Get Living PLC is delighted to announce the appointment of Kate Freer as its new CEO with effect from Autumn 2026, following the announcement at the end of 2025 that the long-standing CEO Rick de Blaby is standing down to pursue a non-executive career.
Freer is a seasoned, highly respected real estate industry veteran, with over 25 years’ experience in the sector. She served most recently at Realstar for over 11 years where she helped to build the UK multifamily platform and Uncle brand from the ground up, growing the portfolio to 28 assets and c6,400 units, with a c£2.6bn GDV. Prior to that she spent 10 years at Blackstone, working on operating platforms such as NHP Plc, Nido, Centerparcs, Logicor, MultiRetail and Chiswick Park.
Get Living is one of the UK’s leading and first-to-market build-to-rent investors, developers and operators. Since creation in 2013, Get Living’s portfolio has grown to over 6,200 homes for rent across seven neighbourhoods: East Village, Elephant Central and The Filigree in London, One Maidenhead in Berkshire, Sherlock Quarter in Birmingham, Oakgate in Leatherhead and New Maker Yards in Salford, Greater Manchester.
This year, Get Living will launch The Elephant a major new destination in Zone 1 central London with 485 new rental homes, over 135 sq ft of shops, restaurants and leisure uses, 55,000 sq ft of workspace and new building for UAL’s London College of Communication.
Commenting on the appointment of Kate Freer as the new CEO, Get Living Chairman Jeremy Helsby, said: “We are delighted to welcome Kate to Get Living at an important time in our growth strategy and we all very much look forward to working with her in furthering the continued growth of the business. I would also like to say a huge thank you to Rick de Blaby, our out-going CEO. During Rick’s 9-year tenure, initially as Chairman and subsequently as CEO, he has presided over the growth and expansion of Get Living into the market leader it is today. We wish Rick every happiness in his Non-Executive career.”
Get Living current CEO Rick de Blaby commented: “Working with world class investors and their representatives, with exceptional specialists in every field and then with the passion and commitment of everyone in the Get Living Team, has always felt truly purposeful.
“Building Get Living into what it now is has been a huge team effort. I will genuinely miss the companionship of everyone, many of whom I count as good friends. I look forward to watching Get Living fulfil its full potential and wish Kate every success as she brings her own ideas and drive to the next chapter.”
Get Living PLC is also pleased to announce that Gertjan van der Baan will fulfil the position of interim CEO between Rick’s departure at the end of May and the commencement of Kate’s role in the Autumn.
Gertjan was previously CEO of Vesteda from 2014 until 2024 – a €9bn residential rental company with about 28,000 homes and a staff of about 230. Gertjan has been employed as a senior advisor since the start of the year, making him well placed to fill this crucial interim position.
