Real estate advisory firm GLPG has strengthened its Capital Advisory team with the appointments of Johnny Grassick as Associate Director and Emma Solazzo as Senior Associate, as the business looks to build on a strong start to 2026.
The appointments follow continued growth for the London-based multidisciplinary property group, with its Capital Advisory team completing £240 million of new debt facilities during the first quarter of the year across the build-to-rent (BTR), purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), co-living, retail and office sectors.
Grassick (main picture, left) joins after a decade at Investec, where he specialised in originating and delivering real estate finance across multiple asset classes, while Solazzo (main picture, right) joins from Newmark and Welltower, bringing experience in capital markets, investment advisory and corporate acquisitions.
Both will advise developers, investors and operators on debt and equity raising, refinancing, acquisition finance and capital structuring as demand for specialist funding advice continues to grow.
TAILORED SOLUTIONS
Grassick says: “I am excited to be part of the GLPG team, particularly at a time when the real estate finance market continues to evolve and clients are facing increasingly complex requirements across both development and investment transactions.
“GLPG’s ability to maintain strong relationships and create tailored solutions across the lending and investment community makes it a fantastic platform to be part of.
“I am looking forward to bringing my experience across debt and equity advisory to the team, supporting clients through transactions and helping to further strengthen GLPG’s Capital Advisory offering as the business continues to grow.”
Solazzo adds: “I am delighted to be stepping into this position. It is a particularly interesting and complex environment for funding in the UK real estate market.
“My priorities are to support the continued growth of GLPG’s Capital Advisory team and help further strengthen GLPG’s position as a trusted adviser for debt and equity mandates across the UK real estate market.”
Nick Swerner, Director of GLPG, says the appointments wwill strengthen the firm’s ability to advise clients across an increasingly complex funding landscape, adding that both hires bring significant experience of debt, equity and capital markets advisory.
