Sol and Eddie Zakay’s Topland Group has announced the appointment of Graham Emmett as Senior Advisor, Manraj Gill as Investment Associate, and Simon Levene as General Counsel, reinforcing the Group’s capacity across investment and structured finance, while significantly enhancing its credit and legal functions, as it looks to scale its already growing loan book.
Topland deployed over £350 million across its structured finance book in 2025, completing transactions secured against UK property across a range of asset classes and borrower profiles. These three appointments reflect the Group’s intention to continue that trajectory into 2026 and beyond.
Sol Zakay, Chairman and CEO of Topland Group, commented:
“We had a strong year in 2025, and we go into 2026 with significant firepower and a clear appetite to lend. We are one of very few lenders in this market writing cheques from our own balance sheet with no external pressure or mandates to satisfy. We move quickly, we are flexible in our structuring, and we back the deals we believe in. Graham, Manraj, and Simon strengthen the team considerably and we are excited about what lies ahead.”
The UK specialist lending market has seen notable consolidation in recent months, with a number of lenders exiting or contracting, a trend that Topland believes will continue to create opportunity for well-capitalised, disciplined principals. Against that backdrop, David Sanderson, Chief Investment Officer at Topland, commented:
“The market has seen real consolidation and some lenders have come under pressure. We think that creates opportunity for a business like ours. We have had a strong year and we are growing, and these appointments are a direct reflection of that. We are strengthening our capabilities across the board to make sure we can execute on what we believe is a compelling pipeline ahead.”
Graham Emmett joins Topland with more than forty years of experience in the UK real estate market. His career spans Goldman Sachs, Cheyne Capital, Delancey Estates, and HIG Capital, as well as the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) in Ireland, where he oversaw a portfolio of distressed real estate loans with a face value of approximately €72 billion. He brings to Topland an independent perspective forged across multiple market cycles and on both the investment and workout sides of real estate credit.
Manraj Gill joins from Delancey, the privately-owned UK real estate asset manager, where he was focused on the sourcing, underwriting, and execution of investments across the capital structure on behalf of the firm’s flagship institutional client funds. At Topland, Manraj will focus on sourcing, reviewing, and executing new investments across the capital structure, covering direct acquisitions, joint ventures, and structured finance transactions.
Simon Levene joins with more than twenty years of legal experience across real estate structured finance having trained and practised at two international law firms before moving in-house. Most recently, he served as Senior Director and Deputy General Counsel at SitusAMC, where he led the European legal function across multiple jurisdictions.
At Topland, Simon will lead the Group’s legal function and play a central role in strengthening its credit capability, providing counsel across structured finance transactions and real estate investment. Sol and Eddie Zakay’s Topland Group is a UK-based real estate family office with a multi-billion-pound portfolio spanning direct property investment, bridging and structured finance, and asset management. The Group operates as a principal investor deploying its own discretionary capital across the UK and Europe.
