JLL Promotes Gemma Kendall to Lead UK and EMEA Living Platform
JLL has expanded Gemma Kendall's role to Head of Living for both the UK and EMEA, the firm announced Sept. 14, 2026, consolidating regional leadership of its living capital markets platform under a single strategy.
Kendall, who joined JLL 19 years ago, had led the firm's EMEA living business since 2020, initially as EMEA multifamily lead. In her expanded capacity, she will now also oversee JLL's entire UK Living team, bringing what the firm described as a singular vision to the sector across its EMEA platform.
Leadership Structure and Strategic Rationale
As part of the reorganization, Simon Scott will focus on his specialist expertise within the residential segment of the UK living strategy, JLL said.
Julian Sandbach, Head of Capital Markets, UK, said the move is designed to better leverage JLL's regional leadership and institutional relationships across Europe. "I am delighted that Gemma is expanding her role to lead both our UK and EMEA living capital markets businesses," Sandbach said. "Gemma is a longstanding leader within JLL and her diverse background across retail, offices, and living makes her an exceptionally well-rounded advisor. By establishing a singular vision across our EMEA platform, we can better leverage our regional leadership, our granular knowledge of the sector and deep institutional relationships to expand strategic opportunities for our clients."
Track Record and Key Transactions
During Kendall's tenure leading the EMEA living business, JLL transacted nearly €14 billion across the region. The EMEA living business ranked first by RCA in the first half of 2026.
Kendall has led a number of significant transactions, including the recapitalization of M&G's build-to-rent platform in Ireland and larger asset sales across Europe, including Quayside Quarter and Greenpark.
A Market Transformed by Scale and Volume
The promotion comes as living assets have emerged as a leading share of direct real estate investment across EMEA. EMEA living investment reached €17.4 billion in Q2 2026, the highest quarterly volume since 2022 and up 49% year-on-year. That lifted H1 2026 living volumes to €31.2 billion, a 10% increase over the same period in 2025 and 16% above the five-year H1 average from 2021 through 2025.
The composition of deals has also shifted markedly toward larger transactions. The average living deal size in EMEA nearly doubled, from €39 million in H1 2025 to €72 million in H1 2026. Deals above €100 million accounted for 68% of H1 2026 volumes, with investment in that bracket up 103% year-on-year, while sub-€100 million deal volume fell 8%.
Multifamily investment alone grew 83% year-on-year to €14.3 billion in Q2 2026, driven by multiple platform transactions exceeding €1 billion in Sweden, the UK and Spain.
In the UK specifically, living investment reached £6.5 billion in H1 2026, up 10% year-on-year.
Structural Demand Underpins Sector Growth
The acceleration in living investment volumes reflects persistent structural demand across European markets. Residential vacancy rates remain low across most markets, and new supply has lagged amid pressure on development margins, sustaining upward pressure on rents. Institutional capital has increasingly targeted multifamily, student housing and senior living assets, where demand-supply imbalances support stable cashflows.
Total living investment in Europe reached €62.2 billion in 2025, a 22% increase year-on-year, with forecasts pointing to volumes exceeding €70 billion in 2026. The UK and Germany together accounted for 66% of European living investment volumes in 2025.
JLL is a global commercial real estate services and investment management company with annual revenue of $26.1 billion and operations in more than 80 countries.
Sources
JLL Newsroom: JLL names Gemma Kendall as head of living for UK and EMEA (Sept. 14, 2026)