Sigma Capital Group appoints Ascend founder as Managing Director of Simple Life Management

He founded and scaled one of the UK’s most significant single-family housing management platforms, Ascend, growing it over eight years to £10m in annual turnover before exiting in 2023. Under his leadership, the business expanded to more than 10,000 homes across 100+ locations nationwide, with a managed portfolio exceeding £2bn in assets. 

During this time, Ged worked closely with Sigma overseeing the property and lettings management of the Simple Life portfolio on behalf of PRS REIT, an institutional investment trust founded and built by Sigma Capital, further strengthening his reputation in the delivery and operational management of institutional-grade rental housing in the UK. 

Ged's appointment, which brings more than a decade of build-to-rent experience and a leading role in professionalising the UK single-family rental market, reflects Sigma Capital's continued ambition to scale its integrated living platform. 

Sigma Capital pioneered the UK single-family housing BTR market more than 12 years ago, launching the first dedicated fund in the sector. Since then, the group has delivered and contracted more than 13,000 homes, with close to in aggregate £200 million in estimated rental value (ERV), establishing one of the UK’s largest institutional living platforms. 

In 2024, Sigma brought its lettings, property management, maintenance and customer service functions in-house, integrating them with its existing legal, development, asset management, finance and marketing teams to create a fully end-to-end operating model. The portfolio has since grown to more than 4,500 homes directly under Simple Life Management. 

In his new role, Ged will lead the strategic growth of Simple Life Management, focusing on the continued expansion of its national portfolio, enhancing institutional partnerships and further strengthening the platform’s position as one of the UK’s leading integrated single-family housing operators. 

Graham Barnet, CEO and Founder of Sigma Capital, said: 

“This is a milestone appointment for our Simple Life Management team, following the decision to internalise our lettings and asset management. We’re scaling fast, and Ged’s experience and track record, as well as history of working with Sigma means he is ideally suited to drive the growth of this important part of our business.  

“He’s been in the industry as long as we have, built a business from the ground up, and managed a significant portfolio of single-family homes. He already has very strong relationships with our team and has extensive knowledge of the BTR market as a founder and creator of his previous business. I’m looking forward to working closely with him moving forward.” 

Ged McPartlin, Managing Director at Simple Life Management, added: 

“Having worked closely with the Sigma team during my time at Ascend, I’ve seen first-hand the strength of their platform and the ambition behind the Simple Life brand, so stepping into this role felt like a natural progression. It’s a move that strongly aligns with my experience and aspirations. 

“The team has built a genuinely best-in-class operational model and is scaling with real momentum, continually expanding its portfolio of homes, locations and services to enhance what is already a compelling offer. I’m thrilled to be joining at such an exciting point in the journey and to be working alongside some of the industry’s leading experts as we accelerate the next phase of growth for Simple Life Management.”