Unsurprisingly, London is leading the way as the UK emerges from the recession. This has provided a boost to the commercial property market where demand and values are rising rapidly. However, according to Deloitte certain factors will prevent London from continuing to build on this momentum in the future and are already limiting... Read More
A US congressman is pressuring Washington to repeal a law which forces foreign real estate investors to pay up to 35 per cent of a building’s sale price to the Inland Revenue Service (IRS). Republican Kevin Brady claims scrapping the 33-year-old tax on foreigners who buy American real estate would boost the US economy and create... Read More
Ireland’s Green Property has unveiled what it claims is the biggest single office floor space in the city of Liverpool. The Dublin-based company hopes its 35,000sq ft refurbishment of the iconic India Buildings in Water Street will help attract companies back to the city’s central business district, which has struggled to retain... Read More
Commercial property investors in the United Kingdom are prepared to take on more debt for new transactions as the market recovery heats up. The average loan-to-value ratio sought by investors increased to 58.3 per cent in Q3 of the year from 43.6 per cent in the Q1 of 2013 as more sales were finalised and confidence increased that... Read More
Consumer spending across the UK has remained subdued in the past few months, with low confidence leading to small growth throughout the retail industry. However, there have been signs of increased spending in Scotland in the lead up to Christmas, with fashion in particular enjoying a boost during November. Overall, sales increased by... Read More
Britain’s internet shoppers parted with an average of £1,175 last year, according to the latest Ofcom figures. The £158 increase is up 16 per cent on the 2011 spend of £1,017 and underscores the growing trend away from the High Street toward online shopping and home delivery. It also puts UK consumers ahead of shoppers in the... Read More
But hoteliers await World Cup bonanza Rental prices for commercial property in next summer’s football World Cup host Brazil will fall in 2014 due to excess supply and declining occupancy rates, according to analysts. Sao Paulo Prices in Sao Paulo, the country's biggest office market, have dropped by 8.8 per cent in the first nine... Read More
International investors are betting on London commercial projects as opposed to putting their money in property funds, according to a recent Bloomberg article. The report notes that the current shift is a bold one, taking into account that foreign property investors are taking a risk to increase their returns as the market in the... Read More
Southwark Council and property group Lend Lease have announced they will be teaming up for an ambitious plan which they hope will attract 60 creative start-ups to London’s Elephant and Castle. The site, which is presently undergoing redevelopment, will soon be home to 50 recycled shipping containers which the partnership believes can... Read More
The sale of a half-empty Manhattan building — for less than $1m of its pre-recession price — is being seen as the final hurdle in the American commercial property market recovery. The six-storey office block at 246 Fifth Avenue was bought at auction for $19m (£11.6m) by the New York-based developer, HH Realty Equities, which paid... Read More
As the development drought eases one town has found itself facing a different kind of shortage — a serious lack of industrial property and warehouse space. “Driven by strong levels of investment, take-up of space has risen and there is now a critical situation where demand has out-stripped supply with no new commercial buildings... Read More
In a changing consumer world, retailers are being forced to think outside the box and come up with new ways to increase footfall. This is especially challenging for smaller retailers, with high rents and business rates often stripping back any profits their business makes and forcing them to seek other routes to success than the traditional... Read More
Queens Park Rangers Football Club has unveiled plans for a new 40,000 capacity stadium at the heart of what promises to be “one of the best new urban places in the world." The mixed use development, in the Old Oak area of West London, will create a residential and commercial district larger than Canary Wharf which will provide 24,000... Read More
Britain’s regional recovery is underway with 88 per cent of property professionals expecting their assets to rise in the next six months — compared to just 10 per cent this time last year. And confidence is highest north of the border, claims the twice yearly Commercial Property Confidence Monitor, with Scotland seeing the biggest... Read More
While Chinese investment floods into the UK market, Western developers are cashing in on China’s growing consumerism by investing in warehouses, shopping malls and other western-style retail projects in the country, says the Wall Street Journal. Developers and their subsidiaries have so far this year raised £2.1bn for Chinese... Read More
As London continues to grow in popularity as both a residential and business investment hub for multinational companies, developers have begun to realise the value of creating spaces in which both homes and commercial properties can co-exist. As a result, many such developments are springing up across the capital with developers seeking a... Read More
In America, Small Business Saturday is an annual event which was established four years ago, garnering support from celebrities such as Serena Williams and Jessica Alba. Held on the 1st of December this year, the occasion allows small retailers to showcase the very best they have to offer in regional areas by lowering prices and implementing... Read More
With Christmas fast approaching, consumers across the UK will be hitting their nearest high street in order to purchase gifts for friends and family, greatly boosting the festive spirits of retailers nationwide. However, with the chill of winter settling in for the long haul, these shopping trips will often be broken up by the need for hot... Read More
The Kuwaiti real estate conglomerate, St Martins Property Group, has purchased the prestige More London development from London Bridge Holdings for a reported £1.7bn. London Bridge originally announced it intended to refinance the Thames-side development by next summer, but when presented with a highly attractive offer which maximised... Read More
The National Audit Office has slammed the decision to scrap regional development agencies (RDAs), claiming the patchwork of replacements have not yet “demonstrated” they are boosting business and creating jobs. Kris Hopkins MP (centre) visits a brick factory A study carried out by the watchdog claims the winding up of the RDAs —... Read More
Demand for shops, offices and industrial space in the North-East has seen its first real rise since 2011. According to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors around nine per cent more of its regional members reported rises rather than falls in demand for shops and industrial premises between August and October this year, the... Read More
Unemployment has dropped in recent months with many firms choosing to take on additional staff for the Christmas rush, particularly in the retail and hospitality sectors. This is not only good news for jobseekers looking to re-enter the workforce, but indicates a significant strengthening of the UK economy as a whole. According to data... Read More
