaling the platform. He most recently served as head of commercial real estate lending at Revolut, where he established and developed the company’s commercial real estate lending business. Earlier in his career, he worked as a real estate finance lawyer advising lenders and borrowers across UK and European transactions.

Since launching its real estate finance business in 2009, M&G has deployed more than £14 billion across Europe on behalf of over 100 institutional investors. As one of the pioneering institutional non‑bank lenders in European real estate debt, the firm helped establish an alternative source of financing at a time when traditional bank lending was retrenching following the global financial crisis. Over the past 16 years, the business has provided financing across a broad range of sectors and market cycles, supporting stabilised, transitional and development opportunities while offering clients access to attractive risk‑adjusted returns.

Martin Towns said Batty’s combination of real estate credit expertise, client relationships and external experience makes him “exceptionally well placed” to lead the business. “Having been instrumental in its development, he brings both continuity and fresh perspective as the team looks to capture the significant opportunities ahead.”

Commenting on his appointment, Batty said he was pleased to return to M&G at a pivotal moment in the market cycle. He noted that as banks retrench from parts of the market and refinancing requirements increase, experienced alternative lenders have a significant opportunity to provide capital to borrowers while delivering attractive risk‑adjusted returns for institutional clients. “M&G’s long experience across market cycles, combined with the depth of expertise across the Real Estate Finance team and the wider real estate platform, positions us well to identify and structure those opportunities for clients,” he said.