REAL ASSET CAPITAL
Real Asset Capital is a Swiss private real estate investment group with a €2 bn+ executed track record across Europe. The group has developed and exited institutional assets in the residential and hospitality sectors across Switzerland, France, Italy, the UK and Spain, and is now executing a dedicated PBSA strategy in Italy via the RELIFE platform.
Real Asset Capital and RELIFE have developed two PBSA operational assets: the 233-bed RELIFE Torino I, opened September 2024, and the 98-bed RELIFE Torino II, opened January 2025 – both sold to Bankinter and Plenium Partners.
In addition, they have two secured sites: the RELIFE Padova, opening Q3 2028, and the c.320-bed RELIFE Pisa, opening Q3 2029. Real Asset Capital are dedicated to delivering further expansion into Italy’s PBSA market, with identified pipeline in Rome, Ferrara, Cagliari and Bologna.
The broader Real Asset Capital track record spans multiple asset classes and geographies. Its European residential portfolio comprises more than €300 million of projects in Geneva with hospitality experience including the hotels in Ibiza and the UK. Real Asset Capital & RELIFE represent one of the very few institutional developer-operators available to fund in the Italian market.
Track Record
Sold
RELIFE Torino I
233
Beds
Sept 2024
Opened
Sold
RELIFE Torino II
98
Beds
Jan 2025
Opened
In Development
RELIFE Padova
247
Beds
Q3 2028
Opened
In Development
RELIFE Pisa
c.320
Beds
Q3 2029
Opened
Leadership
Ralph Kattan
Founder of Real Asset Capital and RELIFE
Ralph holds Business and real estate degrees from Georgetown University and Harvard Business School. Having started his career in New York at Bear Stearns in 2000, he moved to Switzerland in 2002 to enter the real estate sector. Over his 20-year career, Ralph has managed over $2 billion in funds across different segments of the real estate industry.
RELIFE
Headquartered in Milan, RELIFE is a dedicated Italian PBSA operating platform, jointly established by Real Asset Capital and a senior Italian student housing team with extensive experience working at major national operators.
Real Asset Capital and RELIFE operate under a strategic partnership to acquire, develop, lease, manage and operate a nationwide portfolio of PBSA assets across Italy, with subsequent expansion targeted across Europe.
RELIFE's operating remit covers the full value chain. Assets are operated under a management agreement with the asset owner, providing institutional sponsors with an aligned operating counterparty.
RELIFE Torino received The Class Foundation’s highest honours across two consecutive years:
2023
“Best student
Housing design”
2024
“Best Student Housing Property in Europe”
This recognises the platform’s resident-centric design, exceptional operating standards and excellent student satisfaction. All assets managed by RELIFE are LEED Gold certified, reflecting the environmental specification applied consistently across the portfolio.
Responsible Living is embedded in the operating model through the RELIFE Foundation, an independent non-profit registered in 2022.
The Foundation is present on all RELIFE assets supporting student-led initiatives, social entrepreneurship and philanthropic activity into the resident community and the surrounding catchments. In 2026, the RELIFE Foundation won the Smart Social Impact Initiative Award, awarded by the Class Foundation.
Recent activities by RELIFE in Torino include:
RELIFE Foundation Partner Charities
ASAI
Monthly workshops at RELIFE Torino with ASAI, where RELIFE students support young people from challenging backgrounds through after-hours creative activities.
GiuCo
A partnership using sport to break down barriers for people with disabilities, with RELIFE students supporting instructors and accompanying young members to matches.
Maria Teresa Lavazza Foundation
A fundraising partnership supporting children and families at Regina Margherita Hospital, with RELIFE residents volunteering at the nearby Temporary Shop.
Leadership
ElisabettaTagliente
Country Director for Italy at RELIFE
Elisabetta Tagliente previously served as Head of Development and Asset Manager at Campus X, leading the expansion of its real estate investment portfolio. Before specialising in student housing, Elisabetta Tagliente managed Italian Real Estate funds at BNP Paribas SGR as Asset Manager, covering valuation, technical management and redevelopment.
