Social Impact Investor of the Year: How Oparo Social Delivers Supported Housing at Scale

Toby Wilde, founder of Oparo Social, joins Adam Hinds to discuss how a data-led investment model is delivering long-term supported housing that serves residents, investors and public services alike.

Named Social Impact Investor of the Year 2024 at the UK Finance Awards by SME News, Oparo Social operates as a dedicated brand within Oparo Group, the UK’s first algorithm-led real estate investment company. The Group’s proprietary technology identifies undervalued or overlooked real estate assets. Oparo Social then partners with housing associations and local authorities to convert those assets into stable, well-managed homes for people facing homelessness, domestic abuse, addiction recovery or neurodiversity.

To date, Oparo Social has delivered more than 135 supported homes. These schemes are structured through long-term Full Repairing and Insuring (FRI) leases aligned with Local Housing Allowance. The company has also secured institutional funding to deliver £500 million of housing, alongside mandates for hundreds more supported accommodation places.

This episode explores how the model has been built to scale. It covers the use of repeatable delivery, consistent design standards and remote asset management. It also explains why psychologically informed design and operational efficiency are central to improving outcomes. Toby reflects on his entrepreneurial journey, including lessons from PropTech, early missteps, and the values that continue to shape how Oparo operates.

About Toby Wilde and Oparo

Toby Wilde is the founder of Oparo Group, Oparo Social and a founding partner of Sprift.com. He comes from the Milne family, known for delivering thousands of homes across the Thames Valley, particularly in supported, sheltered and retirement living. His family also founded one of the UK’s first regulated real estate funds under the 1980s BES scheme.

Toby began his career in development and consultancy before helping build Sprift into one of the UK’s most widely used property data platforms. In 2019, he launched Oparo Group to apply data and technology to real estate investment. Oparo Social is the part of the business focused on supported housing, using the Group’s infrastructure to source, deliver and manage homes across the UK. Toby is a regular speaker on PropTech and social investment, and has volunteered with Ruskin Mill Trust and the Sophie Hayes Foundation.

Episode Chapters

00:00 – Introduction to Toby Wilde and Oparo Group
01:27 – Toby’s journey into real estate
05:33 – Career pathway and lessons from PropTech
12:09 – The origins and mission of Oparo Social
16:42 – How data and tech are applied to supported housing
20:33 – Building infrastructure to manage distributed assets
24:23 – Enhancing resident experience through design and remote monitoring
29:09 – Designing for psychological wellbeing and stability
32:43 – Balancing profit, purpose and public-sector value
37:40 – The importance of resilience, character and long-term thinking
40:55 – Why connection and community are essential to impact

Why This Episode Matters

With local authorities under pressure and supported housing in short supply, this episode offers a practical look at how private-sector models can contribute to public outcomes. Oparo Social’s approach shows that investor-backed housing can align with social needs without compromising on quality, consistency or returns.