Trafalgar builds on property

It is not onlyTrafalgar Managed Investments’ property expertise that attracts investors, but the group’s ability to position itself as a fund manager with a financial structuring focus.

A specialist in direct commercial property investment and property-related securities, Trafalgar Managed Investments has 500 clients, split between retail, mostly in the high-net-worth range, and institutional clients.

The managed investment company falls under the banner of its parent company, Trafalgar Corporate, with both entities benefiting from shared property investment and financial services skills.

Trafalgar Managed Investments managing director Mark Davidson says the manager’s point of difference is its ability to produce sophisticated products in the “financial engineering sense” as well as selecting quality assets.

Davidson says producing cleverly structured assets has enabled returns on its property transactions of nothing below 25 per cent (except for the newly established geared property securities fund). The group operates six funds on specific properties totalling about $350 million.

According to Davidson, the advantage of being a boutique manager is the ability to be “hands on” by taking opportunities quickly and constructing property transactions to suit investors’ needs.

He says the group is currently working on new products, such as a US product for direct property investors and a $100 million industrial fund.