About Neil Sinclair FRICS

Six decades of property, governance, capital markets, and long-term ownership structures.

Neil Sinclair FRICS at PROPS event

Bio

Neil Sinclair FRICS is one of the longest-standing operators in UK property and real estate markets. Over a 60+ year career, he has built, led, and advised public property companies, REITs, family offices, and institutional owners. His experience spans acquisitions, asset management, development, distressed opportunities, capital markets, and governance at scale.

He was co-founder of Sinclair Goldsmith, Chartered Surveyors, which was admitted to the Official List in 1987. It subsequently merged with Conrad Ritblat in 1993, when he became Executive Deputy Chairman. Neil was Chairman of Baker Lorenz, surveyors in 1999, which was sold to Hercules Property Services plc in 2001. He was appointed a non-executive director of Tops Estates plc in 2003 and remained so until it was sold to Land Securities plc in 2005. He co-founded Palace Capital plc with Stanley Davis in July 2010 and helped build a £280m portfolio. He served as Chief Executive Officer until June 2022.

Cycles Survived. Patterns Learned.

Neil has operated through 9 major economic shocks:

1973 Oil Crisis

Early career, learning cycle discipline

1979–81 Recession

Building Sinclair Goldsmith through contraction

Late-80s bubble & 1990 crash

Led 1987 IPO, navigated subsequent crash

ERM crisis (1992)

Conrad Ritblat merger, consolidation phase

Dot-com bubble (2000)

Milner Estates exit completed (1999)

Global Financial Crisis (2008)

Positioned for Mission Capital, Palace Capital launch (2010)

Brexit shock (2016)

Palace Capital: contrarian regional focus

COVID commercial dislocation (2020)

Completed Hudson Quarter, portfolio recycling

Interest-rate whiplash & office unwind (2022-24)

Pristine Capital launch: distressed opportunity focus

"
After nine cycles and three bubbles, you stop reacting to headlines and start recognising patterns.
"

Why This Matters

Real estate is built on long-term ownership, institutional risk mapping, and political cycles. Neil's experience grants a type of judgment that cannot be compressed into a model or learned in one cycle.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many economic cycles has Neil Sinclair operated through?

Neil Sinclair has operated through 9 major economic shocks: 1973 Oil Crisis, 1979-81 Recession, late-80s property bubble and 1990 crash, ERM crisis (1992), dot-com bubble (2000), Global Financial Crisis (2008), Brexit shock (2016), COVID-19 commercial real estate dislocation (2020), and interest-rate whiplash with office-sector unwind (2022-24).

What public companies has Neil Sinclair founded?

Neil Sinclair co-founded multiple listed companies including Palace Capital Plc. He has extensive experience in taking companies public, scaling public property companies, and providing board-level governance for listed real estate vehicles.

Why does cycle experience matter in real estate?

Real estate is built on long-term ownership, institutional risk mapping, and political cycles. Experience across multiple economic cycles grants a type of judgment that cannot be compressed into a model or learned in one cycle. After nine cycles and three bubbles, you stop reacting to headlines and start recognizing patterns that drive real estate markets.