Aviva GCS launches new Real Estate & Construction proposition including Mass Timber

Aviva’s Global Corporate & Specialty (GCS) business has today launched its new and unified ‘Real Estate & Construction’ client practice, bringing together its Construction, Latent Defects and Real Estate teams under a single strategic vision.

The move marks an evolution of Aviva’s legacy ‘Property Investors’ title and reflects the changing needs of clients and brokers, who increasingly require joined-up thinking across the full lifecycle of commercial real estate and construction projects.

As part of this shift, Aviva is also expanding its appetite for sustainable construction of large commercial buildings through an enhanced Mass Timber proposition.  Aviva GCS Real Estate clients looking to build using Mass Timber in adherence with GCS risk management expertise, will be able to obtain lead line offerings from Aviva on Construction and Latent Defects.  Upon completion, Aviva will also offer lead line cover for the finished structure.

Whole-account underwriting and increased risk-management

With the unique model enabling whole-account underwriting, clients benefit from early engagement with Aviva’s underwriters, engineers, and claims specialists - ensuring continuity, transparency, and certainty across every stage of the project lifecycle.

This integrated approach is further strengthened by Aviva’s investment in Aviva Risk Management Solutions (ARMS), enhancing risk engineering and management from the earliest stages of pre-construction design through to long-term asset management. This is especially critical for addressing latent defects - hidden flaws in design, materials or workmanship that may only become apparent after a structure is completed.

Aviva’s holistic and tailored approach to risk management supports a smoother transition to real estate insurance by helping clients build portfolios that are more robust, resilient, and better protected against common losses, with the insurance coverage spanning a broad range of exposures under Aviva’s GCS umbrella, including Financial Lines, Legal Indemnities (title insurance), Mergers and Acquisitions, overseas Political Violence and Terrorism, and more.

Supporting sustainable development and reinstatement

Revised GCS Real Estate policy wording enhancements allow for more sustainable reinstatement of buildings, where policyholders are able to make resilient repairs which reduce the likelihood of future damage.  Cover also supports energy efficiency improvements such as additional insulation and the installation of solar panels.

With Mass Timber reducing embodied carbon by up to 50%^[i] compared to traditional reinforced concrete, the dual announcement reinforces Aviva’s commitment to delivering seamless insurance solutions that support clients to meet their own net-zero ambitions.

The enhanced Mass Timber proposition complements a growing suite of sustainable solutions that Aviva is prepared to consider insuring* - including living walls, solar panels. These forward-looking development strategies not only align with Aviva’s own ESG ambitions but also actively support the sustainability values of clients too.

Lead Multinational and Captive capabilities

The unified proposition is also underpinned by Aviva’s strengthened multinational and captive capabilities. Real Estate and Construction clients with global and complex risks can now benefit from a dedicated UK Multinational Hub, a coordinated compliance approach, and access to a network of experts across more than 180 territories.  With a capacity limit of £2bn, Aviva is well positioned to lead in delivering comprehensive multinational insurance solutions.

Matt Gordon, Underwriting Director, Specialty & Real Estate, said: “Aviva GCS has united its Real Estate, Construction and Latent Defects teams under one aligned strategy to keep pace with the fast-evolving world of real estate and construction – driven by accelerated build times, modern materials and complex regulation.   

“Aviva has long been a leader in the real estate and construction market, having pioneered latent defects insurance in the UK over 40 years ago. Today, that legacy remains central to how we support sustainable development, uniquely enabling us to engage at design stage, before building even begins. Our enhanced mass timber proposition and tailored risk management solutions further reflect the future of the built environment: client focused, resilient and sustainable.  

“This isn’t just a cosmetic change – it’s a fundamental shift in how we support clients and brokers. By aligning our teams and enhancing our proposition, we’re removing friction, enabling innovation and supporting sustainable development from foundation to finish. This joined-up approach gives clients the confidence to build for the future, helping the industry get ready for a low-carbon world.” 

Aviva will host its GCS Real Estate & Construction Client Forum on Thursday, 10th July at its Hoxton site, where it will showcase its unified Real Estate & Construction proposition.

The list of GCS Real Estate enhancements includes:

• Own Land Clean-Up:  cover where own land requires clean-up following insured damage up to a limit of £100k.
• Resilient Repairs: provides a contribution towards more resilient repairs following a storm/flood up to a limit of £500k per event.
• Energy Efficiency: increased limit of £500k for rebuilding in a manner that aims to reduce potential harm to the environment.
• Renewable Energy: covers insured loss of income from renewable energy income generated at the premises up to an increased limit of £50k.
• Debris Removal Recycling: following damage pays for additional costs incurred to sort, segregate and recycle the debris up to a limit of £50k.
• Provisional Insured Value: where an Insured purchases a property but does not have access to a valuation we will accept the sum insured as provisional and allow return premiums if a valuation finds it to be overstated.
• Buildings Definition: has been extended to include Solar panels and EV chargers.

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References:

_{*Aviva is prepared to consider insuring sustainable solutions where Loss Prevention Standards are adhered to through the lifespan of the building:}

_{Loss prevention standards: living walls}

_{Loss prevention standards: PV panels}

ⁱ _{The embodied carbon of a cross laminated timber building is reduced by 49% in comparison with a steel frame and concrete deck building, while the whole life carbon of a cross laminated timber building is 51% less than a steel frame and concrete deck building - committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/35996/pdf/ [↑]}

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