After a challenging year, what is the outlook for UK commercial real estate in 2025 and has the market turned a corner?

Anna is joined by our UK head of commercial research, Will Matthews, London research head Shabab Qadar and associate in retail research Emma Barnstable.  

We hear from Emma on how attitudes towards the retail sector are the most positive they have been for years, with retail the best performing mainstream property asset class in 2024. Two-thirds of the Top 300 retailers are rated low-risk. Despite this, investment volumes last year fell short of

10-year averages. Could 2025 be a more profitable year for investors?

Shabab talks about how the London office market is at an inflection point, with investor sentiment stabilising, pointing to renewed activity into 2025, particularly for top-tier office spaces. The investment market is polarised, however, with demand strongest for prime office buildings in the top UK markets. In certain areas of the capital, there is a significant shortage of high-quality office space. Specifically, less than 0.5% of the available office stock in London's City and West End submarkets is classified as grade A.

The panel also look at projections for overall investment volumes into UK commercial real estate this year, and discuss why new infrastructure projects present significant opportunities.

Produced by Ollie Peart at Rethink Audio.

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In this episode, we delve into the results of our new Knight Frank Alpine Property Report. Anna is joined by our head of European residential research, Kate Everett-Allen, and partner Alex Koch de Gooryend, to examine the key drivers currently of demand for Alpine properties from declining mortgage rates, tax changes and an increase in year-round amenities.  

The report highlights a 3% increase in property values in Alpine markets over the past year. While this is down from the pandemic peak, growth remains above long-run trend rates. The discussion also delves into geographical trends, with Swiss resorts outperforming French ones, backed by Switzerland’s stable economy. Also, find out where our panel would invest if they had the cash.

You can read the report here: https://www.knightfrank.com/research/report-library/alpine-property-report-2025-11694.aspx

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UK students are struggling to find housing and demand for accommodation is soaring. Supply is failing to keep up, causing rents to rise on average by around 8% this year, according to the latest Knight Frank data.

So what's going on? How can universities, developers, and investors collaborate more effectively to tackle the supply crunch? What emerging trends will shape the future of student housing in 2025 and beyond? From the race for high-quality accommodations to the evolving expectations of Gen Z students—this conversation is a must-listen for anyone navigating the student property market.  

Anna is joined by Neil Armstrong and Merelina Sykes, joint heads of Knight Frank’s student property division, along with research associate Katie O’Neill, to unpack these critical questions.

For more, see Knight Frank’s student accommodation survey 2024: https://content.knightfrank.com/research/1663/documents/en/knight-frank-ucas-student-accommodation-survey-report-2024-11543.pdf

And Knight Frank’s latest quarterly update on the market: https://www.knightfrank.be/research/uk-student-housing-q3-2024-11625.aspx

Produced by Ollie Peart at Rethink Audio.

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We take a look at the key risks facing UK housing and retail markets in the aftermath of the Autumn Budget. We focus on the threats and opportunities for both sectors following the biggest rises in taxes at a budget since 1993.

Will mortgage rates stay higher for longer as a result? Plus, does the Budget really just spell bad news for the high street or will we see a retail renaissance?  

Anna is joined by Knight Frank’s head of UK housing research Tom Bill and head of UK retail research, Stephen Springham. Stay tuned to find out whether Tom will be fixing his own mortgage for two or five years following the Budget…

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You potentially won’t be able to let an office in the UK without an EPC A-B by as soon as 2030. So how can London’s office landlords prepare effectively for this energy efficiency deadline? Currently, 70% of commercial property floor space is rated EPC C or below across England & Wales. So getting ahead of potential future regulation could mean a first-mover advantage, particularly where there is a demand and supply imbalance.

To unpick this complex topic, Anna is joined by Flora Harley, Knight Frank’s head of ESG research, and Harriet Hicks, ESG consultant at the property agency, who explain some of the risks and strategies commercial property landlords and investors must consider. They discuss Knight Frank’s new report on building obsolescence, which looks at more than 3,000 commercial properties that have undergone retrofitting leading to an improved EPC rating of at least B, and the measures landlords took to get there.

They also delve into new research on building obsolescence, highlighting key areas such as regulatory, functional, physical, and financial risks. Practical measures like LED lighting and digital twin modelling for building improvements are discussed, along with market trends, tenant collaboration, and potential future innovations in the sector.

Knight Frank’s report: Meeting the Commercial Property Retrofit Challenge - Part 1: Defining a Strategy is available here: https://www.knightfrank.com/research/report-library/meeting-the-commercial-property-retrofit-challenge-part-1-11509.aspx

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Co-living is a small but growing trend in UK cities, driven by urbanisation, rising housing costs, and the need for community in an age of digital isolation. Experts from Knight Frank explore the investment landscape, government policies, demographic appeal, and future prospects of co-living compared to traditional student accommodation. The conversation covers topics such as policy evolution, investment trends, and the challenges and opportunities in the sector.

Host Anna Ward discusses this and more with guests Chris Benham, Oliver Knight and Katie O’Neill.

For more, please see Knight Frank’s 2024 Co-living Report here: https://content.knightfrank.com/research/2854/documents/en/co-living-report-2024-11304.pdf

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What is the current state of the London office market and how will the next six months pan out?

Knight Frank's Head of London Research Shabab Qadar joins host Anna Ward to discuss market activity and what is coming next for development activity and investment in the capital’s office sector. They discuss how a future supply crunch could impact the market, where the new emerging office districts will be, to what extent repurposing will feature in the market and how much stock will shift to other uses.

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Rachel Reeves used her first speech as chancellor to reverse some Conservative housing policy following a Labour landslide. But aside from bringing back local housing targets, how else will the government get Britain building again? In this episode our expert panel dive into getting the balance right between net-zero goals and extensive housebuilding plans, the need for renewable energy and regulatory certainty, and how the UK and European residential markets compare.

Also, if you had £50 million, where should you put that money right now in residential real estate?

Host Anna Ward discusses this and more with guests Flora Harley, Stuart Baillie, and Kate Everett-Allen from Knight Frank.

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In this episode of 'Intelligence Talks,' host Anna Ward discusses the potential implications of Labour and Conservative election pledges on the commercial real estate market with Will Matthews, Shabab Qadar, and Stephen Springham from Knight Frank’s research team. They examine current market conditions, and key manifesto proposals on finance, investment, tax, business rates, and planning laws.  

What will be the impact of these policies on key UK commercial real estate sectors from offices to retail? And how will investment volumes turn out by the end of 2024 compared to last year? All that, plus hear how each expert would invest a hypothetical sum of £50 million in UK commercial real estate. 

This is the first of two special episodes on the UK election. We will be back next month with part two after the election and you will hear from experts in our UK residential research team.

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Is London tapped out or are there still great development opportunities in the capital? This week Anna Ward is joined by James Barton and Nick Alderman from Knight Frank's development land team. 

In this episode, they explore where the new residential development opportunities might be, from Battersea to Hackney Wick. They also discuss who will be building these projects, the return of developers to the land market, as well as the withdrawal of housing associations, as well as the latest findings from Knight Frank’s poll of 50 volume and SME housebuilders. And the key challenges to building these developments: land scarcity, outdated council registers, and high build and finance costs. Plus, they look at whether there is a need for some flexibility in affordable housing criteria. 

Don't miss this informative discussion on the opportunities and challenges shaping London's residential development scene.  

REPORT: Knight Frank’s land index and survey of 50 volume and SME housebuilders

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