March 2, 2020
A new report from Office Freedom claims that Central London is enjoying continued growth in demand for flexible offices, with no sign of slowing. Flexible workspaces have seen a dramatic increase in recent years, with Central London seeing particular interest for flex spaces. The London’s growing flex appeal report takes a detailed look at Central London flexible workspace trends. More →
February 27, 2020
While Brexit uncertainty has dented business investment, on which the research and development (R&D) sector is particularly dependent, new research suggests Cambridge remains a popular destination for knowledge-intensive businesses. According to property consultants Bidwells, the property market in the city proved robust throughout 2019, with take-up moving well ahead of the 10-year average. Knowledge-intensive businesses were responsible for more than 80 percent of the space taken, roughly evenly split between the life science and tech sectors. More →
February 18, 2020
Rents for new, Grade A office space are likely to rise in many parts of London this year, a property consultancy has predicted. According to Carter Jonas, rents for prime located, new, mid-rise, Grade A space above 5,000 sq ft will typically increase by £1.50 – £2.50 per sq ft per annum by the last quarter of 2020 across most of the London office sub-markets. The forecast increases are being underpinned by continued low vacancy rates and unexpectedly strong demand as business confidence increases following the general election. More →
February 14, 2020
Some local authorities in England have invested significant public money in buying commercial property over the past three years with the aim of generating a financial return. Debt has increased for many of these authorities as a result, with a small group seeing significant increases in the amount they owe and the cost of repayment, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). More →
February 6, 2020
London is set for an increase in commercial property investment in 2020 as international investors target the capital’s high-yielding office market, following the decisive 2019 UK General Election result. According to the latest research from Knight Frank, investors have increased the total capital targeting London commercial assets to £48.4bn, a 21 percent rise on 2019 and £2bn higher than 2018. However, with just £2.3bn of buildings for sale, investors will face strong competition, which is expected to drive values higher in 2020. More →
January 21, 2020
Following sustained levels of leasing activity throughout the year, JLL has calculated that over 10.7m sq ft of office space in central London has been transacted so far in 2019 and with over 3m sq ft currently under offer, has suggested that take-up is on track to total 11.6 m sq ft at year-end – which is ahead of the 11.5m sq ft of space that was leased in 2018. Both the City and West End commercial property markets are expected to see take-up levels broadly echo last year’s totals. More →
January 20, 2020
The world’s commercial property markets will be defined this year by low interest rates, socially responsible investing, cautious optimism and climate change as well as six other factors according to Avison Young’s 2020 Forecast. The annual report series claims to provide perspective on how global events, trends and indicators impact commercial real estate in a variety of sectors, including capital markets, office, retail, industrial, multi-family and hospitality, among others.
January 9, 2020
BT Group has announced Birmingham’s Three Snowhill development will be its primary new home in the city and provide “a future-fit workplace for thousands of colleagues”. The building, in the city’s business district, will become the regional headquarters for BT with between 3,000 – 4,000 people set to be based there eventually – more than five times the number of people currently based in Birmingham. BT will occupy the majority of floors in the 17-storey development, marking a major investment by the company in the city. More →
January 7, 2020
L’Oréal UK and Ireland has announced that it will be moving from its current office site in Hammersmith to a brand new bespoke building in White City Place, West London, W12. L’Oréal will occupy six floors of the eleven storey building, which is part of the new creative business district White City Place, developed and owned by Stanhope, Mitsui Fudosan and AIMCo. Other occupiers at White City Place include the fashion designers Ralph & Russo, online luxury fashion retailer Yoox-Net-a-Porter, the BBC and ITV Studios. The workforce of 1,000 employees at L’Oréal’s London-based headquarters are due to move in Autumn 2023 to the new building, which is when the company will reach the end of its current lease. Stanhope claims that the space will reflect L’Oréal’s culture, focused on collaboration, creativity and agility. More →
December 19, 2019
You would not believe the number of firms that ask us to publish a list of workplace trends each week. Or maybe you would, given the number that have appeared elsewhere. Each firm perhaps convinced they are saying something original, unique or interesting, or maybe simply convinced they stand out in some way, while pushing the same timid, stale narratives about the workplace. It goes without saying that the commercialised messages often do little to shine a light on complex realities. In the words of the Scottish poet and anthropologist Andrew Lang, they use information ‘like a drunk uses lamp-posts—for support rather than illumination’.
December 13, 2019
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has launched a new ‘Responsible Business Report with recommendations for real estate firms to develop and implement responsible business practices, to improve their business culture, reduce their environmental impact and attract and retain the brightest talent. Best practice case studies from leading companies such as CBRE, Sodexo, John Lewis and Vinci Facilities are included in the report. More →
December 10, 2019
One of the UK’s leading broadcasters has confirmed its deal with the Rushbond Group for its new national headquarters to be at The Majestic in Leeds city centre. The third, fourth and fifth floors of the building will become home to Channel 4, with teams from across the organisation coming together to operate out of the iconic building. The deal with Channel 4 leaves four floors remaining, from 8,000 sq ft to a total of 39,000 sq ft of workspace to be let to additional dynamic organisations. More →
