Forbes is predicting that the commercial property market will improve slightly in 2013. While numbers will not be substantially better for investors, operating income will be up slightly, and property values will level off. If investors can be patient until 2014 or 2015, they will be rewarded with higher operating incomes and prices.... Read More
Yields on prime commercial property in Athens were up this year due to pessimism over the Greek economy. The prospect of banks selling assets further depressed real estate values, according to Colliers International. The best office properties in the capital saw yields of 8 per cent in 2012, compared to 6.9 per cent in 2009. Prime... Read More
With the economic situation uncertain at best in the UK currently, it is hardly surprising that town centres in many areas are failing to live up to their potential. As out of town retail parks and internet shopping grow in popularity, traditional retail areas such as town and city centres slip deeper into decline, with many retailers... Read More
With pay freezes, relatively high inflation and the rising cost of living at the forefront of many people’s minds, pay day loan companies have become something of an essential industry in the country today. As more and more people struggle to pay bills and mortgages on time, these companies are becoming increasingly popular, with millions... Read More
Crossrail is expected to add £5.5 billion to residential and commercial property values along its route by 2021. The claim follows research conducted by industry consultant GVA who also expect Crossrail to lead to the development of 57,000 new homes and 3.25 million square metres of commercial space. Crossrail will cut... Read More
Cash strapped consumers have been dealt a further blow this week, after it was revealed the cost of fruit and vegetables has soared by more than 50 per cent this year. This is due to heavy rain devastating crops in what has proven to be the wettest summer in a century. However, the problems for supermarket customers do not end in the... Read More
The British Property Federation (BPF) has criticised the government’s decision to postpone the business rates revaluation until 2017. Chief executive Liz Peace describes the postponement as a ‘shot in the foot’ for retailers and as embedding injustices in the current system. The announcement to delay the revaluation was announced... Read More
Firstrand Limited, the South African financial services company, has announced plans to invest $250 million in funds in the West and South African real estate markets. The money is earmarked for projects in Angola, Ghana, and Nigeria. The money was raised from the company's investment banking arm to develop properties in West... Read More
Prime rents in key cities were up by 2.3 per cent in the first half of 2012, according to Knight Frank. This amount was considered modest compared to the kinds of increases that were the norm before the goal financial crisis of 2008. Economists at the company note that these numbers are linked to several elements, including business... Read More
Plans for the commercial redevelopment of London’s Smithfield Market have met with opposition from a conservation group. Save Britain’s Heritage say the proposal to create 235,000 sq ft of offices, shops and restaurants on the site will destroy “the grandest parade of market buildings in Europe.” Henderson Global Investors... Read More
The solution to illegal parking in a south London suburb has left locals and shopkeepers astonished and angry. Overnight, 22 huge boulders have been deposited on New Addington’s Central Parade prompting shoppers to ask if the area has been hit by a meteor storm. The anti-parking measure, which reportedly cost £7,000, is... Read More
Health care is a basic need for the population and is something that must be met. The healthcare property development sector of the US commercial real estate market has distinguished itself from the pack by performing well in spite of the current recession. Hospitals are reallocating funds from their capital budgets for the cost of... Read More
As wealth flows into the central London commercial property market, there is room for buyers who are specifically interested in purchasing secondary market properties. They need to be very careful in making their choices however. According to Marcus Langlands Pierce, manager of the UK Property unit trust, the fact that there... Read More
Third quarter returns in the UK are offering encouraging numbers for investors, according to the latest report released by Jones Lang LaSalle. Returns were in the black by a rate of 1.3 per cent, compared to 0.4 per cent in the second quarter. Analysts noted that growth in the UK was not equal in primary and secondary... Read More
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal that unemployment fell by 50,000 in the three months up to August. The number of people out of work now stands at 2.53 million while employment reached almost 30 million, the highest figure since 1971. The news was welcomed by Employment Minister Mark Hoban.... Read More
A group of leading retail figures have called on the government to freeze business rates in order to encourage investment and protect jobs in the sector. The plea was made in a letter published in the Financial Times on Monday. The 14 signatories include the director-general of the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Stephen Robertson, Asda’s... Read More
Rising commercial property rents and mothers who like to share a chat over a coffee are being blamed for ‘ruining’ one of London’s most fashionable districts. Traders in Primrose Hill, home to actress Sienna Miller, One Direction star Harry Styles and retail guru Mary Portas, claim that these combined factors are forcing the closure of... Read More
Office staff should pay attention to a new study which reveals that sitting for long periods of time is bad for your health. Scientists from Leicester and Loughborough universities say that sedentary behaviour can place us at greater risk from diabetes, heart disease and even death. The researchers looked at existing data... Read More
Do you avoid buying from online retailers because you are nervous when opening the parcel as you don’t want to ruin the packaging in case you have to return the order, or are you worried about paying for return postage for faulty goods? Well did you know that you don’t need to worry about either under consumer law, but many retailers... Read More
According to London-based index firm Investment Property Databank (IPD), Irish commercial properties have fallen on hard times due to a combination of low consumer demand and a lack of tenants. This situation arises although the Irish economy has so far managed to avoid falling back into a recession and there are signs of life in the... Read More
Researchers claim British small business owners work fewer hours than their counterparts in the US, Spain, France Germany and the Netherlands. A survey of 3,000 small companies across the six countries found that entrepreneurs in Britain have the shortest five day working weeks, clocking up on average 38.5 hours a week, while... Read More
Large US-based property companies have their corporate eyes firmly on European properties and are cashing in at an impressive rate. In the first nine months of this year, corporations have spent 3.5 billion euros on foreign real estate investments. This figure represents an increase of five times the amount spent in 2011 and... Read More
