Leonine Properties is now a multi-functional property advisory group.

Formed in 1987 as a commercial and residential development company in Brighton, it was acquired by the Gowar family interests in 1992.

The company has a proven record in the industrial, office and retail sectors, working in conjunction with other developers and investment funds throughout the United Kingdom. In particular, the company has worked very successfully with landowners to unlock the hitherto unidentified potential, most particularly on 20 acres of industrial land, now a mixed-use scheme in the East Midlands.

Recently, Leonine has advised on refurbishment of a listed West End office building, the disposal of interests in industrial land in Buckinghamshire and a town-centre residential and retail redevelopment scheme in Whitstable. On the South Coast, Leonine has been involved in a joint venture to develop a small city-centre retail scheme.

Leonine’s Managing Director,  Barney Gowar, has had almost 40 years experience in the property industry, working for Mason Owen, Lesser Group, Warings Contractors and Crest Nicholson, before acquiring Leonine.

Barney Gowar sees the big shake out of the property industry that started in the late summer of 2008 as the start of a significant opportunity to reshape and rebuild the sector. He believes that there will be opportunities, despite the continuing difficulties faced. The London market is recovering in all sectors and this progress should spread to the Regions in due course.

Barney Gowar says:
“I have experienced three major property recessions; they come along every 17 years quite regularly, but they have all been different. This time we have seen huge reductions in capital values and rents but on this occasion the collapse was not caused by an increase in borrowing costs but a near meltdown in the financial markets themselves. In the previous property recessions it has taken time to recover but opportunities have nevertheless arisen”.