United Kingdom

Pressure Mounts for Strict Regulation of Short-Term Accommodation

In reaction to the rising numbers of property investors buying up several apartments for short-term rental, the hotel sector is putting pressure on governments.....

The dollar has enjoyed a meteoric rise since the middle of 2014, reaching highs against major currencies not seen since before the global downturn....

Price growth is continuing at a steady pace throughout the UK's property markets despite weakening wage growth.....

As it emerged the Tories had won a majority government at last week’s general election and mansion tax fears subsided....

As it draws closer to the UK's elections, foreign exchange markets have displayed more volatility than seen since the US had its 'fiscal cliff' moment.....

Even before London’s property boom the city as well as other areas of Britain have been considered safe investments for overseas buyers and developers.....

Standard Life reported an "unprecedented level of customer contact" in the days following 6th April when new pension freedoms came into effect in Britain....

2014 was an exciting year for international property investors and we’ve seen the market open wider than ever before as we get closer to.....

London: A Casino in the Neighbourhood?

Would you like to have a Vegas-style gambling casino in your neighbourhood or for that matter on your street? This is the issue is being presented to the Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.....

The international hotel sector is set for exponential growth in 2015 as Chinese insurers continue their foray into prime property markets.....

Distressed Assets

The following is a summary of the distressed properties market relating to the US only. Whilst IPIN's expertise extends to distressed assets internationally.....

Whilst topics regarding the NHS, taxation and immigration are the most notable leading up to the British 2015 election, one issue that certainly gets its share of media attention.....

London: The Future of Getting Around

In May 2014 Britain's Planning Resource organisation reported that according to Office for National Statistics (ONS).....

April 2015 will see changes to pension legislation come into effect allowing lump sums to be transferred into bank accounts for any purpose.....

A six-week business trip to Singapore. Sounds fantastic right? That's certainly what Michelle Daly thought when she was asked to accompany the Group Sales Director!

2014 has seen a resurgence of Britons buying property overseas, seeking to capitalise on a strengthening pound in Eurozone markets, where house prices are still heavily discounted and mortgages are cheap.....

What is the difference between the two types of Buy-to-Let (BTL) and which is the more profitable? Also, check out the Prime Hotspots on the interactive map...

London's largest privately-owned residential developer, Galliard Homes recently announced a joint venture (JV) focussing on regeneration projects in the South East of England.....

The British property market continues its stellar rise from strength to strength, with little or no sign of abating in the near future....

The New Admiralty Arch

So, does London really need another expensive hotel to accommodate business and holiday visitors? Obviously the local hotel industry thinks so with the new Conrad Hotel.....

Recent reports suggest that overseas investors now own almost 25% of all UK commercial property, most of it in London.....

China is seeking financial sanctuary in Britain's energy, property and transport infrastructure....

UK Sees First-Time Buyer Revival

Despite gloomy reports on the lack of affordability for many British buyers trying to get on the property ladder, September saw a healthy 11% increase....

Buy-to-Let: The Only Way is Up North

Media reports showing a booming demand for rental properties in the UK have been on the increase in 2014, with demand significantly outstripping supply.....

New data shows that the richest investors from the Middle East are set to pour billions into European property......

Wealth in Europe at Record High

Swiss bankers have released data showing that wealth in Europe rose 1.7% in 2013, exceeding the peak recorded prior to the 2007-2009.....

The last week has seen a number of positive highlights for the UK property market. For example, the latest Help-to-Buy figures reveal that nearly 53,000....

Dubai's luxury hotel developers Jumeirah Group have highlighted Manchester as a potential expansion location which could transform the skyline and the....

For the first time since records have been kept, Spain was visited by 9,070,024 tourists in the month of August alone, bringing the annual total......

Over the past few years there has been an increasing amount of Chinese money pouring into overseas real estate markets. With more than 40,000 new millionaires created.....

The UK has attracted the most inward investment projects since records began in the 1980s, creating the highest number of new jobs....

It's well recorded that London's prime property markets have experienced extreme inflation due to heightened interest from some of the world's richest investors....

According to a new report, the UK has seen a huge increase in overseas investors seeking and purchasing properties under £70,000....

UK Property website Zoopla has published a study today which reveals that the number of homeowners who can refer to themselves as property millionaires....

As a result of budgetary changes in March 2014, more pensioners are investing in residential property as part of their pension pot....

According to data from Markit, the UK's construction sector recorded a rating of 62.4 on the purchasing managers' index (PMI). Any figure above 50 indicates growth...

The National Association of Estate Agent’s (NAEA) claimed that just 3% of buyers in June were first-time buyers under the age of 30...

Across the Thames in the shadows of the controversial Battersea Power Station and its resurrection is another development that has also had its share...

The British government have announced a new affordable homes programme that is set to change the way properties are built in the country with many being largely constructed off-site....

There is no doubt that the increases in UK property prices have been largely driven by the huge rise in private landlords coming to the market....

Research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) published today has revealed that only those over the age of 60 have not experienced any drop....

Bridging the Wealth Gap Columbian Style

The British press has recently been full of reports concerning the increasing gap between rich and poor created by the economic downturn in the UK...

World leading property consulting and research firm CBRE have revealed that investors from the Middle East are expected to spend €135bn in overseas...

When London won its bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games, the fortunes of Stratford, a somewhat deprived area with many brownfield sites, improved beyond expectation.....

The housing crisis in the UK is one of the biggest social and economic challenges facing the country. According to government figures 122,950 new homes...

A report published recently by investment specialists Assetz has revealed the UK’s hotspots for student property investment and some other...

Savills have recently compiled a quirky report which compares the performance of traditional property assets with non-property assets...

According to Hamptons International so far in 2014, there has been a surge in the number of Londoners buying homes outside the capital....

There's been a coup in the UK Buy to Let market recently with big institutional investors ploughing money into the private rented sector...

Research undertaken by HSBC shows that rental yields in the coastal city of Southampton increased from 7.82% in 2013 to 8.73% this year and now offers the best returns to landlords in the country....

Spain has made it back onto the list of Europe's "Top Five" investment destinations for the first time since 2010....

Sam Bowman, research director at the Adam Smith Institute recently stated that, "by rolling back the green belt by just one mile around London, we would have space for one million new homes"....

A new consumer credit report published by independent research company Verum Financial Research says that UK houses are currently overpriced by around 28%....

According to new data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), 20% of the 148,000 borrowers who took out a new mortgage in the first quarter of 2014 stretched out the mortgage term over 30 years....

Having seamlessly absolved themselves from responsibility, the government continue to ignore the lack of housing supply that is currently fuelling property prices, instead placing the onus for cooling the market firmly on Mark Carney, governor of the Bank of England....

Although the government and the Bank of England seem to be taking a very laid-back attitude towards the UK's housing shortage, calls for action have become desperate pleas as experts predict the worst case scenario.....

The Pound nosedived this morning in reaction to the Bank of England's Inflation Report delivered by Canadian Mark Carney, the bank's chief...

It would be a complete joke if it only delivered a humourous punchline rather than an almost literal kick in the guts but the only people laughing in the aftermath of the measures introduced by the UK Mortgage Market Review are those with sufficient funds not to require a mortgage...

Former Chancellors Norman Lamont, Alistair Darling and Nigel Lawson have added their significantly powerful voices to a call for Osborne to scale down Help to Buy...

In response to targeted sanctions against Russians and pro-Russian Ukrainians, $51 billion has been siphoned out of the country in the first quarter of 2014...

According to property experts Knight Frank, 2013 saw commercial property in the UK outperforming other investment types by a significant margin...

It doesn't require rocket science to work out that house prices took a hit when the world went into recession in 2008. Six years on we have the benefit of hindsight, so what is the general consensus on how house prices will fare?

Investing in UK Buy to Let (BTL) property has long been considered an efficient vehicle to minimise taxation. However, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have recently increased scrutiny on BTL investors to ensure that tax bills are not being underpaid...

Mark Carney - credited with protecting Canada from the worst effects of the late-2000's financial crisis, his appointment at the Bank of England was a pragmatic move aimed at shielding the UK in exactly the same way...

The latest Home Let Rental Index published in March 2014 paints a very appealing picture of the UK Buy to Let (BTL) investment market with projections of significant growth in the sector in 2014.

There appear to be two distinct camps of opinion when it comes to whether the UK is heading towards a property bubble...

Asian investors are slowly becoming one of the superpowers of the world property market. As the rest of the world suffered as a result of the financial crisis...

There is currently much talk about the Olympic legacy, as the redevelopment of the area kicks into gear post-games. While much of the space will be used to create new communities, there was always a question about what would happen to the buildings specifically built for the event...

London has once again beat off competition from a number of other thriving cities around the globe to be named the number one city in the world for investment from the wealthy who have money to spend...

London mayor Boris Johnson has appealed to developers to start selling homes in new buildings to those who are from the UK before selling to overseas investors...

Planning approvals for the building of new properties across England rose by as much as 20 per cent in the final quarter of last year, according to the latest report that has been released by Home Builders Federation...

Birmingham's commercial property sector is mirroring that seen in London over the last few years, with investors from overseas proving to be a strong factor in the resurgence of the market...

The majority of people who invest in the UK's commercial property market are opposed to the nation leaving the European Union (EU), a new survey has discovered...

The levels of demand seen for properties in Central London remained strong late into last year, the latest report released by Strutt & Parker has claimed...

Whilst most people in America the United Kingdom are aware of Section 8 Housing and Section 106 respectively, many are not fully informed on how these programs work. Documentary maker Kevin Murphy elaborates...

Developers in the UK are now able to bring better profits from the land they have invested in, according to the latest report published by Barratt Developments...

Price increases seen in London in February were lower than in regional areas of the country, the latest released report from Knight Frank has shown...

Planning permission for new homes in England saw a rise of 19 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2013 compared to the previous three months, the latest report from the Home Builders Federation reveals...

It is estimated that the Six Nations Rugby Championship period will see some £30 million injected into the Edinburgh economy within the space of just over a month...

Commercial property REITs in the UK are set to become more popular and prevalent in the UK looking forward, as the promised returns offer much more of a steady income...

Stratford TIQ: Investment in the Future

The International Quarter (TIQ) in Stratford, East London was the main hosting site for 2012 Olympic Games in the capital, has looked to make the most of the highlight this put on it with a chance 'to establish a new metropolitan business district for London that is thriving, sustainable, successful and inclusive'...

The level of rental yields enjoyed by landlords across the UK showed strong growth in the past year to remain at a high point that shows how much of an investment option it remains for those with money to spend in the property sector...

Overall investment in the commercial property market in Scotland in 2013 has shown yet again just how much the regional areas of the UK are now performing...

House Building Improved by 23% in 2013

The UK housing market has been in a fantastic state of health throughout the last year when compared to the years that have preceded it. Riding a wave of low interest rates...

The mean price of homes across the UK has now topped GBP 250,000 for the first time in history, according to the latest official figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS)...

The amount of time that UK homes spend on the market is at its lowest since the financial downturn, new data released has shown, as the supply and demand imbalance continues to push competition between buyers across the country...

The UK's property market is now being boosted by the positivity that has been seen in London in recent years, which could be good news for investors who are looking for new areas to buy in...

Good news for investors around the UK - property is now selling at or above asking prices in greater proportions than at any time in recent years, with demand and the continued low supply...

Time and again over the past few months, it has been reported that the commercial property market in regions away from London is getting stronger. This has now been underlined by a new report from Knight Frank, which has shown recovery in the office rental sector in Newcastle...

The level of investment in UK office spaces outside of London has hit a six-year high, according to the latest figures released by Knight Frank, which show there has been a real sentiment for purchase outside the capital...

London has long been the best place for investing in commercial property, particularly since the financial crisis hit the UK and sent valuations in regional areas of the UK tumbling. However, as the economy continues to recover...

It's a well-known fact that the improving economy and the subsequent rising business sentiment has pushed the price of commercial property in London much higher over the last year - rents for offices, for example, are expected to hit all-time highs by 2018...

The market conditions that were inherent throughout the UK and the rest of the continent meant that the country enjoyed a strong year in terms of commercial property investment...

Levels of investment in the commercial property sector are now at their highest recorded since 2007, according to the latest report compiled by DTZ...

The levels of optimism seen in the UK buy-to-let sector in recent times is set to continue into 2014, according to recent reports. It said that demand is now so high that as many as four in ten landlords across the nation are looking to increase what they charge their tenants in the coming year...

A degree of easing in the risk averse attitude of UK property investors could see prices in the market rising even faster than has previously been predicted, according to the latest forecast...

The improvements in the property market in England were widespread throughout the whole of 2013, according to new reports released by the Land Registry...

The price of renting properties in London is now more than double the average for the rest of the UK, the latest published figures from Gumtree have shown...

The positive sentiment among buyers in the UK property market is set to remain in place this year, according to one firm, but for completely different reasons than those experienced last year...

UK homeowners and investors looking to sell on their properties are feeling more confident that they will see the price they can bring in rising this year...

There can be absolutely no doubt that the London property market is one of the shining lights of the UK economy, and offers some of the best opportunities for investment seen anywhere in the world thanks to strong demand...

For years, British investors in property have been among the most likely to be putting their money into foreign markets, where holiday homes and rental accommodation could promise them an income as well as the future capital gains...

Landlords across the nation are increasingly going the extra mile to help out their tenants as a way to make sure they are happy at a time when the rented sector remains particularly competitive for buy-to-let owners...

Landlords across the UK witnessed impressive increases in what they were able to bring in through rental income throughout 2013, but growth levels were far slower than they were a year before...

The demand for property to invest in in the UK has been no secret in the last few months and according to new reports, this is leading to a trend for quicker decisions and more purchases being made on a whim...

Landlords in the UK are increasingly having to make sure they keep track of the financial state of their tenants, as the number of people who are falling into severe arrears with their rental payments rose...

London has been named as the best city in the world for foreign investment in the same week it was announced that foreign buy-to-let ownership in the UK is increasing quickly...

The implementation of the new Mortgage Market Review (MMR) regulations from April this year will change the market, subduing any great growth in the mortgage and lending sector...

A change in the attitude of foreign investors in the UK property market has meant that there are now far more overseas landlords than ever before, according to a new report published by UHY Hacker Young...

Property prices across the UK rose by 1.4 per cent through December to mark a strong end to the year and leave the property market having grown repeatedly throughout 2013...

Property prices are set to grow by up to eight per cent in the UK in 2014 according to numerous commentators, but it will be the south-east of England where the best increases will be seen...

As the clock struck midnight on December 31st, many renters in the UK will have made a resolution to enter the property market this year. Indeed, in a move that could see rental prices stay flat for landlords in 2014...

Because of the reputation of British educational establishments, it's no surprise that the sector is attracting international investors, including those from the US...

The choice of mortgages for residential property buyers in the UK is now three times bigger than in 2009, with 12,000 products on the market. This figure marks a five-year high for the industry, according to the National Mortgage Index from Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB).

The UK property market is the focus of considerable overseas investment, both residential and commercial. Indeed, it seems foreign buyers are shaping the future of Britain, especially in hubs like London...

Condensation and mould in residential property is a substantial problem in Britain, especially over the winter months. This issue tends to start in kitchens and bathrooms, where moist warm air is generated, before moving to colder parts of the house.

Developers have pledged to give UK buyers in London a fairer deal, voluntarily committing to releasing properties to the domestic market at the same time as abroad...

Imposing Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on overseas buyers of UK residential property is unlikely to have a long-term impact on foreign investment but will hinder development, according to Jones Lang LaSalle...

House prices in Scotland are set to rise seven per cent next year, a new report suggests. According to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the average cost of a home will increase...

Hotels have long represented a significant investment opportunity and the asset class is strengthening further as demand rises. New figures from BDO suggest the corporate sector is behind this improved outlook...

The UK housing market currently looks ripe with property investment opportunities, but buyers should beware that it could come under threat from rising interest rates...

2013 - A Year in Property News

This has been a banner year for the UK property market and after a period of repressed values and low demand, it has come as a breath of fresh air to potential buyers and those considering property investment...

Buy to let property investors are increasingly opting for bridging loans, it has been revealed, driving up demand for this type of lending in the UK. There was a substantial 25 per cent increase in loans...

Christmas might still be over a week away but the property world is feeling a little bit like it received some presents early in this year's Autumn Statement. And like with all good gifts, some reflection is due after the initial excitement...

The future is looking brighter for landlords of property in prime central London, according to Knight Frank. In the latest Prime Central London Rental Index...

The number of people renting in the UK will grow by over a million in the next five years, according to a new report. A study conducted by YouGov on behalf of Savills...

OBR: House Prices to Grow 24% by 2018

Now is certainly the time for residential property investment in the UK, with house prices expected to grow by a staggering 24 per cent between 2013 and 2018...

Confidence in the property investment market is improving, as demand rises and lending increases. However, when it comes to house prices, expectations are waning slightly...

UK Rents are Historically Stable

Rents in the UK may have fallen in October, but historically they are stable, according to the latest HomeLet Rental Index. Last month the average sum paid by tenants stood at GBP 815, down 4.6 per cent from September...

Demand for Property at 11-Year High

Demand for property in the UK is now at an 11-year high, meaning those considering real estate investment will need to come to the table with adequate financial backing...

Real estate investment opportunities are often characterised by their low price and potential to generate value and returns. However, getting a bargain in Britain's property market is certainly getting harder...

More Brits Now Taking a Lodger

The rental market is getting more and more crowded for those considering property investment, with around 1.7 million Britons now taking a lodger...

Research from the Policy Exchange claims it is urgent that policymakers prioritise increasing housing stock, creating 1.5 million new homes by 2020, including the formation of at least one new garden city. Doing so will ease some of the barriers to home ownership...

House Prices to Increase 25% by 2018?

Mainstream house prices will increase by an average of 25 per cent over the next five years, according to a new report. Savills' five-year forecast showed there is much confidence in the market, which will drive 17 per cent growth in the next three years alone...

The UK tax system has long come under fire by home buyers and property investors alike. Now Berkely Group has joined those claiming it needs an overhaul...

The future of London appears to lie in Singapore, if recent dealings in the investment sector are anything to go by. Indeed, it seems the UK's capital is a prime stomping ground for overseas buyers and Singapore is leading the pack both in the private and institutional sector...

The government's New Homes Bonus scheme to encourage the construction of properties in the UK where supply is weakest is failing to live up to its mandate...

The British Property Federation (BPF) is warning that new taxes on foreign investors will only serve to damage the country's reputation as 'open for business', opposed to keeping a cap on prices...

House prices are likely to rise by 17 per cent over the next five years, according to research from CBRE. Pent up housing demand in core markets, combined with the UK's economic recovery, improved lending conditions and a shortage of supply will send values upwards...

Investors in the residential property market should explore areas around the top state schools, if new research is anything to go by. According to Lloyds Bank, people will in fact pay a premium of GBP 31,500 to live close to a good educational institution...

The London property market is expanding at an alarming rate and could be entering 'bubble territory' according to a new report. Home.co.uk explained the average price of a home in the capital is GBP 400,096 - a number that is set to rise even further...

With the majority of new buyers continuing to struggle with house prices, the rental market in London and the south-east should remain strong in the future, with house prices in the capital and surrounding area rising more quickly than inflation...

UK House Building Picks Up in Q3

Home building in the UK is certainly rebounding from the financial crisis, with more chartered surveyors noting growth in Q3. According to the latest construction market survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors...

Property investment opportunities for landlords in the UK remain plentiful and as average rents continue their upwards path, the sector will only become more attractive...

Perceptions of Growth at Record High

Perceptions of house price growth are now at their highest level on record, according to Knight Frank. Households in every region now expect the price of their property to rise over the next 12 months...

There are now nearly a dozen buyers for each new property that comes onto the London real estate market, showing more and more people are eager to get onto the housing ladder...

Is the Recovery Still Locked in London?

The UK property market is undoubtedly in a state of recovery but average growth statistics can often mask troubling regional disparities. Indeed, for several months price rises and increases in activity have been largely centred around London, with the rest of country often posting losses.

Rising property prices in the south-east are likely to drive first-time buyers out of the area, according to research from Cluttons. Over the next five years it is expected people will look elsewhere for cheap property, giving regional markets a boost.

Record High for UK House Prices

House prices in the UK have now hit a record high, according to figures from the Office for National statistics. In August, the House Price Index surpassed its previous January 2008 peak by 0.3 per cent...

The UK student accommodation market is proving to be one of the most stable and lucrative in the world, filled with sound property investment opportunities and high demand...

The tenants charter proposed by the government to improve the rental market could be counterproductive, according to one industry expert. Landlord Assist explained to Property Wire that the reforms could cause the market to destabilise by working against landlords and forcing rents upwards...

The second phase of the government's Help to Buy scheme has now been rolled out, but it may be the first part of the initiative that becomes known as the runaway success...

House sales in the UK were at a near four-year high in the three months to September, according to the latest Residential Market Survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)...

Is UK House Price Growth Slowing?

UK house prices have found themselves on an upwards trajectory over recent months but growth could be slowing. The Halifax House Price Index for the three months to September showed that throughout the quarter values rose by two per cent - below the increases noted in June, July and August, albeit slightly.

Landlords are generally well-versed in the ins and outs of property investment, so you'd expect them to know the importance of dotting the Is and crossing the Ts. However, it seems that when it comes to decorating, those in the private rented sector...

Mortgage lending in the UK is increasing but it is still falling below the historic average. According to the Building Societies Association (BSA), there are sustained signs of recovery within the market...

Over-50s are increasingly planning on using their property to fund their pension, new research has revealed. Many plan on using equity release, while others will downsize or turn to renting in a bid to boost their retirement income - creating new opportunities for landlords...

The Scottish hotel sector is the fastest growing in the UK, as recent data released by accountants BDO indicates year...

Five Year High for Property Prices

Residential property prices in England and Wales have reached a five-year high, according to the latest index from Home.co.uk. Average asking prices now stand four per cent greater than this time in 2012...

Uproar over suggestions that British taxpayer money could be used to back the mortgages of rich overseas property buyers could dampen enthusiasm for the Help to Buy scheme in the UK...

Location, location, location is no longer the mantra of the property sector and it seems buyers now have other concerns. According to research from Aviva, people are increasingly going in search of homes completed to a high specification...

Article Four is now in effect and landlords need special planning permission to convert a single family home into a rental property of three or more unrelated tenants...

Last week was a big week for the UK's growing and increasingly vital private rented sector, or rather the regulation, or lack thereof. The Scottish government published a review of its strategy for the PRS...

Waterfront properties in the south-west are commanding strong premiums, according to the latest research. Knight Frank's annual Prime Waterfront Index revealed that a waterfront setting in the south-west can create an uplift of as much as 66 per cent...

House Prices Rise In Jersey

House prices in Jersey rose by three per cent in the first quarter of this year, according to new figures. The latest Jersey House Price Index revealed the increase in the sale price of mix-adjusted property prices...

More areas across the UK have become more affordable for property investment in the past 12 months, according to new research. Figures from the Halifax found that almost two-fifths of towns in the UK are now affordable for home purchase, compared to just four per cent in 2008.

While the government was praised for its introduction of the Help to Buy scheme, a report has suggested that it may not be what it seems. Former economists at the Bank of England claim it could end up raising the cost of the average home to GBP 300,000 because of the price of inflation.

Property investment often boils down to location, but a new survey has revealed buyers should be looking out for more than just good local schools and facilities when hunting for real estate...

If you have your eye on residential property investment, chances are you won't feel particularly enamored towards bungalows, but according to a new report, this could be a big mistake...

Retail real estate investment in Europe jumped 60 percent in Q1 compared to last year, with investors pouring 5.1 billion Euros into the real estate during the quarter, 40% of which was in the UK...

Monthly Rents Are Higher in 2013

The country's landlords are continuing to benefit from increasing rental yields, with prices in 2013 consistently higher than the average rents received in 2012. According to the latest HomeLet Rental Index...

The student accommodation sector is filled with positivity at the moment, creating an attractive environment for property investment. Knight Frank forecasts an average blended UK return of 9.2 per cent over the next 12 months...

It seems the UK is no longer a nation of homeowners, with new figures showing more and more people are being forced to rent. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) noted a slump in homeownership for the first time since 1918...

In an unexpected announcement, the Government has decided to explore with interested parties whether the conversion of unused space in commercial properties in high streets and town centres to residential use could be allowed within pension schemes...

If the expenses scandal taught us anything, it's that politicians like their property and it seems the relationship between public servants and real estate is an historical one. You need only look at some of Britain's most famous prime ministers to see that the premiers like a home to impress...

UK Hotel Investment Quadruples in Q1

2013 looks set to blow the hotel sector away. According to new data from Savills investment in the sector in Q1 this year quadrupled compared to last year...

Farmland continues to be seen as a preferred property investment option for many buyers, according to a new report...

Top 10 Cities for the Well-Heeled

When you've got money in your pocket the world is your oyster, but just where should you set your pin on the globe if you want to ensure you are seen in the hottest location?

Property is one of the primary tools we have at our disposal to see into the past and learn about our heritage. However, across the globe it seems we are letting this crumble away...

Shakespeare asked what's in a name and according to research by Zoopla, it could be the difference of GBP 70,000. The study revealed that the first letter of your street's name can add a considerable amount of money onto your home...

If you're looking for a property investment project you may need to act fast if you want to pick up a bargain, as it seems peak prices will be making a comeback before too long...

"The expanding residential rental property market, particularly in London and southern England, is gaining in appeal for institutional investors" The words of Alex Jeffrey, the chief executive of Prupim - one of the UK's biggest institutional investors Prudential insurance, via its asset management subsidiary M&G...

Property investment has long been thought to be a numbers game, but it may pay to put facts and figures on the backburner in favour of a happiness rating...

Landlords are calling on the government to regulate the UK's private rented property sector to tackle rogue agents and promote professionalism and basic standards...

Like most forms of property investment in the current climate there are 2 schools of thought on which markets you should invest in. You have those who believe that the flight to primary cities not only can't be ignored but shouldn't be strayed from, and those who continue to believe in emerging market growth potential...

As business has become more globalised, apart-hotels have emerged as one of the world's hottest property investment classes. Although the trend hasn't taken off in the UK as significantly as in the US and Asia...

Top-Down Recovery for UK Housing Market

It will still be a top-down recovery for the UK housing market, despite Budget 2013 containing measures that will act as a boost for the lower tiers...

There is still room for further property investment in Nottingham's student accommodation sector, according to one expert. Matthew Robertson, associate director at the Nottingham offices of Jones Lang LaSalle...

UK Rental Boom Down but Maybe Not Out

The UK rental market has felt a bit of a change lately. The typical seasonal slowdown running into December has continued on into this year, with February experiencing the 4th consecutive monthly decline in rents...

The UK housing market received the boost it had hoped for in the 2013 Budget. George Osborne revealed that the government will be giving GBP 5.4 billion of financial support to tackle long-term problems in the sector and support those looking get on or move up the property ladder...

In this post, inspired in part by my fanatical attention to pointing out the flaws in many suggestions made by politicians, bankers and the public over the past few years. I am going to attempt to detect the root cause of the problem – and propose not one, but two possible solutions which you can all argue about...

Despite property market growth, it seems the US is suffering a crisis of confidence. The March 2012 Zillow Home Price Expectations Survey revealed that economists are tempering their expectations of a recovery in the near term...

Leading real estate firm Savills is tipping the US and UK to lead an international hotel investment surge in 2013. The firm predicts a significant increase in UK hotel investment on the £1.64 billion transacted last year...

Social renters are the least optimistic about their chances of purchasing a home, with three million unconvinced they will ever be in a position to own property...

Confidence in the UK property market is rising and this is driving up real estate values across the country. RightMove's House Price Index revealed that the beginning of the spring market has seen the highest ever new seller asking prices...

How to Sell Houses in the Internet Age

When it comes to buying and selling houses, as buyers we make full use of the internet, but as sellers most people still seem to go the way we always have, straight to a high-street agent...

Property investment has become a dream for many people in the UK, with a report from the House Builders Federation revealing that saving a deposit for a home will now take the average first-time buyer ten years...

House sales in the UK have reached a two-and-a-half year high, meaning more property investment deals could soon be in the pipeline. The latest Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) housing market survey revealed that despite a threat of a triple-dip recession...

According to new research European commercial property prices are the most attractive for 10 years. The quarterly Fair Value Index by DTZ monitors the relative attractiveness of pricing in commercial property in European markets by giving each a score out of 100 based on its attractiveness...

House prices in the UK are on the rise but, in order for this run to continue, employment levels must progress in an upwards position. This is the conclusion to come out of the Halifax House Price Index...

With economic contraction and high deposits, the UK may not look like a traditional property investment hotspot at the moment. However, buyers shouldn't be fooled by this seemingly bleak outlook...

No Improvement in Mortgage Lending

There has been no improvement in the number of mortgages being approved in the UK, despite the government's attempts to encourage financial institutions to increase lending. Data from the Bank of England revealed that in January, British mortgage approvals for house purchases fell...

London property has undoubtedly gone from strength to strength during the financial crisis, with real estate investment the asset of choice for overseas investors looking for a safe haven for their money...

London has been the centre of considerable property investment of late, but there is a notable lack of cash buyers among those choosing to put their money in bricks and mortar...

Want More for your Money? Head up North

Those looking for their next property investment project may want to head up North if they want to get more for their money. Figures from the Land Registry have shown that the real estate chasm between the North and South of the country is widening...

The latest report into UK housing seems to be a breath of fresh air in a more-than-beleaguered market. According to the National Association of Estate Agents 314 potential buyers registered with estate agents...

London may be a safe haven for investors but for people needing to rent a property, living in the city is getting harder and harder. The average cost of renting a home in Greater London increased by 6.7 per cent over the past year...

Property investment is an ever changing industry and a new hot asset may soon be grabbing the attention of prospective buyers. For budding hoteliers, beach side rentals in prime locations are proving to be extremely lucrative - even in the UK...

The market is currently awash with cheap fixed rate mortgages but with deposits continuing to be sky high, how much impact can they really have?...

Over 11 per cent of all mortgages in Britain last year went towards buy to let mortgages according to a new report from the Council of Mortgage Lenders. The report shows that gross buy to let lending was £16.4 billion last year...

Investors Enjoying Fun on the Farm

Property investors are making hay while the sun shines - often literally - in the farming sector, with new statics showing the price of rural land hit a record high in the second half of 2012...

The UK is continuing to increase its student accommodation stock, with a new development recently approved in Cambridge. The Liverpool property group Downing has won the planning permission for a 354 bedroom student accommodation project in the CB1 regeneration scheme in Station Road...

IHG Announces 13 New Hotels in India

International hotel chain InterContinental is to build 13 new hotels in India. The news has come of the current UK trade mission, in which IHG's Asia chief Jan Smits joined David Cameron to boost trade ties between the UK and India...

UK House Prices at Record Highs?

Yesterday the Telegraph had a headline House Prices hit 'five year high' and you think wow. However, anyone who knows the industry and reads into the report finds out it is a load of sensationalist rubbish...

Investing in Property is Money Saver

Property investment is now one of the main ways Britons can save money, according to research by Halifax. It has been revealed that choosing to put money in bricks and mortar could save the average renter...

The terms "Bedroom Tax" and "Mansion Tax" have been very popular in the UK of late – spurred on by the latest proposals to alter benefit payments depending on how efficiently occupied a recipients house is and more recently, the leader of the opposition Ed Miliband has again been proposing a "Mansion Tax"...

Student accommodation is continuing to be one of the strongest property investment markets, with new projects given the go-ahead monthly. Sheffield is the latest city to be the target of developers...

According to the latest figures from LSL Property Services, the proportion of households who own their home has dropped to its lowest level since 1987 at 65.3%. Unsurprisingly the firm also reports that the rental sector continues to grow from strength to strength...

According to a new report from leading real estate consultancy Savills commercial activity in the UK rose in January for the 5th straight month. Sounds great until the next bit of the report tells you that the growth was not only slight, but was the slowest pace of growth since the current period of growth began...

London is considered an international safe haven - a place where the wealthy from across the globe can invest their money. However, it seems that Britons are the only ones not willing to flash their cash in the capital, with the super rich preferring the US...

Everything is bigger in America, and the so-called mega-malls are no exception. But they are an exception to the wider rule, as we have seen in previous downturns people spend more on entertainment, arguably to cheer themselves up from all the economic woes...

In the property market, size is no longer everything and it seems the wealthy are not content with getting as many acres as possible for their money. According to a recent survey, it is the all important extras that the rich and famous are now going in search of...

The gap between the best and the rest in the commercial property sector is widening, according to research from Legal & General. Although the industry looks set to enjoy greater returns in 2013...

The HS2 high-speed railway has been heralded as vital to improving the UK economy, better linking the North to the South and preparing the country for the future. While the development will no doubt support business by opening up new commercial markets, for residential property, the impact of HS2 may not be as favourable.

The centre for cities has just released it cities outlook 2013 report and it is a goldmine of information, most of which is very useful to investors and potential investors...

According to a new study by Banner Homes, people actually define the perfect house as being just two miles from a supermarket, ten miles from the coast and within walking distance from the pub - meaning that if you want to have tenants clamouring for your property, you need to focus on location, location, location...

The Changing Face of UK Retail

Around the world you can hear stories about hot retail investment sectors, with new malls being built and rented out by the handful in the likes of Turkey. Even in America there are still plenty of mall developments being reported. But in the UK only one new mall is to open this year...

UK Suffering from Property Price Gulf

The UK is suffering from a property price gulf, with homes in London and the south worth GBP 330 billion more on average than properties in the rest of the country...

It seems as though Eastbourne is the place to be for commercial property investment, according to an expert. Mike Reid, from the chartered surveyors and estate agents Reid + Dean, believes that the outlook for the market in the Sussex town is decidedly optimistic...

According to the Homelet index UK rents were up 4.7% on the year in December and up 1.1% on the previous month with renters now paying an average £782 per month. However, taking Greater London out of the equation rents grew by just 1.7% during the course of the year to £654 per month...

The property markets are now more diverse than ever with each sector fighting harder for news coverage and making its case for public investment. We take a look over the past month's activity on IPIN Live and what property investors were reading, and give our opinion as to why...

Trending Property News - Week 5

This weeks property news highlights in brief: Boris Johnson gets a party invite, economists question house price stats, a journalist complains and Vanilla Ice tells us about investing in US real estate...

Prime central London property prices have been on the rise for the last four years, according to new research. In its Spring 2013 London Residential Review...

The coalition government is looking to relax planning restrictions that govern the conversion of offices into buildings which will eventually have a residential purpose, according to Henry Lancaster, a senior investment analyst at Coutts...

It is no secret that London is a bright spot in a bleak UK property market, or that the residential sector in the capital returned to pre-crisis levels long ago, but now the office sector has followed it...

Retail Investment Strong in Europe

Property investment deals have been lively in the European retail sector, according to a new report. Jones Lang LaSalle claim that retail unit sales were strong in the final quarter 2012 across the continent...

A new report has shown how vital housing is to the North's economic recovery according to shadow housing minister Jack Dromey...

The eurozone is undoubtedly in crisis but its predicted collapse has yet to materialise. In fact, there have been small signs of recovery - a shock to those such as Nobel-Prize winner Paul Krugman who expected the implosion of the monetary union to occur before 2013...

With many UK growth markets - including central London - experiencing a slowdown this year, it seems farmland is the safe bet for property investment in 2013. According to research from Savills...

It is now going on 7 years since America started to crumble, 6 years since the UK caught the disease, and between that and 5 years since most the rest of the world followed suit, and still we aren't back out the other side in any real way...

According to the latest figures from CBRE some £2.7 billion was invested in student property last year, an astonishing 125% increase compared to 2011...

Configured retail units in good locations continue to be in demand, according to Jones Lang LaSalle. Despite structural changes currently taking place in the sector and a constant stream of businesses going into administration...

Shop Chains Increase in 2012

Retail space is still an attractive asset for those considering property investment, with figures from the CBRE showing that the total number of businesses with multiple branches in Great Britain increased in 2012...

The legal status of lettings agents is to be debated in Parliament, after Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town put forward a motion to have letting agents classified under the law as estate agents...

The UK property market is heading to hell in a rental-boom-fuelled hand-basket. But having said that, while it is in an abysmal state, it isn't much worse now than it has been since 2008...

Global real estate investment volumes are back on the up, with preliminary data from Jones Lang La Salle suggesting total transaction volumes for 2012 somewhere in the region of $436 billion, up from $435 billion...

London is still viewed as a safe location for property investment by those looking to put their money in office units. Despite difficult economic conditions, the UK capital has proven itself resilient once again, considerably outperforming regional markets...

Farmland continued to be an attractive real estate investment opportunity in the final quarter of last year, according to the Knight Frank Farmland Index Q4 2012 report...

Property investment in the London office market will remain an attractive prospect in 2013, with the second half of the year performing better than expected and speculative development to restart in the city centre...

With 2013 now underway I was hoping some sense might have found its way into the UK housing market after a sustained break, or at best, there might be some delay before any nonsense crept in. Sadly it has not been the case...

London Enjoys Record Property Sales

London has enjoyed a record year for property sales, bucking the European trend for falling house prices and market stagnation. According to new data a surge in demand has caused real estate transactions in the capital to hit the highest level since the start of the financial crisis...

2013 is to see house prices in the UK rise by two per cent, while the cost of renting is forecast to go up by approximately four per cent. Against a backdrop of continuing economic uncertainty...

More and more property investment deals are being brokered in the shopping centre market, according to a recent study. Knight Frank's Shopping Centre report revealed that the final quarter of 2012 was another high performing one for the sector, following up on a healthy Q3.

Home ownership in England and Wales is dropping drastically. This is no longer something that economists suspect, or that analysts quip about in articles about generation rent, it is a cold hard fact as shown by official UK census data.

We could talk negative statistics on the UK economy all day... Heck we could put on some slow jazz, open a bottle of our favourite (or strongest) alcoholic spirit and really get down to the nuts and bolts of the misery if we really wanted – it is Christmas after all...

The Eurozone. As predicted last year – it's still alive, it's still bogged down by indecision and the UK is still doing the hokey-cokey on the side-lines...

Over recent years, the London property market has experienced increased activity from south-east Asia. Wealthy buyers are now seeking real estate investment opportunities in the UK capital...

The London property market is continuing to outperform its European counterparts, with demand showing no signs of abating any time soon...

It's time once again for one of my Housing Humbug Reports in which I take a look at the past 12 months in the property and financial markets and see if there are any potential gems of wisdom to be found and make a few predictions on what next year might hold...

The UK property market is witnessing the return of buyer confidence, according to new research. The latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors' (RICS) housing market survey revealed that investment interest grew...

It seems that the Scottish countryside is the new property investment hotspot. According to Savills, the market has enjoyed competitive bidding and sales achieved over the asking price...

Wednesday's (December 5th) Autumn Statement brought good news for the commercial property market in the UK and there is hope that the changes will lead to further growth...

New research from leading property company Jones Lang La Salle has found Manchester to be the 15th biggest real estate investment destination in the world relative to the size of its economy...

Swedish Hotel Assets Gaining Popularity

According to Jones Lang LaSalle's Hotel Intelligence report for Sweden, the country's stable economy and "robust operating conditions in Stockholm" are driving investment interest, enabling the city to enjoy hotel asset yields of 5.9 per cent...

European CMBS Becoming a Worry

As the US Mortgage backed securities trade looks set to hit a year-to-date total of $40 billion this week according to Standard and Poors, fledgling reports of a European CMBS revival have hit the wall of cold hard reality...

Manchester has been ranked as one of the world's top 20 real estate investment spots by Jones Lang LaSalle. The accolade was awarded based on the relative size of the city's economy...

While most people considering property investment instantly look towards bricks and mortar, it is those thinking outside the box that could actually be enjoying a greater rate of return. According to a new report launched by Savills and UPM Tilhill, the UK forestry market is proving itself to be a much coveted asset.

The European logistics and industrial sector is proving itself to be a prime market for property investment, with the latest data from Jones Lang LaSalle revealing that assets maintained their momentum in the penultimate quarter of 2012...

Commercial real estate investment in the UK was a mixed bag, or more like a split personality in October according to the latest research from Savills...

The coalition government has failed us massively; more specifically it has failed to do anything useful to combat the many problems in the country's housing situation...

A serviced apartment in Aberdeen is proving to be a strong property investment option for those looking to enter the hospitality sector, with demand for long-term accommodation driven by the city's business tourism...

Belfast and Aberdeen are proving to be among the best areas in the UK for hotel property investment, as the rest of the country prepares for a post-summer lull...

Real estate investment opportunities are abundant in the city of London, according to the Global Property Guide. Residential investors are well placed to capitalise on the current housing shortage...

Student accommodation has now emerged as a mainstream global investment category, according to new research from Jones Lang LaSalle. The market now presents a significant investment opportunity for developers and private operators alike...

UK house prices won't recover all they lost until 2019 (2031 if you strip out inflation) according to a new report by global estate agency Knight Frank, which would make it the slowest recovery ever witnessed by the UK housing market...

Offices are proving to be attractive property investment opportunities, after performing well throughout 2012. The UK market has experienced a strong year, with property take-up across the country remaining buoyant...

The Government has been urged to encourage more property investments outside of London by one MP. Lord Michael Heseltine told prime minister David Cameron that his obsession with the capital must end...

Student housing investment is now one of the top sectors across both sides of the Atlantic according to the latest data from IPD and other sources here and in the US...

A haunted home in the US could be a good property investment project, according to one expert...

The cold-hard figures show that demand for student accommodation outweighs supply by around 3 to 1 depending on where you look. Indeed, because student accommodation investment has come into its own recently...

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has announced the creation of a GBP 60 million fund to improve the nation's retirement property sector. Delivered in partnership with the Department of Health...

We may still be in debate as to whether or not the Olympics 2012 helped the property market, but there can be no such doubt in the hotel sector according to a new report...

The volume of investment in the UK's student accommodation sector has reached its highest ever level, new research from CBRE shows. According to the firm, GBP 2 billion has been ploughed into the student housing market...

The availability of all kinds of finance has been restricted since the onset of the global financial crisis, both in the UK and elsewhere around the world...

Who can tell me the difference between the "glass half full investor" and the "glass half empty investor?" If you are going to say that one is a pessimist and the other an optimist then you'd be right, but at the moment...

There are many reasons why buying an investment property in the UK is appealing to investors from overseas, particularly those within the eurozone...

According to LSL Property Services rents in England and Wales hit a new high of £741 in September, but according to Move With Us rents ended (September) Q3 at £970. A big difference, especially given that both measure asking rents...

The UK commercial property investment market has been attracting an increasing amount of attention from European investors...

Unlisted property funds in the UK returned 0.4% in Q3, a slight increase over the previous quarter as underlying direct property values fell slower according to the AREF/IPD UK Pooled Property Fund Index...

The summer selling season 2012 is just about to end for Spain, and surprisingly for some it is ending on rather a high note. According to a recent report sales in August were 4% higher than July and 7% higher than the previous year...

London Office Space Take-up Soars

London enjoyed a significant rise in the total take-up of space in its office sector during the second quarter of 2012...

The prime market is the focus of those investing in property in Britain due to the return to recession, a new study has concluded....

Recovering global property markets have prompted renewed impetus to transparency improvements following a slowdown in progress during the financial crisis in 2008 and 2009...

According to the latest data from Jones Lang La Salle, global investment volumes have remained robust despite registering a slight year over year decline in Q3 2012...

The Yorkshire cities of Leeds and Sheffield need to work hard to ensure they do not lose their tier one status when it comes to being hubs for investment...

According to the latest data from Jones Lang La Salle, investment in European retail real estate saw marked growth in the third quarter of the year following a weak first half...

There is evidence that the shopping centre investment market in the UK is picking up. The value of transactions completed in the third quarter of this year was almost double that in the three months from April to June...

Now well over 2 years into the Eurozone financial crisis and its lingering effects are continuing to depress the performance of European property funds...

Take-up of office space in London by the technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) sector is expected to grow significantly over the next three years...

UK Hotel Investment Market "Resilient"

The investment market for hotels in the UK - and especially London - is holding up well. Activity in the industry so far in 2012 has been "relatively resilient"...

More proof that UK rental yields are higher in the north of England than the south emerged this week when the Association of Residential Lettings Agents revealed new data. According to ARLA...

A growing number of high net-worth individuals (HNWIs) from all over the world have London's real estate investment market in their sights...

UK House Prices Slide in Q3

The value of homes in the majority of the UK's regions fell in the third quarter of this year. This is according to the latest Nationwide House Price Index, which revealed prices were down by...

Hammersmith and Fulham council has announced proposals to "[rip] up the social housing rulebook" in 2013, proposals which, if passed could send hundreds more people onto the already overcrowded private rental sector...

Investors should not shy away from the secondary real estate market in the UK, but they do need to be risk aware when they buy assets in this sector...

The global financial crisis has had an impact on almost every walk of life and has changed the way in which businesses can source funding for their ventures and expansion...

European banks have successfully sold off over 7.5 billion Euros worth of loans so far this year according to CBRE. The global real estate advisor has tracked 14 transactions in the region...

There is growing demand for new investment vehicles in the indirect property market in the UK. IPD has pointed out that this sector is "well suited" to the likes of retail investors and pension schemes, but...

Banks in Europe have been continuing to dispose of property assets in 2012, with transactions worth a total of EUR 7.5 billion (GBP 5.9 billion) being completed so far this year...

There has been an increase in positivity towards property values recently, according to recent findings. The Knight Frank/Markit House Price Sentiment Index revealed that the outlook for house prices has improved...

London might be seeing the biggest rental increases, but in terms of yields it is the opposite end of the country that is doing the business. In August average yields in the North West hit...

Rural property values have been performing well since the beginning of the financial crisis, and have fared better than their urban counterparts...

UK construction has enjoyed a surprise return to growth in July, all the more surprising because of the fact that construction contracted at the fastest rate in over 2 years in June...

Homebuyers looking to get a step on the property ladder have been encouraged by mortgage brokers who have said it is getting easier to secure home loans...

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has released new guidance on property sales in the UK. The report is aimed at helping estate agents and investors in knowing how to advise customers on buying and selling real estate...

Residential sales in England and Wales increased in August, according to the latest LSL/Acadametrics index. Residential prices were up 2.6 per cent compared to last year...

Commercial property rents in the UK have now fallen for the entire second quarter according to the latest data from IPD. The firm's latest report says commercial property rents across all sectors...

UK first time buyers continue to lose confidence that they will be able to raise a deposit, with most now believing they won't be able to do so until they are at least 35...

The first thing that the coalition did was abolish the reviled home information pack (HIP). Introduced by Labour the Home Information Pack was a good idea badly implemented...

The London residential property market has continued to outperform not only the rest of the UK's housing sector, but also commercial real estate assets in the country...

Investment in European Property Falls

Risk-averse investors are focusing their attention on core European property markets, with interest in secondary locations and assets declining. The ongoing eurozone crisis has resulted in many investors taking a "safety first" approach to real estate markets...

According to a new report, the commercial real estate industry accounts for 2.5% of the European economy, more than the banking, telecommunications and automotive industries...

UK Housing Market ''Steady in August''

There was no significant drop in activity in the UK's residential property market during August, despite the Olympic Games taking centre stage...

In the past six months, 44% of landlords have seen a rise in tenant demand, while just 1% have seen a decrease in demand. Investors expect this growth to continue...

The level of return generated by commercial real estate investments in the UK remained flat in August, according to the latest research...

Last month, Sir Adrian Montague published his long-awaited review of the investment market in the private rented sector (PRS) in the UK. The report assessed the barriers to investment...

The coalition government's latest hat-trick (as in trick pulled from hat) has come under fire barely a day after it even became an intention...

Although the economic downturn has proved difficult for many retailers, the number of companies going into administration has created opportunities that stronger firms can take advantage of...

The government is set to unveil its latest set of initiatives aimed at helping the country out of recession. Among the new announcements, the government hopes to relaunch its coalition with what will be a major relaxation of UK planning laws...

As much as I have picked many a hole in Grants' bathtub-thinking approach to his plans and policies, it will be a bit of a shame to lose him from the ministry...

The number of residential housebuilding projects planned for London continues to rise. This is according to research by EC Harris Built Asset Consultancy...

The latest report from Real Capital Analytics has found that $157 billion was invested in global commercial real estate in the second quarter, a slight upturn on the first quarter according to the report. However...

There has been an increase in the number of non-European buyers making an investment in the continent's property markets. According to the latest data published by CBRE...

More bleak news on the UK housing markets, some of it bleak despite its positivity. Firstly, house prices have risen by more than they have for two-and-a-half-years according to Nationwide...

The performance of pan-European property funds has been negatively impacted by the ongoing eurozone crisis and particularly the performance of real estate assets in locations such as France and Germany...

The most recent construction output index published by Glenigan revealed non-residential building work in the UK was down by three per cent in July, compared to the same month a year earlier...

UK Property - Now Expensively Cheap

Recently there appears to be an increasing number of very broad statements regarding the UK housing market that when considered for more than just a fleeting moment makes me seriously wonder...

The prime central London real estate market is expected to perform well over the next six months, with interest from overseas buyers helping contribute to the anticipated 3.2 per cent price growth in 2012...

The UK housing market is getting worse instead of better according to the latest release of the well respected Hometrack index...

The government needs to encourage investment in the private rented sector (PRS) if it is to meet the housing requirements of the UK's population. This is the opinion of Sir Adrian Montague...

Demand from overseas buyers propped up the UK's real estate investment market in July, according to a new report from Colliers International. The firm noted that, with bank lending still very tight, private equity is the most popular form of finance...

In the UK, the supply of distressed real estate far outstrips demand, according to Rics, which may go at least part of the way to explaining why the UK's recovery is lagging behind the US...

The strong performance of commercial property in central London means that, when the UK's real estate sector is looked at as a whole, it appears to be strong. However, data published recently...

It might have been almost 5 years since the world fell into a state of economic inebriation but it is still like a drunken sailor taking two steps backward for every one forward...

The appeal of commercial real estate investments in London is unlikely to be diminished in the short to medium term, according to new research...

Investment in student accommodation in the UK has not diminished, despite fears that an increase in tuition fees, which is due to come into effect in September 2012, would discourage youngsters from applying for university...

The UK property market remains one of the most lopsided and dilapidated safe-havens in the world. That is, London is a safe-haven and it sits atop the high side of the lopsided market...

The office sector in London's West End is consistently posting growth while much of the rest of the UK's commercial property sector stalls, according to the latest monthly index from IPD...

The household name household goods store IKEA has announced plans to build and develop around 100 budget hotels across Europe as part of its current push into the property market...

The Swiss: Famed for chocolate, banking, gold, cuckoo clocks and hiding things – the Swiss have decided their banks need more capital to offset a possible bubble burst in the Swiss property market caused by excessive credit growth...

Rents Up for UK Residential Properties

Tenants renting UK housing have experienced rental increases in the past year, according to new figures published by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors...

The vast majority of logistics properties available in the UK are second-hand units, despite the growing trend of design-and-build projects...

UK Student Housing Investment Doubles

Almost £800 million was invested in UK student housing in the first half of this year, more than double the £375 million invested during the same period of 2011...

Investment in UK Student Housing Rises

The amount of money ploughed into the UK's student housing sector in the first half of 2012 is more than double the volume recorded in the same period last year...

House prices in central London continued to climb last month, although at a slower rate than they have previously. New data from Knight Frank revealed the value of properties in the capital increased...

Less than 5 miles from the Olympic stadium in Stratford and under 4 miles from the resplendent towers of the Canary Wharf financial district, a street that has managed to embrace change under its own terms while retaining its unique gritty vibrancy and bohemian character: Brick Lane...

Investors who are willing to look at assets in the UK's regional commercial real estate markets could stand to generate some healthy returns, according to new research from DTZ...

Now going on for 5 years in to this crash, Ireland is still in a bad way. After what seemed like it maybe a bottom for house prices, they fell again in June...

There are challenges ahead for the UK's regional office markets, although many locations performed better than expected in the second quarter of this year...

The apartment hotels (or apart-hotels) sector in the UK is growing, but it still has a long way to go before it catches up with the US market...

The amount of money poured into the European retail real estate sector increased in the second quarter of this year, reaching EUR 6.13 billion...

The cautious approach to investment prevalent in Europe at present has helped support the UK's commercial property sector...

The closeness of relations between the US and UK depends on the government of the day and the feelings of the public, but it is hard to miss the similarities between the two in the recent bust and now in the subsequent rental booms...

Global Property Investment Up in Q2

The amount of money invested in real estate markets worldwide increased quarter-on-quarter during the three months from April to June...

For most people over the age of 30 the words "hostel" and "five-star" make for an unlikely combination. Yet it appears that the value proposition of the hostel has undergone a radical change over the past decade...

The hotel industry in London is expected to grow in the short to medium term, outperforming other cities in Europe...

The global appeal of the prime central London property market means it is unlikely to be affected by any dips experienced elsewhere in the UK...

The latest news on the UK buy to let scene shows that landlords are still confident and planning to expand their portfolios, but does indicate cracks beginning to appear in the central London rental market...

UK Shopping Centre Investment Slows

There was a decline in the volume of transactions for UK shopping centres in the second quarter of the year, compared to both the previous quarter and the same period in 2011...

Returns generated by the hotel sector in Europe during 2011 stood at six per cent, only marginally lower than the 6.6 per cent recorded for the commercial property market as a whole...

Commercial real estate in the UK lost 2% of its value in the first half of 2012 according to the latest data from IPD, putting the performance down to the continued austerity measures imposed upon the UK...

There are signs some of the UK's regional office markets are experiencing an upturn in tenant demand, which has been fuelled, in part, by a reduction in the amount of Grade A space available in certain locations...

There was a minimal improvement in the performance of the UK's commercial real estate sector in June, with CBRE revealing capital values slid by 0.5 per cent last month...

Prime central London residential real estate continues to experience high demand, primarily from overseas investors...

Volume of City Transactions Up

The value of transactions for real estate investment assets in London City increased significantly in May, compared to April...

The British Property Federation (BPF) has cautioned the government that real estate investment trusts (REITs) should not be viewed as the solution to the funding problems with social housing developments...

Just when life couldn't get any rosier for buy to let landlords in the UK, the picture has gone and shifted. According to the latest LSL buy to let index, rental growth in many areas has slowed...

The rising number of young people who travel outside of their home country to attend university bodes well for the student accommodation sector in Europe, with the UK one of the main beneficiaries...

Recovery Predicted for UK Office Sector

There are signs a recovery is underway in the office sector of the UK commercial property market, with Glenigan noting that although there has been a drop in the number of new office construction schemes getting underway, this is not cause for concern in the long term...

Analysts, commentators and pundits are in hot debate about whether or not the Olympics is having a positive impact on London property prices and/or the rental market, and whether it will have any effects down the line...

Investment in UK Regions ''Steady''

UK regions outside central London are still attracting attention from investors, accounting for almost half (48 per cent) of total investment volumes in the country last year...

House prices across the UK are expected to increase from next year onwards, according to new estimates. Data from BNP Paribas suggested that around 6.7 per cent growth would occur in 2013...

Negative gross domestic product growth in the UK and continued concerns over the outcome of the Eurozone crisis have weighed on investor sentiment and resulted in a slowdown...

Emerging markets are witnessing unprecedented boom in shopping mall development as growing middle class populations' fuel major expansion in emerging market retail according to CBRE...

Several organisations have recently released figures showing how the Scottish housing market is faring. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Scotland saw...

The value of prime London residential real estate is predicted to increase by six per cent by the end of 2012...

UK Commercial Property Values Decline

Total returns for UK commercial real estate assets stood at zero per cent in May, posting a 0.5 per cent decline from the previous month. According to the latest IPD UK Monthly Property Index...

Student housing is still a lucrative sector in which to make real estate investments, with the latest Savills research on the market revealing total returns have been higher for student accommodation than many other types of commercial property...

Doing The Eurozone Crisis - Greek Style

The Greek elections have been and gone and unfortunately the Eurozone is no further forward than it was before the elections...

Now, around 5 years since the UK housing market went from boom to bust and all that has happened during what has been a volatile 5 years is that the market has fallen into a state of stagnation...

Should Spain Have a NAMA (Bad Bank)?

Spain and Ireland right now are a near perfect experiment for two different ways of dealing with a burst real estate bubble; both had bubbles of the same magnificent proportions...

The value of residential property in the UK continued to fall in May, while the number of completed sales was also down...

Capital growth and total returns in the central London commercial real estate sector were well above those recorded for the UK as a whole in May. Research from CBRE revealed returns on this asset class...

The banking world is in tatters and one thing that global property needs to get back on its feet - if not to flourish - is the cooperation and support of the banks...

A slowdown in the supply of residential homes is helping support UK house prices. Figures from Nationwide show values rose by 0.3 per cent in May compared with the previous month, although prices are still down...

For those that don't know, the European debt crisis has taken a turn for the worse again. Fresh fears over the need for a Spanish bailout and/or the possibility that the EU would disband because of its inability to give a bailout the size the Spain would require...

House prices in the prime central London housing market could plummet by as much as 50 per cent if the single euro currency was to collapse, experts have warned...

House prices in England and Wales continued to fall in April, dropping by 0.3 per cent compared with the previous month and by one per cent since the same time last year. Figures from the Land Registry...

When investing in the Forex market, there are a lot of different factors that can affect the condition of the market overall. While many different factors combine to affect the prices of current affairs in the market...

The property market in east London is being moved forward not by the Olympic Games, but by the improvements that have been made to its infrastructure ahead of the international sporting event...

European retail investment is lower than at any point since the collapse of Lehman Brothers signalled a major property crash in 2008. According to CB Richard Ellis, just $5.9 billion was invested in European retail property in Q1...

Investors Target European Office Assets

Transactions on European office markets accounted for half of investment activity in the first quarter of 2012. Research published by CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) showed EUR 12 billion (GBP 9.6 billion) was ploughed into the sector in the three months from January to March...

The office market was the most robust of the UK's commercial real estate sectors in the first quarter of 2012. A report compiled by F&C REIT...

CBRE Argues for Real Estate Investment

CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) has put forward a compelling case for commercial property investment in its latest report Time to Overweight Real Estate - The case for property in 2012...

Real estate buyers around the world are becoming particularly keen to invest in property in London, new figures have revealed...

Homeowners Confident of Property Values

The majority of homeowners are positive about future house price growth in the UK. Knight Frank's latest survey revealed confidence in the state of the country's residential real estate market is at a near 20-month high...

UK house prices are 105 times higher than they were when the Queen was crowned in 1952, when it cost £1524 to get onto the housing ladder according to a new report...

As the global economic crisis rumbles on, it was a slow start to the year in property investment markets around the world - and the UK was no exception...

Many reports in the last 2 years have indicated that the UK commercial property scene was among the brightest in Europe, but as with most things it was mainly the performance of properties in the capital that was driving the overall performance up...

The UK's commercial real estate market is being supported by the returns generated by investment properties in London. According to figures published by IPD, capital values for retail, industrial and office assets declined by 0.3 per cent...

Many real estate investors are looking to core markets in the UK, with office and residential properties in London and the south-east among the most popular...

Buy to let lending in the UK has fallen in the first quarter according to new data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders. According to the report buy to let investors borrowed £3.7 billion in Q1, representing a fall of 5% over Q4 2011...

There has been a significant reduction in the level of investment in European commercial real estate in the first quarter of the year, compared to the final three months of 2011...

Sentiment among real estate professionals around the world improved in the first quarter of 2012. According to the Global Commercial Property Survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics)...

European real estate investment is continuing to fall on reduced debt funding and concerns about slowing growth, according to new data from Real Capital Analytics. In a report released...

''Best Returns'' in UK Offices

The office sector in the UK was the best performing commercial property market in the first quarter of 2012, recording an average return of 0.9 per cent during this period...

The level of activity in the European retail real estate investment market slowed in the first quarter of 2012, with just EUR 4.6 billion (GBP 3.7 billion) in transactions completed during the first three months of this year.

Last year we mused as to whether or not insurers would step in to close the gap left by banks in commercial real estate lending, and this year we are getting our answer in the positive...

UK House Prices Rise

House prices in the UK increased for the second consecutive month in April, posting gains of 0.1 per cent. London saw the biggest climb at 0.3 per cent, while other regions in the south of England...

Overseas property investors are not expected to be deterred from entering the UK real estate market by the latest gross domestic product (GDP) figures...

The highly regarded Hometrack index on the UK housing market has been released, showing a second consecutive monthly rise in house prices, and a lot of other seemingly positive data...

A new report has shown that the number of homes costing over £1million has fallen for the first time in 2 years. The report released this week by Lloyds TSB shows the sales of such homes fell 5% to 6,911 last year...

On Wednesday (April 25th), the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published its preliminary data about the UK's gross domestic product (GDP) for the first quarter of the year - and it didn't make for pleasant reading...

The changing face of the property market means investors need to continually alter their approach to their investment strategies...

Investment Volumes in UK Property Fall

Less money was ploughed into the UK's property market in 2011 than in the previous year, with a new DTZ report revealing investment volumes were down by ten per cent...

A new survey by Money Supermarket has found that 8 million people in the UK are currently priced out of the housing market, with most first time buyers accepting the reality that they will be long-term renters while saving up a sufficient deposit...

Lloyds to Sell Off Irish Loan Portfolio

Lloyds TSB is to auction off a whopping 360 million Euros worth Irish real estate loans, many of which are "impaired". Breaking news of the sale, sources told the press that first round bids were taken by the bank at the end of March...

The volume of shopping centre transactions completed in the UK during the first quarter of 2012 fell, compared to the same period in 2011...

Unlisted property funds in the UK returned just 0.7% in the first quarter according to the latest AREF/IPD UK Property Fund Index...

Much has been made of the increasing attractiveness of the UK's buy-to-let market, with high residential property prices resulting in a rising number of households entering the private rented sector (PRS), rather than purchasing their own home.

According to new data from CB Richard Ellis European government's offloaded EUR 2.3 billion worth of publicly owned property in 2011, twice as much as 2010, but not the economies you'd immediately expect...

There is an increasing disparity between the rental market in central London and elsewhere in the UK. According to the latest figures in the HomeLet Rental Index, the average cost of accommodation in the capital stood at GBP 1,156 per month in March...

Average UK Rents Increase

The average cost of renting a UK property increased by five per cent in March, compared to the same month a year earlier...

According to the latest report into the student property sector in the UK, it continues to perform very well indeed. According to the CBRE's quarterly market review of the sector (Q1 2012), £1.15 billion was invested in the sector in 2011...

Negative Trends in UK Retail Market

Retail property in the UK has experienced a fall in tenant demand, as well as negative rental expectations. The latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) UK Commercial Market Survey...

The UK was the most liquid hotel investment market in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region during the first quarter of this year, with assets in London accounting for the bulk of the activity...

Alterations to current legislation could significantly improve the landscape for institutional investment in residential property in the UK...

Commercial property developers in the UK have put their faith behind the economy's ability to avoid the fated double dip recession, as the Savills Total Commercial Development Activity Index for March rises...

The return generated by central London offices increased to 0.6 per cent in March, rising from the 0.5 per cent recorded in February...

UK Property Investment ''Limited''

The level of transactions occurring in the UK's commercial real estate markets has been affected by the weak economy, lack of finance and investor uncertainty...

New data from Jones Lang La Salle seems to add weight that global real estate investment is slowing. According to the firm $75 billion was invested in commercial real estate in Q1 2012, which is a 23% contraction...

Buy to Let Investment and Online Agents

Buy to let investment is sometimes glamorised, not least because of the increase in overseas property investment, coined fly to let investments made in some of the world's hottest locations...

In the UK (and most places I suppose) we sell our houses through an estate agent. We always have done. We find an agent, they put up a for sale board, put our property up in their window...

It's not often I cover similar subjects in successive posts – but this week I was asked for my opinion by Kathleen Kelly at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation new proposals for hybrid mortgages by David Miles at the Bank of England...

The government is making attempts to encourage more property investment from private financiers. Chloe Smith, economic secretary, together with housing minister Grant Shapps released a consultation to consider changes to Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)...

The volume of investment flowing into European real estate markets in 2012 is expected to be four per cent higher than it was in 2011...

The Irish property market may be about to finally get some respite from its 5 year illness according to the latest data. A new report from the largest Irish property portal daft.ie shows that houses are selling quicker and at higher asking prices...

There is often much talk about where the next hotspot for property investment will be in London and the south-east of the capital is certainly one to keep an eye on over the next few years...

The majority of housing markets in the UK present opportunities for residential property investment, while the number of new homes being constructed is expected to remain well below...

Institutions ''Want to Invest in PRS''

There is a desire among institutional investors to put their money into the private rented sector (PRS) in the UK, however, there are a number of hurdles that must first be overcome...

The UK's private rented sector (PRS) offers numerous property investment opportunities, particularly as one in five households is expected to be leasing their home by 2016...

Paris is now the biggest real estate investment destination in Europe, having overtaken London in the second half of last year according to new data released by CB Richard Ellis...

Student property could be one of the most lucrative real estate investment opportunities available at present, with the sector continuing to exhibit strong rental growth, largely due to an imbalance in supply and demand...

The UK's hotel market is expected to remain broadly stable over the course of 2012, although establishments in London will outperform their regional counterparts, due in part to the anticipated boost from both the Olympic Games and the queen's diamond jubilee celebrations...

The 2012 budget revealed by Chancellor George Osborne contained relatively little that would affect the housing or property market, because this was all covered in an earlier housing strategy document...

Proof that one of the top men in banking in the UK has no idea on how the housing market works. A man that is responsible for advising the government on mortgage lending policies and yet has repeatedly made outlandish statements to the press, the government, and is still employed at the Bank of England...

Prime yields across all UK commercial property sectors remained stable in February, with the current levels expected to be supported this year by an imbalance in supply and demand for the most sought-after real estate assets.

Mexico emerged from the financial crisis well. The recession officially ended with a 2.3% quarter on quarter growth in Q4 2009, although GDP was still down 6.5% year on year...

The fact that many first time buyers have been forced to rent has helped fuel the recent rent rises, but as with all similar policies to get them back, the stamp duty concession brought a short term rush...

The serviced apartment market in the UK is performing well and has the potential for future growth, making it an attractive property investment opportunity...

The picture in regional office markets in the UK will begin to improve over the course of 2012, following a largely poor 2011...

According to the latest data from CB Richard Ellis, commercial property values in the UK fell slightly in February over January, but experts believe it is more likely a short-term blip...

Hotels in London are expected to experience capital growth of 3.9 per cent during 2012. This is the assertion of Savills, with the firm anticipating continued strong interest from overseas buyers in the four and five-star hotel sector...

With the Indian economy still growing and the massive and growing population, this policy led to a revival in the housing market and the fortunes of its benefactors...

European housing markets could finally see a sustained recovery in 2013 according to a new study by ratings agency Standard and Poor's. In the report, aptly titled "The Eurozone Crisis May Loosen Its Grip On The Housing Market" the firm asserts...

There is always much speculation over which real estate investment markets will attract the most interest each year...

EMEA Hotel Investment Activity Up

Investment activity in the hotels sector in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region increased in 2011 compared to the previous year...

Investors from the US and Canada are the driving force behind European cross-border investment. According to research conducted by CB Richard Ellis (CBRE), nearly one-third (30 per cent) of all commercial real estate transactions...

The UK residential sector is currently undergoing the start of what could become a permanent change to the way houses in the UK are rented...

Average House Prices Explained

Prepare for the harsh reality about one of most frequently cited phrases in recent times and why it is the most useless piece of statistical data since someone worked out how many particles of fog will fit on a teaspoon...

A rise in the number of attractive real estate investment opportunities was recorded in the final quarter of 2011, with prime assets continuing to offer the best returns...

Tenant Eviction Orders Up 17% in the UK

More dark clouds on the horizon of the UK's unprecedented countrywide rental boom as a new report reveals a 17% growth in private tenancy evictions since 2007...

The British Property Federation (BPF) has thrown its weight behind a recently announced government review that will examine the barriers for institutional investment in the private rented sector (PRS)....

Madness Epidemic Hits Housing Market

This week (bear in mind it's only Monday afternoon as I write) a Buy to Let millionaire has announced he is standing to be the next Kent Police Commissioner stating that he has the financial skills to help run Kent Police...

UK Hotel Market 'Will Improve in 2012'

There will be a greater number of transactions in the UK hotel market during 2012, with one expert stressing activity in this sector of the real estate industry is far from stagnant...

Towards the back end of last year it was identified that one of the biggest problems faced by European real estate (along with that in much the rest of the world) was the lack of financing available from banks, especially senior lending...

There are significant opportunities for property investors in the student accommodation market. This is according to Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), which outlined the scope of the sector and the room for growth in a recent presentation....

This year is expected to provide opportunities for residential property investment, with housing markets in the majority of English and Welsh regions described as "quite attractive" in a new report....

The UK housing market faces a lost decade, according to research by Collins Stewart. The firm has said that the government's efforts to boost mortgage lending could do more harm than good, plunging first time buyers into negative equity when prices continue to fall...

Many people who make property investments in London are not doing so to generate significant returns on their cash, but in order to preserve their wealth...

The pressure on banks in Europe to get rid of bad property loans off their books has not eased amidst the worsening sovereign debt crisis that seemingly no-one was has the solution to. In fact they are under more pressure to sell before the impending regulation changes...

Spain, Ireland, the UK and the US have a pretty similar story to tell when it comes to their path from economic glory to gory. Obviously there are differences in one way and another, but all of them made it too easy to get too much credit, especially mortgage credit...

Investors with UK commercial property assets as part of their portfolio may want to check the buildings they own will meet the new standards for energy efficiency that are due to come into force in April 2018....

Yields from commercial real estate investments in the UK were broadly stable in the year to January 2012, with eight out of the 13 sectors surveyed by Savills recording no movement in this 12-month period....

Having almost reached the point of blocking anything to do with news about Buy to Let lending and how rental prices are going to the moon, it would appear the trend in what the press thinks we need to read about the property market is changing...

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) has made several suggestions about how the government could help encourage institutional investors to enter the UK's residential property sector....

Property investment experts are predicting another strong year for German property investment this year, as it continues to be perceived as a safe-harbour in the Euro-sovereign debt storm...

London's Future of Flexible Super Flats

International buyers looking for property investments in London are increasingly seeking out large apartments, typically with over 5,000 sq ft of space...

Prime property investments will continue to be the main focus of those with money to plough into Europe's real estate sectors over the coming year...

The UK was the most active market in Europe in December 2011 and January 2012 with 4.9 billion Euros invested during the period. It beat France in second place with 4.2 billion Euros and Germany...

London Rents 'Hit by Employment Market'

Fewer employment vacancies in London's financial sector and tenants seeking lower living costs have combined to push rents down in January...

It has been said that a government has limited control over what it can do to influence things like property price growth, but this isn't so in China, it has near-total control. After easing us in gently from April 2010...

Investors are continuing to target prime retail real estate assets, despite the current economic difficulties and low consumer confidence...

Using equity to fund the purchase of real estate investments has become more popular than debt financing. This is the conclusion of a report published by Savills, which revealed the proportion of property transactions that are covered by mortgages has dropped over the last decade....

It would seem no matter where you look at the moment – Buy to Let is hogging the news. Blooming, booming, flourishing and no end of adjectives adorn the headlines; all in a bid to flog the concept to the public that having someone else paying your mortgage is a good idea. On closer inspection of the bigger picture however...

The performance of UK commercial real estate worsened slightly in January, compared to the previous month. Research released by CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) noted that total monthly returns declined...

We have all heard recently about the unprecedented rental boom in the UK, but as a consequence of what created the boom, landlords now face a new threat...

Can the UK property market cope with a double-dip recession? There are just so many variables. So many things affecting the answer to a massively different degree between their best and worst case scenarios, and all of them intertwined and affecting each other's outcomes...

The volume of investment flooding into London's residential new-build property market from overseas investors has far outpaced that from domestic buyers...

Cross-Border Investment Rises in 2011

The number of cross-border real estate investments made in 2011 was significantly higher than in 2010. In its year-end Global Capital Flow report, Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) revealed cross-border transactions were up by...

UK House Prices 'Flat' in 2011

The value of residential properties in the UK remained largely unchanged between December and January, while prices fell by 1.6 per cent year-on-year...

The Lloyds Bank Commercial Property Confidence Monitor for January 2012 recently revealed the extent to which concerns over the eurozone crisis and domestic economic difficulties have had an impact on the UK's commercial real estate sector....

Investors will continue to plough their money into European commercial property over the course of 2012, BNP Paribas Real Estate has predicted. In the firm's At a Glance Main Investment Markets in Western Europe report...

Last month, Barclays Corporate predicted the recovery witnessed in London's hotel market during 2011 would continue into 2012, with the third quarter of this year set to be key for the overall performance of the sector. The firm noted strong revenue per available room...

The outlook for European real estate investment in 2012 is one of caution, with concerns over the sovereign debt crisis in the eurozone continuing to play on investors' minds. In its most recent report...

Recent data on UK student property investment has shown that, while the increase in fees enacted this year has not hampered investor sentiment, it has made investors think more carefully about what and where to invest in...

An increasing number of overseas investors are entering the London property market, with Savills recently reporting that 55 per cent of all transactions for central London real estate in 2011 were concluded by international buyers....

UK House Prices Down in January

Household sentiment about the value of properties in the UK slipped in January compared to December, a new survey has revealed. The Knight Frank/Markit January House Price Sentiment Index (HPSI) found that around 19 per cent of those questioned believed their home was worth less in January in comparison with the previous month....

Many people feel like - "if I hear one more commentator say it's a mixed bag I am going to shoot him/her and then myself", but there is no other way to describe it. In fact it is so mixed...

The returns generated by London student property investments almost doubled in 2011, compared to the previous year. This is according to Knight Frank, which revealed a lack of supply in the real estate sector, coupled with strong demand, has helped push this assets class forward....

A marginal decline of capital value growth in the UK's commercial property sector was recorded in December, new figures show. The IPD Monthly Index revealed the rate of appreciation of such real estate assets slid by...

A decrease in tenant demand for commercial real estate will have a marked impact on the sector over the course of 2012. According to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors...

Real estate investors stateside are becoming more confident. The UK and the US have held hands so many times during the international financial crisis, showing similar trends at similar times...

Italians and Greeks are pouring millions of Euros into the London property market, which is standing out as one of the few safe-havens within Europe. On the first wave of the financial crisis, investors from Italy and Greece...

Those with commercial property investments in the UK have experienced "relatively healthy" returns during 2011, it has been asserted...

The UK housing market is either stagnating, falling slowly or growing very slowly depending on which index you pay attention to, with one exception. London...

The UK's commercial real estate market has reached a kind of plateau, with little change expected in capital values or yields over the coming months, it has been claimed...

CB Richard Ellis has just released its latest report into UK student housing investment, and it makes for very positive reading indeed. According to the data investment in student housing has increased by more than 120% in the last year...

The London commercial property market is experiencing its lowest level of confidence in two years, according to a new study...

Entering The Era of Shared Ownership

The UK property market has changed over the last 50, 40, 30, 20 and even 10 years. Since the 50s it has been common place for men and women to find it easy to get jobs in their local area, and to spend their entire lives working in the same job...

Local governments in the UK have started funding landlords to repair any derelict or rundown properties they may have in their portfolio...

Several prime cities are seeing hotel revenues continue to grow, and while hotel stocks are still falling because of the wider situation, hotel buyers can still see that these cities present good opportunities to buy now while prices are becoming increasingly attractive...

The UK commercial property market is likely to see mixed fortunes in 2012, according to a new report. Jones Lang LaSalle's latest Property Predictions publication suggests...

The economic difficulties experienced by eurozone nations during 2011 have been well documented, with countries such as Spain, Portugal and Ireland seeing their property markets take a significant hit....

The UK buy to let sector has been a stalwart of hope and regeneration over the last 12 months; while the rest of the UK housing market (except London) facing barren demand...

Following a record year for prime London real estate, one sector commentator has predicted that capital values will continue to increase, especially during the first half of 2012...

Government to Review Investment in PRS

The government has announced it will launch a review into the barriers to investment in the UK's private rental sector (PRS). Housing minister Grant Shapps revealed...

House Prices Rise in Most UK Regions

Many UK regions saw rises in house prices during 2011, according to a new report. Figures from Nationwide show values rose by 0.3 per cent on average across the board in the fourth quarter and by 1.1 per cent to GBP 163,822 for the year as a whole....

UK Property Prices Expected to Fall

A shortage of homes in the UK is expected to restrict the amount that the value of residential property falls by, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) has predicted...

At the beginning of December, the Financial Times reported that Lloyds Banking Group had opened discussions with US private equity group Lone Star about selling off GBP 900 million of distressed real estate loans....

A recent survey among economists, analysts and executives carried out by Bloomberg has suggested the UK commercial property sector could see values slide in 2012...

The US and UK housing markets have experienced many similar trends during the financial crisis; with both experiencing the same trends, usually one followed by the other...

Last year's Housing Humbug Report covered a number of points, many of which will make an appearance again this year of course – but first, was I right?

People seeking an income-producing property investment may want to consider the merits of the rental sector, after a report published by Savills suggested prime assets in this category will continue to perform well over the next five years....

Last year 26,744 more homeowners had properties worth a million quid or more, taking the UK total to 253,118 in December. This amounts to 1 in every 108 homes, which is down slightly compared to the 1 in 97 homes registered in 2007.

LaSalle Investment Management (LaSalle) has published its Investment Strategy Annual 2012, with predictions for the performance of international real estate markets over the coming year, as well as a focus on which assets are likely to be the targeted by investors....

According to data just released by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, financial institutions invested £2.2 billion in UK houses and apartments in the year ending April 2011, a 189% increase over the previous year...

The commercial leisure market has had its best year since 2007 in terms of the level of investment ploughed into the sector during 2011, it has been revealed...

Door to PAIF Opens to New Investors

Property Authorised Investment Funds (PAIFs) were originally introduced in the UK in April 2008, but take up of these vehicles has so far been relatively low, with no PAIFs currently open to retail investors....

Head of Colliers International Hotel Agency team Julian Troup recently predicted the UK hospitality industry will see an increasing number of buyers looking for hotels to acquire in the country...

Figures published by IPD earlier this week revealed that, for the first time in over two years, a capital decline occurred in the UK's commercial property market during November. According to the firm's monthly index...

The UK housing market crash has had one unpredicted and unmistakeable consequence in creating a massive and near-unprecedented rental and buy to let boom across the entire country. But will this become a permanent shift in the way Brits think about property ownership?

Looking Forward to Independent Hotel 12

A new event for hoteliers in the boutique accommodation sector is due to be held in London next year, with organisers Single Market Events (SME) London and Fresh Montgomery recently announcing Independent Hotel 12 will be hosted at Olympia's West Hall in October 2012....

UK House Prices: What to Expect in 2012

The value of homes in the UK has been broadly stable during 2011, posting slight gains at the start of the year followed by marginal declines in more recent months...

For those that don't know, the combined intellect of the European Union's financial brains has come up with a tax first conceived in a university lecture in the seventies...

The City of London Belongs to the World

Research released earlier this year highlighted the influx of international investment into London's financial district, indicating that more overseas investors are targeting this part of the capital's real estate industry...

Student property investment experts are warning of the potential for falling student numbers to become a long term problem, affecting the long term yield potential of specialist student property investments, especially those serving lower-class institutions...

Despite strong demand from tenants for accommodation in the private rented sector (PRS), lender restrictions are making it difficult for new landlords to enter the Buy to Let (BTL) market...

The Secret Behind Barratt's Success

In the interim management statement released earlier this month by Barratt Developments, group chief executive Mark Clare announced that the firm "is delivering a significant improvement in operating performance". This is despite the challenging environment for UK house builders at present...

Demand for house price cuts in Scotland

Scottish house sellers are gradually and increasingly being forced to lower their asking prices as buyers simply refuse to pay for their optimism...

90 percent mortgages are becoming more and more common, and some banks/building societies are even offering 95% LTV mortgages on a localised basis. There is even talk of a return of 100% LTV mortgages in 2012...

Earlier this year, Chinese firm HNA Group announced it will acquire a stake in the European hotel chain NH Hoteles, giving it access to the mid-range hotel market in the continent...

With rents in the UK rising and an increasing number of investors hoping to capitalise on the Buy to Let (BTL) market, where are some of the best locations for landlords to achieve a good return on their investment...

The latest HomeLet Rental Index has revealed that average rents across the UK fell in October compared to the previous month, although this was not the case for every region...

Olympic Sprint For Buy to Let

Fuelled by a convergence of ironies and unique circumstance the London property market is experiencing an unprecedented rental boom and a completely illogical performance across the other metrics. ..

CBI Leads the Backing for Homebuyers

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) recently came out in support of introducing more measures to help first-time buyers (FTBs) get on the property ladder in the UK...

With the price of renting rising for tenants and a lack of mortgage finance keeping many first-time buyers off the property ladder, the buy to let (BTL) market in the UK has been going from strength to strength....

At the end of October, David Cameron wrote in the Financial Times that the government intends to focus on infrastructure projects around the UK...

Bizarre Forces Increase House Prices

Although the average price of buying a home in the UK may have fallen, with figures published by the Land Registry in September recording an annual drop of 2.6 per cent, there are some towns and cities in the country that have bucked the trend....

According to a consensus of data from larger agents including Knight Frank and Savills, foreign buyers currently make around 50% of property purchases in London...

A recent Knight Frank report looking at the prospects for a range of districts in London singled out numerous areas that can expect to see property price growth of over 50 per cent by 2016...

Banks have cooled lending on student accommodation, because of fears that the increasing student tuition fees could have a hampering effect on the sector...

York council wants to override the UK legislation by imposing what is called an Article 4 Direction, which basically gives the council the right to order planning permission be sought to change occupational use...

NEF 'On Track To Help North-East SMEs'

North East Finance (NEF) is an organisation that was established to provide support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the north-east of England...

Investment volumes in commercial property in the north-west of England increased significantly during the third quarter (Q3) of 2011, compared to the previous three-month period...

As an increasing number of people turn to the private rented sector in search of accommodation, landlords are finding themselves under ever more scrutiny...

What Caused The Construction PMI Rise?

In October, the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) compiled by Markit and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) hit its highest level for five months - but what was behind the unexpected rise?...

Ever since the UK housing market crashed and the value of the pound plummeted, wealthy buyers from around the world have been seizing the opportunity to buy up prime real estate assets in our prestigious capital...

The UK buy to let sector is continuing to present itself as one of the best areas of investment, as a set of circumstances align perfectly to create a near-perfect environment for investment - of course with the proper research and due diligence...

UK Rents at Record High

The UK rental market has exploded into a ferocious boom. Whereas price growth has been limited to London in the last few months, the rental boom is happening countrywide...

An increasing number of Chinese investors have been targeting real estate markets overseas, with hotels among the sectors that this demographic is interested in. According to head of hotels at Christie + Co Jeremy Hill, this can only benefit the industry....

As the Indian property market more wriggles and squirms than crashes and burns, more and more Indian investors are pouring their investments into London property...

With properties in London seeing rents rise at a significant pace during 2011, investors, landlords and tenants may be wondering whether the growth in the market can continue at such a rate in 2012...

With rents in London hitting new highs and displaying annual growth of 5.8 per cent, according to the most recent Buy to Let index from LSL Property Services, investors may be wondering what exactly is pushing the market ever higher....

Property values in prime locations in London are expected to rise further over the coming years...

Real estate located outside London may offer good value for money, particularly when compared to the capital, where prices continue to climb...

Although London's property market has attracted a great deal of interest from overseas investors in recent months, it appears that the West End is a hotspot for British buyers...

Real estate presents an excellent opportunity to generate significant returns over the long term, one investment expert has suggested...

Scotland and the north of England have experienced the greatest rises in property values over the past ten years, according to a new survey based on the price paid per square metre...

Hotels in London performed well during September this year after a slowdown in profitability during August, new research shows...

Prime retail locations in central London have been targeted by international investors over the past five years, with overseas owners now more prevalent than UK funds in areas such as Oxford Street and Bond Street....

Investors are increasingly turning to the commercial real estate market as they search for assets that will perform well in the current economic climate...

A quarter-on-quarter increase in the level of investment in European retail real estate markets has been recorded. A report released by Jones Lang LaSalle revealed that investment volumes hit 6.7 billion euros...

The difference between the value of high-end prime residential properties in the UK and the rest of the housing market has increased significantly...

Investment In European Hotels Rises

The level of investment in European hotels across five core markets - France, Germany, Spain, the UK and Italy - increased during the first half of this year, new research shows...

UK House Prices 'Expected To Fall'

Expectations of capital value falls in the UK's residential real estate market have been recorded in a new survey...

UK Land Values 'To Remain Stable'

The price of buying land in the UK is expected to rise marginally in some areas and remain stable across much of the country over the coming year...

Commercial real estate investors should not put all their eggs in one basket by ensuring they have properties in a mix of locations in their portfolios...

The lack of new office space coming on to the market in London has seen quarterly take-up figures decline; however, pre-lets are at their highest level since the third quarter of 2007...

Rents and house prices in London grew in the third quarter of this year, according to the latest data from Savills. However, the firm noted that capital values jumped more than rents...

The gap between property values in the south of the UK and in its northern regions is widening, according to the latest data published by Rightmove...

The UK commercial property market was helped along by the performance of assets in London, the latest IPD UK Monthly Index has found. Overall, average returns from real estate remained in positive territory in September...

Average UK Rents Fall In September

The HomeLet Rental Index for September has recorded a drop in average monthly rents across the UK, although the researchers noted that the amount tenants pay is still 4.5 per cent higher than a year ago....

During the third quarter of this year, demand among commercial tenants fell into negative territory for the first time in 12 months, the latest research from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) shows....

Greater London Rents Rise Again

The latest figures in the HomeLet Rental Index have revealed that properties in Greater London now command an average monthly rent of GBP 1,206 - their highest recorded level...

The retail real estate sector in the UK's capital appears to be holding up well in the face of wider economic problems, the latest research from Knight Frank suggests...

Property investors have halved the amount they expect to generate from their UK assets this year, new research by JP Morgan Cazenove has discovered...

There has been a greater level of activity among investors in the commercial property sector in Europe during the third quarter of 2011, compared to both the same period a year earlier and the previous quarter, the latest figures from CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) show....

The level of activity across many of the UK's commercial development sectors fell during September, Savills has revealed, making it the third consecutive month of declines...

Investors turn towards commercial property investment in the UK in times of global economic turbulence because the asset class has certain characteristics that it is difficult to find elsewhere in the world....

UK Housing Market 'Subdued'

Fewer people have been putting their properties up for sale in September, resulting in a slight constriction on the supply of residential real estate in the UK, the latest research from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has revealed....

The amount of capital being invested in industrial property markets in Europe appears to have stagnated, according to the latest data from Jones Lang LaSalle...

A recovery in rents for offices in prime central business district (CBD) locations in Europe has been noted...

New York Tops Investment Table

New York has received more investment in commercial property than any other destination in the world so far this year. According to figures published by Cushman and Wakefield, the US city saw investment rise by 165 per cent in the nine months to September....

Despite being one of Europe's (PIIGs) most heavily indebted countries, and well wrapped up in the whole sovereign debt crises, Italian pooled funds have posted some pretty decent returns in the first half of this year.

Many real estate investors are now more prepared to compromise on certain criteria when seeking out prime commercial assets in the UK..

A new report by Savills has highlighted ten global cities that are attracting real estate investment from some of the world's most wealthy people...

The impressive growth in house values in London may slow down and plateau over the autumn and winter months, it has been suggested...

UK House Prices 'Largely Unchanged'

There was little fluctuation in residential real estate values in the UK over the course of September, the latest figures in the Nationwide House Price Index have revealed...

The average value of a home in one of the UK's major cities is approximately seven per cent higher than those found outside urban areas...

With the hotel industry showing signs of growth - and investors once again expressing interest in hotels as an asset class - there are set to be many opportunities in the sector...

England And Wales House Prices Fall

The value of residential real estate in England and Wales has dropped by 2.6 per cent since July this year, the latest figures released by the Land Registry show...

Further increases in the value of residential property in London have been recorded in the Knight Frank Prime Central London Index, with the firm attributing this to the uncertainty in the eurozone and the wider global economy....

There are great opportunities for those entering the student property market, one expert has noted, pointing out that despite tuition fee increases, demand is unlikely to fall...

Property Market Confidence "Fragile"

Professionals in the real estate industry are not overly upbeat about the sector's prospects, a new survey has found...

House Prices 'Have Held Up Well'

The value of residential real estate in the UK has held up better than may have been expected at the beginning of the financial downturn...

Investors looking for somewhere secure to put their money should consider entering the property market, it has been claimed...

With tuition fee increases set to come into force at universities across the UK from September 2012, investors in student property may be wondering just how their assets will perform...

The average price being charged for an overnight stay in a hotel in one of Europe's top 20 cities has risen in September compared to August, the trivago Hotel Price Index has shown...

Yields Harden In Leisure Sector

There has been a shift in prime yields among real estate assets in the UK leisure market, according to the latest commercial leisure bulletin from Savills...

Significant changes to the dynamics of the real estate sector across the board - from development and construction to investment - need to be recognised and acted upon, a new report has claimed...

Average UK Rents Rise

According to the latest figures published in the monthly HomeLet Rental Index, average rents across the UK increased during August, compared to July, to now stand at GBP 791 per month...

'Varied Picture' For UK Rents

Although average rents in the UK increased during July, there are some areas of the country that registered a decline in the amount tenants have to pay for their homes...

UK Housing Market Dips In August

Economic uncertainty is weighing on the property market in the UK, the latest survey carried out by the Royal Institution of Charted Surveyors (RICS) shows...

Several areas of central London have been identified by Knight Frank as offering excellent real estate investment opportunities...

A new report published by Savills has noted that investors consider the UK property market - and London in particular - to be a "safe haven" in times of economic uncertainty...

The sustainability of commercial property is set to become an increasingly important factor that investors will need to consider when they are looking at the mid to long-term returns a particular asset can offer....

Changes to the fees structure for universities around the UK will result in a polarisation of the prospects for investment in student accommodation...

Retail property investment companies are building up their portfolios with prime assets at the expense of secondary locations, it has been revealed...

Businesses and global investors alike are drawn to property in the centre of the UK's capital because it is "one of the most desirable destinations in the world", according to one real estate expert...

Transaction volumes in the commercial real estate sector continued on their upward course during the first half of the year, beating the first six months of 2010 by around eight per cent...

UK House Prices Fall Slightly

House prices in the UK dropped marginally in August compared to July, according to the latest figures released by Nationwide. The company's index of home values in the country registered a 0.6 per cent fall...

The latest figures published in the Knight Frank Global House Price Index for the second quarter of the year indicate that growth in capital values has stalled...

Since the recession, real estate investment by foreigners has become an increasingly important part of London's property sector, one expert has claimed...

Grant Shapps and the Housing Massive

The past few days has prompted a lot of hype surrounding the UK housing market which in turn has led to no end of pontificating as to the future of home ownership in the UK and quite what to do about it...

The price of real estate outside the UK's capital is growing quickly in major cities, new research has shown. According to a survey carried out, destinations such as Sheffield, Bristol, Greater Manchester and Cardiff all saw property values rise...

An increase in the number of distressed commercial real estate assets for sale in the UK could result in values falling rather than rising...

Following the announcement earlier this month that Standard and Poor's had downgraded the US's credit rating from its AAA status to AA+, global markets tumbled, with billions of dollars wiped off the price of stocks and shares around the world...

Demand for distressed property rose significantly around the world during the second quarter of the year, the latest research from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) shows...

The latest figures published by STR Global have shown that the European hotel industry posted growth during July when compared to the same month last year...

The property sector should not be affected in the same way as stocks and shares as a result of global economic issues...

People who have ploughed their money into real estate assets are likely to find that this class has outperformed other sectors in terms of the return generated on the initial outlay...

Financial institutions in the UK will sell off the assets in their distressed property loan books gradually...

Strong foreign exchange rates are just one of the reasons that international property investors are looking for assets in the UK capital's prime areas...

Investors 'Looking Outside London'

Locations in the north of England are attracting attention from property investors keen to establish a portfolio relatively quickly, it has been claimed...

The Changing Face Of REITs

Real estate investment trusts - or REITs - were first introduced to the UK in 2007. Initially, they could only be established with commercial properties. But earlier this year, that all started to change...

German Property Market 'Robust'

Germany's property investment market is considered to be "stable and prosperous" among investors, CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) has revealed...

London office space is one of the few areas of the commercial property industry in the UK to have experienced capital growth during July compared to June...

Property in North Surrey valued at more than four million GBP has been popular among international buyers over the past few months...

New research published by CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) has revealed that the central London office market helped buoy the rest of the sector in the UK after a further positive month in July...

Retail Investors 'Focus On Germany'

Investment activity in the retail property sector in Europe has been concentrated on Germany, Poland, Russia and countries in the Nordic region...

Hotels in London have outperformed the rest of Europe, according to the latest data published by Knight Frank. The organisation explained that the weak pound in conjunction with a "relatively restricted supply" of rooms has helped boost the sector...

Some commentators in the real estate investment arena have suggested that the rioting experienced in London and elsewhere in the country this week could have a negative effect on the sector...

Average Rents Rise In The UK

The average rent for properties in the UK increased in July by 2.2 per cent over June to stand at GBP 767 per month, the HomeLet Rental Index has revealed...

Prime real estate assets in Hong Kong have experienced the highest annual growth rate - reaching 16.1 per cent - in the second quarter of this year...

Foreign Investors 'See London As Safe'

London real estate is regarded as a safe haven by many international investors, it has been noted, with a large proportion believing the UK's capital is a good place "to park their money during a volatile economic environment"...

There are several reasons to invest in real estate in London at present, one expert has claimed, noting that the Olympic Games is helping to drive interest among international investors...

Strong Performance From London Hotels

London hoteliers recorded a strong performance in June, making it the 19th consecutive month that such businesses in the capital saw profitability rise year-on-year...

Improvements in London's commercial property market should filter through to other locations around the country, it has been claimed...

UK House Prices 'Flat'

There has been no change in the value of residential property in the UK between May and June of this year, the latest data from the Land Registry shows...

The commercial property sector in London has continued to perform well, despite many other regions in the UK failing to keep up with the capital...

A new report by Savills into the state of the UK's leisure sector has noted that there has been a sharp upturn in investor demand for assets in the industry...

International buyers are the driving force behind the real estate sector in London...

According to the FTSE EPRA/Nareit index European REITs returned 7.89% in the first half of this year, while American REITs returned 0.76% during the same period...

Olympic Games Boosts UK Property Values

Real estate located in areas near Olympic venues in Britain has seen values rise more sharply than in other regions of the UK...

Interest from overseas investors looking for UK property investment opportunities is on the rise...

Investors View London As 'Safe'

Investors are seeking out property in London because they see the UK's capital as a safe place to put their money...

Student property may not be the first investment category that springs to mind when considering real estate in the UK, but figures indicate that this could be a highly lucrative sector for investors to enter....

London commercial property is a good sector for investors to target, a new report has claimed. Henderson Global Investor's property research team noted that there are opportunities for growth...

EMEA Hotel Investment Volumes Rise

The Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region has experienced a significant increase in hotel investment volumes during the first half of the year...

Could Retail Space Tempt Investors?

Land Securities has noted in its first quarter interim management statement that activity surrounding retail developments is beginning to pick up...

The supply of office space in major European cities is expected to be restricted over the coming 12 months due to a lack of new construction starts...

The value of properties located in prime central London locations are expected to rise over the course of the year, according to Savills...

Regional property markets should see more investor interest over the coming months, it has been noted, with one expert in real estate investment explaining...

Those for whom it is not practical to invest in property in London will not be missing out on high returns by looking more regionally...

Demand for rental properties is far outweighing the number of residences on the market for let, a new report by the Association of Residential Lettings Agents (ARLA)...

New figures released by the Department for Communities and Local Government have shown that the average UK house price dropped in May...

Apparently the number of Buy to Let mortgage products has risen by 35% over the last quarter...

A new report from one of the biggest financial services companies in the UK has predicted that property investors could see house prices remain subdued for the remainder of the decade...

RICS: UK Property Market Flat In June

A lack of growth in buyer demand combined with a drop in supply led to the UK property market staying flat in June...

The European hotel investment market looks set to continue its recovery in 2011...

Prime London Rents 'Will Grow Further'

Rents for prime London real estate have increased by ten per cent in the past year, new research shows, with this trend set to continue according to analysts...

Small Fall Recorded in UK House Prices

House prices in the UK recorded a drop of 0.5 per cent during the second quarter of the year...

Average Rents Increase Across the UK

Average rental values across the UK have risen in June compared to May, as well as exhibiting a year-on-year increase, new data shows...

The latest data published by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has revealed that the UK's commercial property sector is experiencing mixed success...

Mr Shapps, despite being the UK Housing Minister seems to have overlooked the fact that "Mates Mortgages" already exist...

Property values in Central London increased in June by 0.9 per cent, according to the latest figures from Knight Frank...

UK House Prices 'Unchanged'

The latest house price index from Nationwide has revealed that residential property values in the UK were unchanged in June compared to May this year...

Landlords Report Rise in Rental Income

Nearly one-third (29 per cent) of landlords in the UK stated that rental income increased during the second quarter of this year...

The office market in Hong Kong recovered more quickly from the economic downturn than its counterparts in New York and London...

Returns Up From Regeneration Properties

There has been a significant improvement in the returns available on regeneration property in 2010 compared with the previous year, according to the latest research...

Infrastructure, particularly in India and China, could prove to be a good investment, director at The Motley Fool (fool.co.uk) David Kuo has claimed...

An increasing number of investors are looking at the property and infrastructure sectors to bolster their portfolios, an executive at Deutsche Bank's alternative asset management division - now known as RREEF - has revealed...

Investment Prospects in UK Buy to Let

Investors that are able to access financing for Buy to Let deals in the UK could find that they are in a strong position...

Profitability Up for London Hotels

Hotels in London experienced a 17 per cent increase in their profitability in May, compared with the same month in 2010, new figures have revealed...

Economically prosperous areas of the UK have experienced significant house price rises over the past decade, new figures have shown, which could be good news for anyone with property investments in locations such as London, Liverpool, Belfast and Edinburgh....

Despite increasing investment, capital values are now increasing in the European commercial property market, having stagnated in the last 4 quarters...

Average rents for properties around the UK increased in May, new research has shown. The latest Buy to Let Index from LSL Property Services revealed that rents rose by 0.05 per cent in May to reach an average of 696 GBP....

Property markets in the Middle East enjoyed a 15 per cent increase in investment activity in the first three months of the year, new figures from Cushman and Wakefield have revealed...

Not too long ago, the Institute for Public Policy and Research (IPPR) released a report estimating that the UK is facing a "growing housing crisis". The organisation estimated that by 2025 there will be a shortfall of 750,000 homes in the country....

New research has found that the value of UK residential construction starts was 31 per cent lower in the three months to May than a year previous, highlighting the struggling position of the country's housing recovery...

As the London property market continues to comfortably outperform the rest of the UK, a growing number of wealthy overseas investors are purchasing real estate in the capital, the Evening Standard reports....

While the Bank of England's decision to keep interest rates at a record low 0.5 per cent has not come as a surprise to many, it could lead to an unbalancing of the country's real estate market in the long-term...

London continues to lead the UK property market as the year continues and tenants in the English capital have been warned to brace themselves for rent increases of between eight and ten per cent this year....

Earlier this month, research from Halifax suggested that Britain is increasingly becoming a nation of renters, with the high costs involved with buying a home acting as a barrier to property market entry in the country....

Commercial property investment, in its various forms is a better bet now than it has been for years, and especially than it was during the boom...

UK buyers are the target for the Malaysian My Second Home (MM2H) programme, it has been revealed. The Malaysian tourism minister, Dr Ng Yen Yen, has claimed that as globalisation makes the world more accessible, more Brits are expected to travel further to expand their property portfolios....

Kensington, W8, is the most expensive neighbourhood in the UK to live, with average house prices in the London borough coming in at almost GBP 1.75 million. Britain's Property Rich List 2011, released by Zoopla....

Students have been getting a raw deal as of late. Rising tuition fees, reduced investment in the sector, mass demonstrations and planned teacher walkouts have all contributed towards various commentators and media outlets alike venting their frustration about what the future holds....

Commercial Property Sales Activity Up

Total sales figures for European commercial property activity hit EUR 28.5 billion in the first three months of the year, up 45 per cent compared to the same period one year ago....

Holiday home investment is an area which has been growing in popularity over the past few years. The onset of the economic crisis and subsequent rise of the staycation meant that the UK's tourism sector enjoyed a welcome boost...

London Enjoys Property Price Rises

London continues to lead the way in terms of UK house prices, with a 33 per cent increase in values since March 2009. Prime real estate values in the city climbed once again during May, up 1.4 per cent...

Invested stock increased by four per cent in 2010, indicating that European property markets have finally turned the corner. The growth, as reported in DTZ's flagship Money into Property 2011 report....

The London property market is booming. Recent indices have suggested that as the rest of the UK's real estate sector stagnates and splutters toward recovery, the English capital is racing ahead in terms of sales, stability and capital growth...

Property is the Investment of Choice

Uncertainty in a number of commodities markets has pushed property once again to the forefront of investors' minds...

The latest Global Commercial Property Survey by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (UK) is positive on the prospects for growth in many global markets...

Recent research has suggested that the European hotel industry is showing steady signs of growth in the wake of the global economic crisis...

A new report has highlighted the popularity of the US as a property investment destination for foreign buyers. International purchases shot up USD 16 billion this year...

The global real estate market has been given an upbeat forecast, with both developed and emerging markets said to be offering investors the potential to collect healthy returns...

Confidence among property investors is climbing, with shares in UK-listed property companies returning strong results over the past year....

UK Commercial Property Debt Falls

The level of debt secured against UK commercial property has fallen from in excess of GBP 300 billion to about GBP 293 billion in 2010...

Buy to Let: The Beast With Two Backs?

Buy to Let has been haunting the UK press with much gusto in recent months for many reasons. Mortgage lenders have been citing a rise in lending and subsequently new mortgage products in a bid to "cope" with rising demand in the arena...

Prime central London properties have risen in value by GBP 767 every day over the past year, research from Knight Frank has found...

The recovery is severely fragmented, with some countries seeing capital growth, some seeing incomes increase, and almost all seeing rents either stagnant or falling. One thing that is nearly constant however is a strong growth in investment returns...

Despite UK commercial property values rising 0.1 per cent in April, the market's rebound from the global financial crisis has slowed, Reuters reported...

Demand for Rental Property 'Strong'

Investment in buy to let properties appears to be holding up in the UK, according to recent comments from one mortgage expert...

Property investors have been told that location should not be their primary reason for making a purchase. Instead, buyers have been told to focus on income, illiquidity and transaction costs, the Financial Times Advisor reports....

British property buyers are finding that the falling value of sterling is having a profound impact on their incomes...

Britain's buy-to-let sector has been experiencing a turnaround in fortunes of late, with landlords taking advantage of a drop in house values and low interest rates...

While the traditionally strong property markets of Latin America and Asia are performing well, emerging markets are continuing to post further improvements....

As various reports suggest that commercial markets around the world are beginning to see an upturn in activity, Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) has revealed that direct commercial real estate investment in the UK reached GBP 8 billion in the first three months of 2011....

London Leads UK Commercial Recovery

London continues to be the leading light in the UK's commercial real estate revival, with new figures showing that investment in the sector increased by 34 per cent year-on-year in the first three months of 2011...

Some USD 440 billion is expected to be transacted across global real estate markets this year, according to the latest forecast by Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL). If reached, the figure will be the highest amount reached since 2007....

As international investors become more risk averse, many buyers are finding that the UK commercial market is increasingly attractive. Savills claims that global investors have been showing a lot more interest in the asset class in recent months, with prime property proving the most popular purchase....

Current global economic conditions mean that it is highly unlikely that there will be any significant improvements in the property market in the near future. This is the opinion of Liam Bailey, head of residential research at Knight Frank....

Demand for real estate within Europe remains high, with Jones Lang LaSalle reporting that the first three months of the year saw transactions climb 48 per cent compared to the same period of 2010...

London Remains a Lucrative Hotel Market

London has emerged as one of the most lucrative cities for those considering making a hotel investment, the latest data suggests. Looking at the trivago Hotel Price Index, buyers will note that the metropolis remains one of Europe's best bets as hotel rates in the capital rose by ten per cent in the last month alone...

Property Market Found Alive and Well

After a couple of jolly busy weeks, what with the barrage of Easter egg hunts, followed by a series of Royal knees-ups, and of course hunting down Osama Bin Laden, there has been little space in the news for anything really relating to property at all...

Commercial real estate transaction in London for 2010 totalled GBP 9.9 billion, new statistics have revealed. The figure represents an increase of around a third compared to the previous year, Cushman and Wakefield has revealed....

A growth in the number of international buyers active in the UK property market is expected to bolster the region's real estate market, it has been suggested. Despite being hit hard by the recent financial crisis, the sector is expected to recover strongly...

A growing number of buy-to-let investors are looking to take advantage of current UK property market conditions...

Confidence in real estate both in the UK and abroad remains high, with 56 per cent of individuals questioned by the Worldwide Property Group believing that now is a good time to buy overseas...

Albania Leads Balkan Nation Recovery

Albania is currently leading the way in terms of economic recovery among the Western Balkan nations. This is according to the latest figures from the EC Economic and Financial Affairs Department's Candidate and Pre-Accession Countries Economic Quarterly Report Q4 2010...

Investment in European retail property has hit its highest level for three years, with the asset class clearly outperforming other sectors within the region's commercial real estate market...

UK Farmland Reaches New Record High

UK farmland continues to offer investors some of the best prospects on the market. Knight Frank has reported that the asset class was the best-performing in the first three months of the year, with values reaching record highs....

A growing number of UK property investors are looking at the opportunities available to them in Mediterranean markets, new research has suggested...

Commercial property values in the UK continued to post steady growth in March, with the latest index revealing that they rose 0.3 per cent nationwide...

UK farmland has continued to be one of the best-performing asset classes so far this year, with demand far outstripping supply. Farmland values in the country have climbed to an all-time high during the first quarter of 2011 and now stand at GBP 7,900 per acre....

Last month saw a distinct pick up in performance within all three of the main commercial property sectors in the UK. Total returns from the sector were 1.2 per cent and capital value growth was 0.7 per cent, CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) reports....

Buy to Let | Relax, Don't Do It!

This week, the next big thing in the UK property investment world would appear to be buy to let - again. Having obviously not learnt from the last hype and furor that Buy to Let caused, the pr gurus of the world seem hell-bent on making us believe it's "ripe for a comeback"

Despite the impact of the recession and financial crisis on the UK property market, many individuals remain confident that real estate is the best investment that they can make...

Despite lenders introducing tighter conditions, the UK housing market will only see a temporary drop in activity, Bank of England policymaker David Miles has claimed. Monthly approvals for mortgages have fallen..

Now, in Europe we have commercial properties being sold at severely depressed prices, especially malls, and especially in those countries mired by the sovereign debt crisis.

A significant surge by investors for prime, good quality retail property saw the sector post a 60 per cent year-on-year increase in capital during 2010, the latest figures from CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) have revealed....

Investing in UK Retirement Homes

As property indices around the world indicate that commercial markets are beginning to return to strength, investors are increasingly looking to take advantage of the opportunities this presents. Recovery is set to continue, led primarily by improving economic conditions in traditional countries and strong growth in emerging markets....

Retail in London Best Investment Option

Retail property in central London is regarded as one of the best investment options, according to the Colliers International Real Estate Capital Pricing Survey...

The change in Stamp Duty, whilst positive for the larger investor and institutional buyer, is basically the death-knell for aspiring home owners under the age of 45...

More positive signs are emerging from the UK commercial property market, with occupier demand up six per cent in the first quarter of 2011. Preliminary figures released by Jones Lang LaSalle suggest that there has been a marked turnaround in the sector compared to 2010 and also point to a return of business confidence....

Investors Welcome Stamp Duties Changes

Reforms to Stamp Duty Land Tax rules, as announced in yesterday's (March 23rd) budget, have been welcomed by UK's property investment bodies. Under new terms announced by chancellor George Osborne, the rate of Stamp Duty land Tax on purchases of multiple residential properties...

As a rule I personally tend to largely steer clear of politics for a several reasons. Firstly, because I am not a politician, it doesn't really matter what I think, if a change is made in parliament there is little I can do about it...

UK Commercial Recovery is Patchy

Overall recovery in the UK commercial property market is "very patchy" outside of London, Capital Economics has said. Figures from the Investment Property Databank show that during February, the UK commercial real estate sector saw capital growth of 0.2 per cent...

The world has been forever changed by the first and worst international financial crisis since World War II and World War I before it. One of the main differences is that in the wake of the crisis, emerging markets are becoming dominant in the global economy.

Commercial real estate investors in the UK could be encountering problems with bank lending, according to the latest result of a Jones Lang LaSalle reports...

Riskier assets in stable countries could present investors with the best opportunity to make substantial returns this year, it has been suggested. According to Stuart Fiertz, co-founder of Cheyne Capital Management, 2011 will be characterised by prime properties yielding less and emerging markets losing their stability....

Concerns surrounding the future of the UK jobs market are expected to hold back full recovery of the region's property sector. The March 2011 Building Societies Association Property Tracker survey has suggested that demand for property will remain weak, with job security acting as one of the main barriers for potential owners....

Experts are predicting that 2011 will be a strong year for Real Estate Investment Trusts, (REITs) and particularly for those running Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs).

MIPIM Sees UK Create 'Online Buzz'

UK cities have been creating a great deal of online attention at the recent MIPIM conference, new research has found. In conjunction with KPMG, CREOPoint tracked 10,000 sources of online article posts between February 12th and March 12th...

Sovereign and large pension schemes in London have been some the most active investors over the past 18 months, Property Week reports. It follows a recent study by global social network CREOPoint and KPMG which found that the UK's major cities dominated the online conversation during the recent MIPIM conference....

Globally the number of distressed properties listed for sale is expected to increase, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has claimed....

Confidence in the overseas property market remains high, according to the latest results of the Worldwide Property Group tracker survey. According to the study, 77 per cent of respondents feel that this is also a good time to make a foreign property acquisition....

Investment in European industrial real estate rose by 28 per cent in terms of volume last year according to JLL's European Industrial Markets Spring 2011 research report....

Global Recovery Set to be Occupier Led

Recovery across the worlds' property markets in 2011 is set to continue, with improving performance driven primarily by occupier markets, according to a new report by Cushman and Wakefield. Unveiled at MIPIM in Cannes, the forecast notes that an increasing focus on the occupier will be a core characteristic within the sector...

The European real estate debt market will continue to tighten in the coming year, as lenders adopt a cautious outlook and become more selective in who they lend to. According to CB Richard Ellis (CBRE), credit will become more difficult to attain....

UK residential property has soared in value by almost 200 per cent over the past decade, new research has indicated. The asset class has been the second best-performing over the past ten years, with an increase in value of 198 per cent, according to Lloyds TSB....

Below Market Value Property Investments

Below market value (or BMV as it has become known) has always been the coveted golden chalice for most investors over the years - the very idea that one can invest in a "bargain" investment for less than it is worth and theoretically gain an instant profit in the process...

Bradford is overdue for regeneration, and now it is finally happening; the often overlooked northern city is currently undergoing a 3 billion GDP facelift. It is widely expected that the regeneration...

There are major geographical differences in Europe's residential property markets, according to the findings of the new European Housing Review 2011. Published by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), it notes that many countries have seen improvements....

Office property continues to make up the largest proportion of inter-regional investment around the world, with 58 per cent of all transactions for that asset class....

Despite positive signs, it will be a while before all Europe's housing markets return to full strength, with large disparities present between countries....

Over the past year, a total of 61 different nationalities have purchased property in London, according to the latest figures from estate agents Knight Frank.The fastest growing nationalities were buyers from Spain and Uzbekistan, the consultancy said....

A decline in European commercial property values has led to a reduction in the level of real estate lending of the UK´s four largest banks, new figures show. Bloomberg reports that the financial houses cut back on lending for commercial real estate by a combined GBP 17....

UK Farmland Prices Soar

A lack of supply of good quality land in the UK has caused land values in the country to soar, with farmland prices reaching an all-time high in the last half of 2010.This is according to the latest report from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics), which noted that on average there was an increase of six per cent in land values....

International property investors have bought more than 800 million GBP worth of London real estate sold at exhibitions in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong in 2010, it has been revealed...

UK Hoteliers Confident About 2011

Despite the recent VAT increase and the implementation of various austerity measures expected to stifle consumer spending, hoteliers in the UK remain confident about their performance this year....

15 Facts That Decide Your House Price

I don't think anyone will disagree with the fact that the UK housing market is in a bit of a pickle at the moment - from almost every angle. Right now, there are a few facts to consider which I am going to cover in a bid to outline why the UK property market is having the problems it is, how they might be corrected at the moment and how they might be avoided in the future.

Over the past three years, investors with agricultural property in their portfolio have found that their assets have topped the investment performance league in the UK....

Weak employment prospects, the rising cost of living and pay freezes across the UK are likely to contribute to the real estate market declining slightly over the course of this year, the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) claims....

Encouraging growth in the UK's residential and commercial property markets should be a primary concern for the coalition government, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has said....

Property is considered to be a better investment than gold, shares, currency and savings, the results of a new survey have found. The latest research from the Worldwide Property Group has suggested that investor confidence is starting to return, with 69 per cent of the opinion that now is a good time to purchase real estate abroad....

There are pronounced regional and sector differences present in the UK commercial real estate market, with prime London office space continuing to outperform the rest of the country, the latest index has found....

Understanding Property Tax

I will be approaching the subject of tax on property investments in a rather specifically vague way to highlight the impact of taxation on investment (and investment levels) and how taxation is itself limited in its own right by what it sets out to achieve....

The recent downturn in the housing market and the turmoil in the financial markets has created a new window of opportunity as the need for social housing increases...

UK Buy To Let Market Enjoys 7% Increase

Buy to let investing in the UK rose by 22 per cent in 2010 compared to the previous year, new figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) have revealed. This increase in lending meant that the country's buy to let market expanded by seven per cent over the timeframe, with the total monetary value handed out by banks to investors standing at GBP 10....

Central London Property is 'Resilient'

Property in central London is expected to be more resilient to further price falls than the rest of the UK market, research from Capital Economics has forecast. In total, the organisation believes that home values in the region will fall by around ten per cent when compared to the market peak, about half the expected decline the body predicts will be seen for the UK as a whole....

Chinese property investors are being increasingly drawn to the London real estate market to take advantage of the favourable exchange rates which are currently on offer, a leading consultancy has claimed....

If you are a frequent reader of the blog here at IPIN, you'll likely know that the press invariably get my goat when it comes to the property market with their poor analogies and comparisons....

The recovery seen in the UK construction sector during 2010 appears to have "run out of steam", the latest report from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has claimed....

A lack of funding for residential development in England is causing price increases to slow rapidly, it has been suggested. According to Knight Frank, urban land values fell by one per cent and in Greater London the fall was higher at 2....

UK Construction Activity Increases

For the first time since August 2010, all three of the UK construction sub-sectors enjoyed an increase in activity during January, according to the Markit/CIPS UK Construction PMI. The figures show that the index climbed to 53....