Category archives: Property Market Review

Commercial market update  UK commercial real estate continues to perform well, according to BNP Paribas Real Estate.  Investor sentiment has improved, with sterling continuing to strengthen, reaching its highest level against the dollar and the euro in over two years. This helps to attract overseas investors and boost UK weightings in global real estate allocations.    […]

Growth expected in commercial property market   Savills expects to see growth in the UK’s commercial property market in Q4.    The sector had a good start to 2024, as cross-border investment hit $14bn in H1, with the UK attracting more capital than the USA or any European peers. Investors were given a further boost by the […]

Latest from RICS  The commercial property market remained relatively flat in Q2 of this year, according to the latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) survey.   Tenant and investor demand were both largely stable as headline occupier demand stayed at a net balance of +4% – the same reading as the previous quarter. Investment enquiries […]

A report from Carter Jonas indicates some growth in commercial markets recently  According to MSCI, annual retail rental growth was 0.9% in May – the highest annual growth rate since 2016. While rental values have grown modestly since 2022, values are still 17% lower than the peak seen in 2018.   In the retail warehouse subsector, […]

Commercial trends of 2024  Flexibility, sustainability and diversification are key trends in the commercial property market so far this year, according to PropertyWire.  Flexible workspaces are increasingly in demand, reflecting the shift to hybrid working since the pandemic. Co-working spaces, quality buildings and adaptable offices are more popular, as are those in prime locations.   Sustainability […]

Central London office market – a Q1 update  Data from Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) shows that the central London office market had a slightly weaker start to the year.  January to March saw the lowest quarterly leasing activity since Q1 2021, with 1.5m sq. ft transacted. This is nearly a third (31%) lower than the […]

Commercial property market update  Latest research from Cluttons indicates that vacancy rates hit 4.1% at the end of 2023 – up from 3.8% in September.   This is partly due to e-commerce activity remaining strong and the demand for buildings to meet net zero standards. Vacancies are expected to keep increasing as supply continues to be […]

Commercial property industry largely disappointed by the Spring Budget  The Chancellor’s Spring Budget has been mostly met with disappointment from the commercial property industry, with many experts left wanting a stronger financial commitment to the sector’s development.    Jeremy Hunt announced that Multiple Dwellings Relief (MDR) on Stamp Duty Land Tax in England and Northern Ireland will […]

2024 – a turning point?  The recently released UK Commercial Market in Minutes from Savills has identified 2024 as a pivotal year for the commercial property investment market. Expectations are for an uptick in investment volumes versus 2023, after a couple of years of falls, with some strengthening in prime yields also likely.  Positivity about […]