This FAQ accompanies our announcement regarding the acquisition of a majority stake in London House Exchange Limited ("LHX") by Gulf Islamic Investments Group ("GII").
If your question is not answered below, please contact our team at support@londonhouseexchange.com.
Jump to: The transaction · The trading pause · What this means for you · Your investments in detail · About GII · What happens next · Conflicts, governance and oversight · Security · Contact
1. The transaction
What has been announced?
Gulf Islamic Investments Group (GII) has acquired a majority stake in LHX following receipt of formal approval from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Better Home & Finance Holding Company (NASDAQ: BETR), LHX's previous sole shareholder, retains a strategic minority shareholding.
Has the transaction completed?
Yes. The FCA granted its change in control approval and the transaction has now completed. GII is LHX's majority shareholder as of 30 September 2026.
Why did the FCA need to approve a change of ownership?
LHX is authorised and regulated by the FCA. Under the UK change in control regime, any person or entity acquiring a controlling stake in an FCA-authorised firm must be assessed and approved by the regulator in advance. That assessment covers, among other things, the acquirer's financial soundness and reputation, and the likely impact on the firm's ongoing compliance with regulatory requirements. The FCA's approval means it has completed that assessment and is satisfied.
Why did Better sell?
Better acquired the platform in 2021 and has supported a period of substantial development, set out below. Better concluded that GII, a specialist alternative investment group with deep expertise in asset-backed and Sharia-compliant products, is well placed to lead LHX's next phase of growth. Better's decision to retain a strategic minority stake reflects its continued confidence in the platform, the team and its future.
Is LHX still the same legal entity?
Yes. London House Exchange Limited remains the same company, registered in England and Wales under the same company number, holding the same FCA authorisation under the same firm reference number. Only its shareholders have changed. Your contractual relationship is with the same entity it always was.
Is LHX still a UK company?
Yes. LHX remains a UK-incorporated, UK-headquartered and UK-regulated business, operating from the UK and supervised by the FCA.
2. The trading pause
Why was trading paused?
LHX operates a regulated trading venue (MTF or Multi-lateral Trading Facility). Where a material announcement is made that could reasonably affect how clients wish to trade, it is standard market practice, and consistent with our obligations around orderly markets and treating clients fairly, to pause trading so that every client has an equal opportunity to read and consider the information before any trades are placed. This pause is a standard procedural step.
When does trading resume?
Trading resumes at 11:00am Monday 5 October 2026.
What happens to orders I placed before the pause?
All active orders (buy and sell) will remain in place.
Can I still log in and see my portfolio during the pause?
Yes. Your account, holdings, valuations and documents remain fully visible throughout. Only the ability to place and match trades is temporarily suspended, as per the quarterly close period.
Can I deposit or withdraw funds during the pause?
Yes, you can deposit / withdraw funds as normal.
Are property sales or shareholder votes or other platform mechanics set to change?
No. Sales processes, shareholder votes and platform mechanics remain unchanged and are unaffected by the transaction.
3. What this means for you
Do I need to do anything?
No. There is no action required from you. Your account, holdings and settings remain exactly as they are.
Will my investments or shareholdings change?
No. Your investments and shareholdings are held exactly as they were, in the same structures, with the same rights attaching to them.
What happens to my money on account?
Client money continues to be held in accordance with the FCA's client money rules (CASS): segregated from LHX's own funds and held with an approved bank. A change of shareholder does not affect these protections. LHX has maintained an unbroken record of client money protection to date, and the arrangements are unchanged. Uninvested funds will continue to be protected by the FSCS up to £120,000.
Is LHX still regulated by the FCA?
Yes. LHX remains authorised and regulated by the FCA, under the same permissions and firm reference number, and subject to the same rules and supervision. The change of ownership does not alter LHX's regulatory status.
Am I still covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme?
The FSCS position is unchanged by this transaction and uninvested funds will continue to be protected by the FSCS up to £120,000. Please note that FSCS cover does not protect against investment losses or falls in property value. For further information, please refer to: https://www.fscs.org.uk/
Will current fees or charges change?
No. There is no change to fees or charges, or to the terms of any of your currently active investments, as a result of this transaction. Please refer to the fees section on any new investments offered on the platform.
Will the terms and conditions change?
There is no change to your terms as a result of the transaction. If changes to terms are proposed in future, we will notify you in advance in accordance with our existing terms and applicable regulatory requirements.
Will the platform, brand, app or website change?
The platform continues to operate as it does today under the London House Exchange name, at the same web address, through the same app and with the same login. Any future changes to branding or functionality would be communicated in advance.
Does GII now have access to my account or personal data?
LHX remains the data controller for your personal data and continues to process it in accordance with UK GDPR and our Privacy Policy. Your account remains accessible only to you and to authorised LHX personnel in the ordinary course of operating and supporting the platform. A change of shareholder does not, of itself, change how your data is used or who can see it.
Does this change my tax position?
No. The change of LHX's ownership does not alter the tax treatment of your investments or create a taxable event for you. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change in future. LHX does not provide tax advice; if you are unsure, please speak to a qualified adviser.
Can I close my account or sell my holdings if I would prefer to?
Yes. Nothing about this transaction changes your ability to sell your holdings on the Exchange or to withdraw your money, subject to the normal rules, timescales and market conditions that already apply. If you would like help understanding your options, our team is available at support@londonhouseexchange.com.
I hold LHX investments through an ISA. Is anything different for me?
No. The ISA manager remains unchanged and your investment(s) remain unaffected by this change.
I am not a UK resident. Does anything change for me?
No. Existing overseas clients are unaffected. References in the announcement to extending LHX's geographic reach relate to adding investment opportunities in new markets over time, not to any change in who we serve today.
4. Your investments in detail
What happens to the SPVs that hold each property?
The transaction relates to ownership of LHX, the platform operator - not to ownership of the properties themselves.
Will property valuations or how they are carried out change?
No. Properties continue to be valued on the same basis, on the same cycle, by independent RICS-accredited valuers.
Will properties be managed differently?
No. Property management, lettings and maintenance arrangements continue as they are today.
Will the shareholder vote process on individual properties change?
No. Shareholder votes on whether to sell a property continue to work exactly as they do now, and the outcome remains a matter for the shareholders in that property.
What happens to LHX Mortgage Bonds and Bridging Finance Investments?
Existing fixed income investments continue on their existing terms, with the same maturity dates, rates and repayment arrangements. Nothing about the change of ownership alters them.
Will existing non-Sharia-compliant products continue to be offered?
Legacy products that are not Sharia-compliant will remain active, but going forward, all products will all be structured to be Sharia-compliant, expanding the platform's global reach. This structuring does not impact the published returns / security - in simple terms, profit is created instead of interest.
Will the way prices are set on the Exchange change?
No. The Exchange continues to operate on the same basis, with prices determined by buyers and sellers.
5. About Gulf Islamic Investments
Who is GII?
The Gulf Islamic Investments Group is a leading GCC-headquartered Sharia-compliant alternative investment group, established in 2014 and headquartered in the United Arab Emirates. GII manages approximately US$3.5 billion of assets across private equity, real estate, private credit and financial services, serving institutional investors, family offices, banks, sovereign wealth funds and high-net-worth individuals across the GCC region and Asia.
What is GII's track record in financial services?
GII has a track record of investing in high-growth, technology-enabled financial services businesses. Its financial services portfolio includes:
- Offa - an FCA-regulated, Sharia-compliant property finance provider in the UK, and GII's first UK investment
- Vision Bank - GII's wholly owned Category 1 licensed digital Islamic bank, regulated by the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM)
- A growing private credit platform across the GCC
Why has GII invested in LHX?
LHX has built regulated market infrastructure covering issuance, trading, administration, settlement, reporting and secondary transfer, and is recognised as the world's first regulated trading exchange to fractionalise UK property investments. That infrastructure is scalable well beyond property. For GII, LHX provides a regulated UK platform through which to structure and distribute a broader range of alternative investments, and forms part of its strategy of building a globally integrated financial services group.
Does GII being a Sharia-compliant investor change my investments?
No. Your existing investments are unaffected. GII intends to add Sharia-compliant, income-generating products to the platform alongside the existing range. This broadens what is available; it does not restrict or alter what you already hold. Clients continue to choose which investments they wish to hold.
Is my money going overseas?
No. Client money and client assets continue to be held in the UK under FCA client money and custody rules, in the same arrangements as before. The change relates to who owns shares in LHX - not to where client money is held or how it is protected.
Is LHX now subject to UAE regulation?
No. LHX is a UK company authorised and regulated by the FCA, and remains subject to UK law and UK financial regulation. GII is a shareholder; it is not LHX's regulator, and its own regulatory status in other jurisdictions does not extend to LHX.
6. What happens next
What are the plans for the platform?
Under GII's majority ownership, LHX's plans include:
- Broadening the product range beyond UK property into a wider set of institutional-grade, asset-backed fixed income opportunities
- Exploring regulated tokenisation of real-world assets on LHX's regulated infrastructure, to improve accessibility, efficiency and transparency in private markets while maintaining strong regulatory standards
- Priority access to GII opportunities, offering clients the ability to invest alongside GII and its investors in exclusive offerings, from IPO access to real estate
- Significant investment in platform technology and market operations
Does this mean LHX is moving away from property?
UK property remains core to the platform and to the existing investment universe. The intention is to broaden what LHX offers alongside property, not to replace it; as well as provide more asset backed opportunities, rather than direct equity investments in property.
What is tokenisation, and what would it mean for me?
Tokenisation means recording ownership of a real-world asset, such as a share in a property, digitally, using distributed ledger technology. In principle it can make settlement faster and cheaper, and can make assets easier to access and transfer.
To be clear: this is not cryptocurrency, and it would not introduce crypto exposure to your investments. Any move in this direction would be made on LHX's regulated infrastructure, within the FCA's regulatory framework, and would be subject to its own consultation and communication with clients. It is an area we intend to explore. It is not a change being made today.
What does "priority access to GII opportunities" mean in practice?
GII originates and participates in investment opportunities that are not typically available to individual investors. Over time, we intend to make a selection of these available to LHX clients. Any such opportunity would be offered through the platform in the normal way, subject to the same regulatory standards, disclosures and suitability requirements as any other investment on LHX. You would choose whether to participate; nothing would be added to your portfolio automatically.
When will new products be available?
GII's growth strategy will be actioned over the coming months and years. New products will be introduced progressively, each subject to the appropriate regulatory and internal approvals. We will notify clients as they become available.
Will I be marketed products I have not asked for?
Your existing marketing preferences continue to apply and you can update them at any time in your account settings. Any new investment opportunity we introduce will be communicated in line with those preferences and with FCA rules on financial promotions.
7. Conflicts, governance and oversight
If LHX starts offering investments originated by GII, how are conflicts of interest managed?
This is an important question and one we take seriously. LHX operates a conflicts of interest policy as required by FCA rules, which identifies, prevents and manages conflicts between the firm, its shareholders, its staff and its clients.
Where an investment opportunity originated by GII or a GII group company is offered on the platform, that relationship would be clearly disclosed, and the opportunity would be subject to the same product governance, due diligence and approval standards that apply to every other investment listed on LHX. LHX's obligations as a regulated venue operator, including its duty to act in clients' best interests and to treat clients fairly under the Consumer Duty, are owed to clients and are unaffected by who owns the company. LHX reviews all investment offerings on a case-by-case basis.
Who holds LHX accountable?
LHX is authorised and supervised by the FCA and is subject to the full range of FCA rules applying to its permissions, including the Consumer Duty, client money rules, product governance requirements and market conduct standards. LHX's board and its compliance function are responsible for ensuring the firm meets those obligations, independently of its shareholders.
8. Security and scam awareness
Should I be alert to scams following this announcement?
Corporate announcements are sometimes used by fraudsters as a pretext to contact investors. Please be aware:
- LHX will never ask you to move your money to a new or different account. Nothing about this transaction requires you to transfer funds anywhere.
- LHX will never ask you for your password, or for a one-time passcode, by phone, email or message.
- LHX will never contact you offering to buy your shares outside the platform, or ask you to pay a fee to release funds.
- Be wary of unsolicited approaches referencing GII, Better or this announcement.
If you receive anything suspicious, please forward it to support@londonhouseexchange.com and do not respond to it.
9. Getting in touch
Where can I find the full announcement?
The full client announcement is available here.
Who do I contact with further questions?
Please email support@londonhouseexchange.com. We expect higher-than-usual volumes over the coming days and appreciate your patience; we will respond to every query.
I am a journalist. Who should I contact?
Media enquiries should be directed to simon@londonhouseexchange.com.
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