Category archives: Property Market Reviews

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 […]

  Different challenges set to confront investors in 2024  The newly-released UK Commercial Cross Sector Outlook for 2024 from Savills has provided insight for the year ahead. Expectations from Mat Oakley, Director of Commercial Research, suggest that the factors impacting property values and confidence are set to improve this year, but as high inflation and […]

‘Grey’ warehouse space on the rise  According to recent analysis by Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), real estate and investment management services provider, ‘grey’ warehouse space is increasing.   Classified as available space unofficially marketed for either sublease or assignment, grey warehouse space has historically been limited to smaller pallet storage space, less frequently associated with warehouses […]

ESG credentials come to the fore in the industrial and logistics sector   November’s UK Commercial Market in Minutes from Savills has highlighted the continued robustness in the industrial and logistics sector, despite a reduction in take-up during the year due to economic uncertainty.   The weaker demand has given warehouse space occupiers the opportunity to be […]

Industrial and warehouse space in demand   New analysis has highlighted that the most in-demand UK commercial property sector currently is industrial/warehouse space, as companies look to facilitate and improve their ability to deliver online purchases to customers as efficiently as possible.   According to data from Sirius Property Finance, buyer demand for hospitality and leisure assets […]