Industrial space in high demand in Q1 Elevated occupier demand has driven strong UK industrials and logistics take-up in Q1 2022, according to the latest research. The take-up of 10.43 million sq. ft in the first quarter is double the total in the same period last year, CBRE noted. Q1 2022 saw take-up more than 36% above the long-term quarterly Read More
Economic Review – March 2022
Bank Rate raised again Last month, the Bank of England (BoE) sanctioned a further increase in its benchmark interest rate as inflation continues to surge significantly ahead of the Bank’s target level. Following a meeting held in mid-March, the BoE’s nine-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted by an 8-1 majority to raise Bank Rate from 0.5% to 0.75%. This was Read More
Residential Property Review – March 2022
Sales up as demand stays strong 2022 has picked up where 2021 left off, with near-record demand leading to the busiest January and February since 2016, according to Zoopla. Sales agreed in February were 31% above the 2017-19 average for the month, according to TwentyCi, matching levels last seen at the start of 2021. Meanwhile, mortgage approvals in January were Read More
Commercial Property Market Review – March 2022
Prime space snapped up by legal firms More than one million sq. ft of Grade A office space was taken up by the legal sector in 2021, highlighting the importance of the ‘best’ space in the post-pandemic landscape. London’s resilient legal sector has enjoyed strong revenue and increased headcount over the last year, which has driven demand for office space. Read More
Economic Review – February 2022
Interest rates rise again In February, the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) announced an increase in its main interest rate for the second meeting in a row as the Bank continues to grapple with a rapid rise in the cost of living. At its latest meeting held in early February, the MPC sanctioned a quarter of a percentage Read More
Residential Property Review – February 2022
Promising signs in the UK housing market Following a record-breaking 2021, continuing strong numbers of agreed sales and approved mortgages suggest transactions are likely to stay high over the next few months. Net mortgage debt by individuals decreased slightly to £3.6bn in December 2021, according to the Bank of England Net mortgage debt by individuals decreased slightly to £3.6bn in Read More
Commercial Property Market Review – February 2022
Upbeat mood for regional office activity The regional office investment market remains upbeat, according to the latest quarterly update from Avison Young, after office demand across the ‘Big Nine’ returned to ‘normal’ activity in H2 2021. A strong second half brought the year’s total take-up across the Big Nine cities to 8.1 million sq. ft, only 5% below the ten-year Read More
Economic Review – January 2022
Economy regains pre-pandemic size The UK economy grew strongly in November to move beyond its pre-COVID level, with increasing momentum recorded across all industry sectors prior to the arrival of the Omicron variant. Data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that the economy grew by 0.9% in November. This was much stronger than the consensus forecast predicted Read More