Eg Property Podcasts

Momentum is a critical factor for the London office market, and although external obstacles have been placed in its way there is a sense the handbrake is about to come off, according to Harry James, associate director at office specialist The Workplace Co. James was London’s top office dealmaker in June, leading the Radius Rankings with 8 deals totalling 7,969 sq ft of space. He oversaw transactions in the West End, City, City Fringe and the Southern Fringe. Activity has been up and down since the start of the year, says James, but he is optimistic about occupiers being in a less cautious mood once they return from summer holidays.

In this episode of the EG Property Podcast, editor Samantha McClary, meets the final two members of this year's Future Leaders cohort - Kitty Eyre, senior project manager at the London Borough of Ealing, and Michael De Los Santos Samson, apprentice surveyor at CBRE - to find out more about how they are feeling as they begin their journey on the intensive programme. Listen in to find out how they both want to push themselves into uncomfortable situations, build deep connections with the industry and make a difference with the powerful talks they will deliver as part of the EG Real Estate Futures event in September. And don't forget to listen to episode one to make sure who know every single one of this year's EG Future Leaders Huge thanks for EG's partners CBRE, Clyde & Co, Knight Frank, Landsec, and Nuveen for supporting the Future Leaders programme.

In this episode of the EG Property Podcast, EG deputy editor Tim Burke sits down with a collection of this year's cohort of Future Leaders to find out how they are feeling at the beginning of an intense journey that will culminate with a 10 minute, un-aided Ted-style talk in front of hundreds at EG's Real Estate Futures event this September. Listen in to hear insight from: Victoria Whiteley, project manager, Knight Frank Avneeth Fernandes, head of financial accounting, Landsec Manuela Apostol, anaplan and BI solutions architect, Logicor Will Game, asset manager, Nuveen Carolyn Morgan-Welker, senior associate, planning & environment, Clyde & Co Huge thanks for EG's partners CBRE, Clyde & Co, Knight Frank, Landsec, and Nuveen for supporting the Future Leaders programme.

Trading conditions across Greater Manchester are challenging, with uncertainty over the economy and the future of work leading occupiers to operate with caution, according to Fletcher CRE director John Fletcher. In terms of deal numbers, Fletcher CRE is the highest-placed regional agent on the Radius On Demand Rankings across Greater Manchester for the year to date, with 15 deals over the line totalling 37,704 sq ft of space. Fletcher believes the towns of Greater Manchester benefit greatly from the success of Manchester city centre, but he believes investment is needed both in infrastructure and the right redevelopment if they are to realise their potential. He is also hopeful that Thursday’s general election will remove one element of instability and encourage occupiers to commit to decisions.

EG's legal & professional editor, Jess Harrold, is joined by Vicky Hernandez, partner and head of retail at law firm RWK Goodman, and Allan Wickham, head of occupier sustainability in the ESG consultancy team at CBRE, to discuss the rise of green leases, with a particular focus on the retail sector. Together, they recap what green leases are, with examples of typical green clauses that might arise in retail leases and a focus on the different shades of green that can apply, plus some of the particular challenges faced in retail. They address the recently updated green lease toolkit, from the Better Buildings Partnership, and how that will aid landlord and tenant negotiations on key lease provisions - hugely important, with the growing need for alignment between property owners and occupiers when it comes to improving the sustainability of our buildings.  

In this episode of the EG Property Podcast, EG editor Samantha McClary takes a break from the normal property chatter and instead turns her attention to real estate’s love of Lycra, friendly competition and, of course, raising vital fund for charity. Listen in as she catches up with three participants of this year’s JLL Property Triathlon – Simon Peacock, Kate Peters and Will Sherlock - to find out how their training has gone, why they choose to don a onesie in front of their colleagues and bosses, and more seriously, what one of the biggest gatherings of real estate professionals achieves for charity. The triathlon – which takes place on 28 June at Dorney Lake –  is in its 17th year and has so far raised more than £2m for charity. For the past three years the event has been raising funds for WWF and by the culmination of this year’s races, expects to have raised more than £600,000 for the charity. Find out more about where and how those funds are being spend and what you can do to help encourage our guests a

The handbrake is coming off in the West Midlands, where a recent upturn in deals activity shows the age of uncertainly is approaching its end, according to Shepherd Commercial director Kaine Arkinson. Arkinson was the UK’s top individual dealmaker for May in EG’s On-Demand Rankings. As the month closed he had managed 14 completions, totalling 35,952 sq ft. He says the industrial market is still the dominant force in the West Midlands, with a slew of cash-rich buyers waiting in the wings. However, he also believes there is a distinct shortage of stock at the smaller end of the market, and hopes the planning system can be unlocked to fix it.

In this episode of the EG Property Podcast – recorded live on stage at UKREiiF in Leeds – news editor Pui-Guan Man sits down with a host of experts to discuss how to support social mobility within the real estate sector. While those working in real estate can often come from privileged backgrounds, the sector operates within diverse communities where individuals converge to live, work and socialise. This means that prioritising social mobility is crucial for fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace, as well as for ensuring that the real estate industry mirrors the diversity of its surroundings. In this conversation we look at how we can further advocate for the economic benefits of diversity? What strategies can organisations and individuals employ to drive positive transformations, fostering a more vibrant, adaptable and fair urban landscape? How can tangible opportunities for local communities be provided in the process? Insights delivered from Jennie Colville, head of ESG & sustainability, Landse

In this episode of the EG Property Podcast – recorded live at UKREiiF in Leeds – deputy editor Tim Burke sits down with Gowling WLG partner Anjali Bancroft and Vistry Group’s partner investment director Kathryn Pennington to look to the future of single-family housing. Single-family housing in the UK is experiencing rapid growth, emerging as a significant component of the country’s build-to-rent sector. With investors seeking to broaden their portfolios, what level of investment is currently targeting this sector, and what are the sources of funding and supply? The asset class is strategically positioned to alleviate the shortage of high-quality, energy-efficient and contemporary suburban housing in the UK, but is it resilient amid a volatile macroeconomic environment? Listen in as we delve into the opportunities and challenges for investors, owners and operators, offering insights into the customer experience, community development, amenity provision and the growing interest in joint ventures and collaborati

In this episode of the EG Property Podcast – recorded live at UKREiiF in Leeds – deputy editor Tim Burke is in conversation with Alexa Culver, general counsel at Environment Bank, Anna Rose, head of planning advisory service at the Local Government Association, and Rico Wojtulewicz, head of policy and market insight at the National Federation of Builders about how to successfully implement a biodiversity net gain strategy. As the BNG market finally starts to unfold, it has become clear that delivering BNG entirely on-site isn’t an option in most cases. In this EG Property Podcast our experts explain more about off-site biodiversity units and how the industry can seamlessly integrate them into development strategies. Listen in to find out what’s available, how it works, and how it can be effective. Brought to you in partnership with Environment Bank.

Office occupiers from London’s traditional markets are increasingly looking towards the City Fringe in search of space and value, according to Belcor agency specialist Rob Elman. Elman was the UK’s top individual office dealmaker on the Radius Rankings for April in terms of deals numbers. He managed six completions amounting to a combined 12,500 sq ft of space. He believes City Fringe is still well stocked with the sort of high-quality, characterful office buildings needed to bring workers back, and says occupiers will increasingly look towards it rather than more central areas where rents are at “insane” levels.

Jess Harrold speaks to Freehold co-chairs Kelly Canterford and Scott Parsons about EG's sixth annual LGBTQ+ in Real Estate – Attitudes, Actions and Allies survey, launched in association with the networking organisation. Together, they discuss the importance of the survey as one of the few sources of actual data about the LGBTQ+ community working in real estate, as well as the opportunity it offers for people to share their stories under the protection of anonymity. Canterford and Parsons explain why they believe as many people as possible should participate in the survey and share their views before the deadline on 9 June. You can do so at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MYDV692  

Forthcoming EPC rules are undeliverable and will need to be rethought, according to Siddall Jones founder and director Ed Siddall-Jones in the latest Voice of the Region podcast. Speaking in front of a live audience in Birmingham at EG’s Birds Eye View West Midlands event, Siddall-Jones said the current directive to bring all office stock up to a minimum EPC Grade B by 2030 would prove prohibitively expensive for most landlords as rental returns would not justify the investment. He also said ESG is no longer the preserve of larger corporates, with smaller companies already finding it hard to raise finance from banks if EPCs are not at specific levels. Siddall Jones leads the way in the Radius On Demand Rankings for the West Midlands region in terms of deals numbers, with 174 lettings and occupational sales completed in the last 12 months.

A vibrant city centre, competitive rents and strong connectivity have helped maintain a solid deals pipeline in Leeds and the surrounding region, according to Carter Towler. Associate director Hazel Cooper and agency surveyor James Jackson spoke to EG in the latest Voice of the Region podcast. Carter Towler is comfortably top of the Radius On Demand Rankings for West Yorkshire for the past 12 months, both in terms of the number of deals done and the amount of space transacted, with 1,019,926 sq ft either let or sold for occupational use across 178 deals. Both the office and industrial sectors face issues around the supply of new stock, although Jackson says new office developments in Wellington Place and Aire Park are being supplemented by high quality refurbishments of existing space.

There will be a sharp rise in the number of distressed property assets being brought to market this year, according to Watling Real Estate director Jamie Lamond. Lamond, who is the Radius dealmaker of the month for March with 160,000 sq ft of disposals, says that although the lending markets are structured very differently compared to previous downturns, appointments of administrators and receivers have begun to surge this year and tougher times lie ahead. He identifies hospitality and the high street as particularly vulnerable, but also expects problems for some assets in the logistics sector as well as London’s office core. However, Lamond believes the situation will not be as profound as the global financial crisis of 2007-2008 due to the weight of money still in the market.

In this episode of the EG Property Podcast, Tim Burke, EG’s deputy editor, sits down with the founders of Vectr7 Investment Partners Mary Criebardis Singh and Dominic Wilson to talk about climate technology investment in the real estate space. The pair are raising $25m (£19.7m) for the fund, which will invest in companies across Europe with a specific emphasis on greenhouse gas capture or avoidance in the real assets industries, including real estate, infrastructure, transport and utilities. The fund is targeting cheque sizes of $1m to $3m and will look to invest in around 15 ventures. It has already backed three companies: machine learning powered smart sockets company measurable.energy, hybrid-work management software company Kadence, and local office space and events company Patch. In this 20-minute discussion, we dive into what the pair hope to achieve with the fund, how we need to redefine how the real assets industry utilises technology to address sustainability issues more widely and the changing natur

In this EG Property Podcast, we delve into the transformative world of workplace environments, focusing on the EG Power Properties List, powered by HqO. Listen in as EG editor Samantha McClary sits down with Samuel Warren, senior vice president of sales at HqO, for an in-depth discussion on what it takes for companies to not only make it onto this coveted list but also to achieve the distinguished HqO Best Spaces to Work certification. The conversation looks at the critical importance of curating superior occupier experiences in today’s competitive landscape and uncovers why HqO has spearheaded the Real Estate Experience platform. This initiative aims to arm businesses with actionable insights drawn from comprehensive data on how end-users engage with their workspaces. Join us as we question the future of workplace design, investigate the role of data in shaping occupier experiences, and reveal the strategies that companies can employ to transform their spaces into hubs of innovation and productivity. Find o

High streets are awash with opportunity for occupiers willing to take advantage of historically low start-up costs and find new ways of using space, according to Flude surveyor Alice Masterman. Operating from Flude’s Portsmouth office, Masterman was 2023’s top individual dealmaker in the Radius rankings for the South East region. She transacted 86 deals and more than 150,000 sq ft of space. Masterman says the relatively high cost of industrial space means many brands which become online-only are now taking advantage of low retail rents and returning to the High Street. She also believes the health sector, from aesthetics to dentistry, is playing an increasingly important role in the overall mix.  

In a recording of 'The Great Workplace Reset' panel, held in partnership with Avison Young and Shoosmiths at MIPIM on 12 March 2024, Samantha McClary asks expert guests what the future holds for our places of work.  Nuala Gallagher, corporate director, city development at Liverpool City Council; Theo Michell, co-founder & COO, Bywater Properties; Nathan Rees, partner and co-head, real estate investment group, Shoosmiths; and Nick Walkley, principal and UK president, Avison Young, discuss the major questions facing the sector. Does the central business district still exist? What do people actually want from the places they work? What kind of buildings will we need, and is there still a place for big, shiny towers? How can we get more young people back into town and city centres? And can planning decision-makers keep up with the pace of change?

The industrial sector has begun the year with a degree of caution but activity is hotting up in the small to medium size end of the market as opposed to sheds, according FHP joint founder and director John Proctor. Proctor is EG’s Dealmaker of the Month for February after finishing the month top of the individual dealmaker Radius Rankings, with 116,155 sq ft of space either let or sold. He says there are reasons for cautious optimism for the industrial sector, with demand picking up since the turn of the new year, particularly for units up to 50,000 sq ft. He also welcomes the fact that ESG has become intrinsic to the market, extending right the way down to the process of obtaining finance.