Shortage of prime London homes fuels frenzy of 24-hour exchanges August 18, 2015 An acute shortage of property in prime central London is driving more buyers to exchange on homes within 24 hours even as the top end of the market slows, according to search agent Banda Property. The boutique firm, which acts on about 50 sales a year, said that buyers were insisting on a 24-hour exchange [...]
Housebuilder shares drop on “vanilla” house price growth August 18, 2015 Shares in the UK's largest listed housebuilders fell today, despite official figures showing annual house price growth rose to 5.7 per cent in June. Shares in Barratt fell 1.45 per cent to 643.5p in late morning trading, while Berkeley Group was down just under one per cent at 3,422p. Meanwhile, shares in Persimmon, which posted [...]
“Summer boom” in upmarket central London lettings as Mayfair has post-election bounce August 18, 2015 It's not just super-rich property buyers who breathed a sigh of relief when the result of the General Election was announced: new figures suggest landlords were also pretty relieved, after corporate relocation enquiries for homes in Mayfair jumped 40 per cent in the past three months. Read more: One estate agent is enticing the super-rich [...]
London drives frenzy of global property deals August 18, 2015 INVESTMENT activity in commercial property rose sharply in the first half of the year, new figures show, with cities, including London, New York and San Francisco, continuing to steal the spotlight. Global investment in commercial real estate reached $318bn (£204bn) at the end of June, 15 per cent higher than the same time last year, [...]
City Moves for 18 August 2015 | Who’s switching jobs August 17, 2015 Investec Roger Lee has been appointed to the bank’s large cap pan-European sales team. He joins from Macquarie, where he was first responsible for leading the development of its global sales platform in Asia and the Middle East, and subsequently relocated to London to develop its UK and European long-only coverage. Lee has over 20 [...]
The next crash: Why the global hotel boom signals probable disaster ahead August 17, 2015 It’s seven years since the last crash. We know there will be another one soon but where will it happen? Looking at the cranes in the sky has always been a reliable indicator. I remember surveying Reykjavik’s skyline in 2007 and wondering who was going to live in the fancy apartments being erected. Now they’re [...]
Government hires Lazard and Savills as multi-million pound sale of 36.5 per cent stake in King’s Cross Central kicks off August 17, 2015 The government has kicked off the sale of its 67-acre site around London's King's Cross station. Investment group Lazard and high end estate agent Savills are handling the deal. Interested parties have been urged to contact Lazard by 7 September. The decision to sell the government’s 36.5 per cent stake in King’s Cross [...]
Network Rail is poised for £1bn sale of properties including Vinopolis site and Brixton arches August 16, 2015 Network Rail has taken the first step towards selling off its £1bn commercial property portfolio after hiring bankers to conduct a review of its estate. The government-backed organisation, which runs all of Britain’s rail infrastructure, confirmed that it is working with boutique investment bank Rothschild to explore ways in which it can “make more [...]
London mayoral hopeful Andrew Boff’s radical plan for housing and transport August 16, 2015 London Assembly member Andrew Boff may be trailing in the polls behind his fellow Tory mayoral hopefuls. However, sitting down with City A.M. last week in his office in City Hall, the leader of the Greater London Authority Conservatives said he is confident he can win the open primary to be Tory candidate. “Of course [...]
London house prices up nearly 10pc in August as first-time buyers hit hardest August 16, 2015 London house prices have had their most buoyant August for eight years, new figures show. Homes in Greater London are 9.7 per cent more expensive than they were in August 2014, property website Rightmove said today. House prices normally face a drop in August when compared with July, as the holiday period distracts buyers and [...]