Lots of people in the commercial property industry have followed family members into the career – perhaps more than in some other jobs. Surveying, as it is studied in Higher Education, has no precursor at school: there is no subject of ‘surveying’ and where students who do well at physics may go on to do engineering, there is not necessarily a direct link between subjects studied at school and a career as a surveyor.

It’s not just high streets that are suffering in the current, interminable economic climate. ‘Out-of-town’ retail parks – which themselves have tempted customers and money away from the town centres – are also suffering: the loss of countrywide retail-park tenants such as Borders, Comet, and Dreams, all of whom have recently gone into administration, cannot but have an effect on the bottom line of the owners and investors of the buildings. But how much of an effect? 

British Land has been chosen to develop the new mixed-use scheme based between Shoreditch and the City. The City of London Corporation has chosen British Land over a number of large London developers, including Allied London and Development Securities, to redevelop the Shoreditch Estate. Two years ago Shoreditch wasn’t even on the map for large office occupiers, but over the last 18 months or so rents have gone through the roof as tech firms have demanded space in the “Tech City”.

London has been the safe haven for foreign investment during the previous years, in particular the last three years. During these years, the majority of investment has come from China. Now China is leading investment in Asia-Pacific commercial properties, totaling to 4.2 trillion dollars in 2012 resulting from economic growth that drove up capital values and in turn supported new construction.  

With the annual surveyors rugby 7 tournament being held this Sunday it has sparked the question in our office of how important it networking is in property. There will be 1,000s of chartered surveyors embarking on Richmond to watch a high standard of rugby being played. I am sure the rugby will be extremely entertaining and a lot of it will be played at a high standard, however we all know the real reason for all these property folk to congregate on rugby pitches on a Sunday is to socialise with and meet their counterparts in the industry. 

The developer Catalyst Capital has joined forces with the Scottish developer Duddingston House Properties, the regeneration agency Scottish Enterprise and Sir Robert McAlpine to complete a deal to develop 462,228 square feet of offices on the Glasgow waterfront site, which was first publicised on 4th May 2013. 

60% of property investment last year in London came from foreign investors. Due to the on-going global recession and extremely poor economic climate, investors have sought to find economic safe havens to protect their investments; one such hub is Central London. Recent research has revealed that the real estate investors have bought more in London than across the whole of the UK for the first time, indicating how strong and safe investors feel Central London property is.

Up until recently it has been well noted in various studies by major reputable property consultancies that London is now receiving more foreign investment, up to two thirds of investment in the prime locations of London are coming from overseas, the Shard being one prime example of this. London has been deemed the safe haven for those countries suffering in the Euro zone as well as other nations such as China and UAE.

Transport for London (TFL) has several locations throughout London, and according to the Estates Gazette, it is now on the lookout for 150,000 square feet of office space on the South Bank – possibly to replace its current flagship office block at 55 Broadway, SW1, although this being 500,000 square feet, the move would mean a considerable downsize.

Manulife Financial Corp, in Hong Kong, has recently made the decision to acquire office space outside of the traditional banking and insuring location: Hong Kong’s central business district. Canada’s biggest insurer has paid the second-highest amount for office space outside the central business district: HK$4.5 billion for the 512,000 square foot Kowloon East building, which is due to be completed by the end of 2015.