During the third quarter of 2014, the commercial property market in London has greatly benefited from a strengthened economy. Low interest rates and improved consumer confidence have contributed to making commercial floorspace in the British capital attractive to the eyes of investors and property managers, many of whom are trying to make the most out of the fact that overall prices still remain well below the peak they reached in 2007. During the past three months, average values for commercial property in London have been 31 per cent lower than in 2007. Return rates on investment for all types of commercial property have hovered around the 15 per cent mark, a slightly higher figure than the one experienced during the first half of the year. The commercial property market in London remains largely dominated by overseas investors, who currently have a 57 per cent market share, followed by UK institutions and property firms. Read on for more details on the market’s performance during the third quarter of 2014.
The London Office Market Q3 2014
On the whole, the cost of office space in central London is currently 4 per cent below its 2007 record high values. Having said that, it is important to note that some areas within central London have managed to return to or even exceed their pre-recession values. This is the case of offices in the West End, whose value increased by 5 per cent during the third quarter of this year. At the end of August 2014, office take-up rates in London were 17 per cent higher than during the previous year.
The latest data also show that the gap in prices between primary and secondary office stock in the city has been consistently narrowing down over the past quarter. Moderate rental growth is now evident across most city locations. However moderate, rental value increases and rising occupation costs have led more than 40 corporate occupiers to relocate from West End core offices to cheaper properties in areas like Midtown, the South Bank, or the city fringe. Year-on-year rental growth values are now 9.8 per cent higher in Midtown properties (which have been clearly outperforming those in other areas) and 7.3 per cent higher in city fringe locations.
Another trend worth mentioning is the significant number of central London offices that have been earmarked for conversion into residential properties. In the West End alone, more than 800,000 square feet of office space are set to be re-developed into residential floorspace within the next few years. It is expected that this trend will continue, as during the past three months consent has been granted to dozens of planning applications that will result in office-to-residential conversions. Continue reading “Overview of London’s Commercial Property Market — 3rd Quarter 2014”