Real Estate
Real Estate Solicitor Joins Excello Law in Liverpool

Real Estate Solicitor Joins Excello Law in Liverpool

National firm Excello Law has announced the appointment of real estate specialist Amanda Hurst, who has joined from Hill Dickinson. Qualifying in 2002, she has a wide range of commercial property experience as well as specialisms in healthcare and education. “I am really excited to join other like-minded, experienced consultants

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UK Construction Receives Tech Boost

PlanRadar, the web-based application for construction and real estate projects, has launched in the UK to continue its global expansion. For Britain, this launch has the potential to take the country out of its 20-year long productivity slump where over a third of construction projects overrun on time (40%) or

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VIEW FROM THE LARGEST FLOORPLATE AVAILABLE IN MANCHESTER IN 2019

Barings, one of the world’s largest diversified real estate investment managers, has unveiled the views from its Landmark Manchester, 180,000 sq ft office development which is currently under construction in St Peter’s Square. Set for completion in Q3 of 2019, the building will offer occupiers the largest available floorplates in

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PropTech Trends That Are Reshaping Real Estate

Advances in AI applications are already causing revolutionary changes in the commercial real estate field, and we’ll continue to see a shift in the way real estate professionals do business in the years to come. With PropTech start-ups increasingly offering technologically innovative products and business strategies for the real estate

Read More »

Stargazing Hawaiian Style

The islands of Hawaii are like black pearls in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Most people know that the place is the treasure chest of many natural wonders including black sand beaches, turquoise-colored ocean, waterfalls and chaotic yet beautiful volcanic eruptions. Little did people know that the island-state is

Read More »

Overseas Investors to be Attracted to Revamped Hull Office Site

London-based European real estate investment and asset management firm, Catalyst Capital, has invested hundreds of thousands of pounds to refurbish an office development in the heart of Hull city centre. Chameleon Business Interior has renovated Anchor House, based in the Maltings on Silvester Street, into a New York-loft style work

Read More »

Positive Outlook Across UK Real Estate

The real estate sector is collectively upbeat for the next year but remains guarded beyond that. Indeed, while 88% of respondents to a survey carried out by the British Property Federation (BPF) said they were confident the market could bloom for the next 12 months, their confidence was less certain

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Latest Issue
Issue 325 : Feb 2025

Real Estate

Real Estate Solicitor Joins Excello Law in Liverpool

Real Estate Solicitor Joins Excello Law in Liverpool

National firm Excello Law has announced the appointment of real estate specialist Amanda Hurst, who has joined from Hill Dickinson. Qualifying in 2002, she has a wide range of commercial property experience as well as specialisms in healthcare and education. “I am really excited to join other like-minded, experienced consultants and continue to provide an excellent service to clients whilst working flexibly,” commented on her appointment at Excello Amanda. Having moved from Hill Dickinson, where she headed up the national healthcare property commercial team, Amanda will be focusing on commercial landlord and tenant matters, as well as property acquisitions and disposals. “We are delighted to welcome Amanda to our real estate team in the north west. She is highly valued by her clients and joins at an exciting time in the firm’s history in Liverpool, with a growing team across the region and the launch of our new office facilities in Derby Square. It’s great to have her on board,” said Julie Mogan, Regional Director at Excello. Recently, Amanda was listed in the Legal 500 2023 directory for both commercial property and public sector (health) in Liverpool as a ‘Next-Generation Partner’. “Amanda joins a successful national real estate team and her expertise is a valuable addition to the services we provide. We’re always pleased to hear from lawyers looking to enjoy greater freedom to build their practice with all the infrastructure and regulatory support from an established consultant model firm like Excello,” added Jo Losty, Director at Excello. Founded in 2009 as one of the first law practices to adopt a limited liability company structure, Excello Law is a national, new-model law firm providing a more dynamic, forward-thinking and independent environment in which to practise for senior lawyers, underpinned by unparalleled administrative, compliance and technological support. The firm has grown to a team of 200 partner-level lawyers, with year-on-year growth averaging 20%. The firm has ten UK offices in London (x3), Birmingham, Leicester, Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Liverpool, Chester and Leeds. Excello Law was one of the first law firms in the UK to pioneer true agile or flexible working. The model reduces overhead costs and uses leading-edge technology to give freedom to lawyers and provide better value legal services to clients. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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UK Construction Receives Tech Boost

PlanRadar, the web-based application for construction and real estate projects, has launched in the UK to continue its global expansion. For Britain, this launch has the potential to take the country out of its 20-year long productivity slump where over a third of construction projects overrun on time (40%) or budget (35%). With its SaaS solution, the ConTech firm provides the construction industry with digital construction documentation, defect and task management throughout the lifecycle of construction and real estate projects. Using a smartphone or tablet, even when offline, the platform allows construction workers to automate the entire documentation process with interactive blueprints and floorplans, saving an average of seven working hours per week in admin time and averting errors. More than 3,500 customers already use PlanRadar worldwide to manage construction projects and real estate processes. This new London office will support increased productivity, cost efficiency and time savings for UK Construction. “We will not let Brexit get in the way of our mission to digitise the construction and real estate industry in the UK,” explained Ibrahim Imam, managing director and co-founder of PlanRadar. “Risks around bottlenecks in the supply of construction materials and tradespeople can be mitigated with platforms like PlanRadar; digitised processes can raise their efficiency potential against the competition, improve quality control and deliver 900 per cent ROI.” In the last twelve months, PlanRadar has increased sales by 300 per cent and expanded its workforce to 57 employees. “In light of our rapid growth in the past year and the positive international business outlook for 2019, we have moved our head office to a much larger facility in central Vienna to support the increased demand,” added Imam. As part of this European growth, PlanRadar is boosting its Board with industry heavyweight Colin Smith, founder of the ConTech pioneer BIW Technologies. Smith says: “There’s a lot of interest in ConTech right now, but it doesn’t just mean modular housing and 3D printing. It means simple but effective innovation across the entire supply-chain. PlanRadar has developed an intuitive platform that has revolutionised how Europe manages the documentation and communication process of the asset lifecycle – now it’s time for the UK to benefit.” Regarding his involvement with PlanRadar, Smith says “It’s exciting to join the company during such a fierce expansion process with ambitious growth plans in place. I get asked to work with a lot of ConTech businesses, but PlanRadar has technology that can be rapidly adopted – it just works. I’m really looking forward to seeing the impact this platform is going to have on the UK’s construction sector and the difference it will make.” On Smith’s appointment, Imam, says: “With over three decades of experience at the leading-edge of construction technology and a respected industry figure, we are delighted to welcome Colin to the Board. It’s a testament to the exciting vision we have for the business. I look forward to working with him to help PlanRadar in the next phase of its growth”.

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VIEW FROM THE LARGEST FLOORPLATE AVAILABLE IN MANCHESTER IN 2019

Barings, one of the world’s largest diversified real estate investment managers, has unveiled the views from its Landmark Manchester, 180,000 sq ft office development which is currently under construction in St Peter’s Square. Set for completion in Q3 of 2019, the building will offer occupiers the largest available floorplates in the prime core of Manchester City Centre, of circa 14,000 sq ft. Landmark Manchester will provide 14 floors of next generation office space above two basement levels. The building is being constructed with an offset core, enabling occupiers to benefit from large virtually column free floorplates to provide maximum efficiency and flexibility. Ian Mayhew, Managing Director at Barings, said: “Following the completion of over 100,000 sq ft of Grade A office lettings so far in Manchester City Centre this year, competition for available space is fierce. The average transaction in 2019 has been for around 20,000 sq ft which Landmark can easily accommodate. “Our careful assessments of the Manchester office market gave us the confidence to commit to delivering Landmark this year, as we knew that we would be hitting a supply-constrained market and would therefore have a real opportunity to help meet the demand for high quality space within the City. We’re in an advantageous position where we are able to offer occupiers a best in class office building with stunning views over the Manchester skyline, at a time when the Manchester office market needs it most.” Barings Alternative Investments (BAI), part of Barings LLC, is a 470+ associate team located across 11 countries that manages $48.5 billion in client capital. BAI seeks differentiated sources of returns by incorporating decades of investment experience in alternative assets offering investors access to a diverse range of opportunities across private equity, real assets, asset-based investments and the four quadrants of real estate. We serve as a trusted partner to clients, leveraging our global presence and robust origination capabilities to identify the most attractive risk-adjusted return opportunities. The Barings Real Estate team offers a broad range of investment opportunities globally across the public and private debt and equity markets. The team invests across all major property sectors with a focus on global relative value and trend-backed preferred strategies.   About Barings Barings is a $303+ billion* global financial services firm dedicated to meeting the evolving investment and capital needs of our clients and customers. Through active asset management and direct origination, we provide innovative solutions and access to differentiated opportunities across public and private capital markets. A subsidiary of MassMutual, Barings maintains a strong global presence with business and investment professionals located across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

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Tips For Real Estate Investing in a Rental Property In San Diego

These days, people who don’t have a concrete real estate investing experience turn to rental properties to diversify investments and get good cash flow for the future. After all, a rental property can be one of the best investments you can make. If you handle it right, you can surely earn more profit and allow yourself to have reserves when an emergency arises. If you’re looking to invest in rental property in San Diego, here are the essential tips to consider from the get-go: 1. Sit down and do some research Whether you’re buying rental properties or not, it’s important to do your own research before calculating how much returns you can make from your investment. Here’s how you can do your research: -Look into the neighborhoods where you can purchase properties and gather information as to how much the rent is. -Consider some factors such as the location, nightlife, and accessibility to restaurants, schools, hospitals, and many more that may affect your income. -Find out the usual rental fee in San Diego per night, week, month, and for long-term. -Educate yourself about San Diego’s mortgage rates and how these rates can significantly impact your real estate purchases. 2. Pay debts first In some cases, real estate investors carry debt as part of their investments. However, if you have outstanding loans, medical bills, or children who will go to college, investing in a rental property in San Diego may not be the right option. You should make sure that the cost of your debt is lesser than the return from your property. From there, it’s then necessary to pay down debt to avoid putting yourself in a situation where you don’t have money to make payments. 3. Look for the right rental properties When all your goals and finances are in order, it’s time to shop for rental properties. This is usually the most enjoyable part of investing in real estate. For instance, you don’t have to walk around San Diego and search for a property. Instead, you can check many websites that provide a virtual tour for all potential properties available in the area. These sites also provide better insights to help you decide what kind of property you’re eyeing to buy. Should you choose to invest in rental properties in San Diego, you can get information from a real estate directory to make sure your buying experience is worth it. 4. Prepare the down payment and beware of high-interest rates We know that investment properties typically require you to pay a large down payment, which means more stringent approval requirements to comply with. You need to set aside a higher percentage rate than the one you put down on the home you’re currently residing. On the other hand, investing in rental properties may also require you to borrow money from lending institutions. However, you should be aware that the cost of borrowing money entails higher interest rates than your usual mortgage interest rates. Keep in mind that you should have a low mortgage payment to ensure it’ll not consume your monthly profits. 5. Make negotiations on the property After searching for a rental property, you need to make an offer. At this point, you should start negotiating your offer to potential sellers. However, you should bear in mind that negotiating takes a lot of work and calculation to make sure you get the right numbers before you purchase. -During the negotiation, don’t forget to listen to what your seller may say as the information will be necessary along the way. -When making a counteroffer, you should consider factors such as the closing date, inspection contingency, the seller’s potential financial concessions, and many more. -If you find it difficult to negotiate, ask for the assistance of a real estate agent to help you win the negotiation. -By that time, hopefully, you and the seller have come into the same terms to get the property sold in your favor. 6. Rent out the property After you’ve got the property inspected and have the keys in your possession, you should begin renting out the property in San Diego to potential tenants. Below are ways to get some tenants for your rental property: -Advertise it by showing the house to those who are interested. -Pre-screen possible tenants by looking at their proof of income and some references. -Allow them to walk through the house so they’ll know if they really want it or not. -If they show interest, give out the forms and ask them to fill in some vital information, such as names, social security numbers, employee information, previous addresses, phone numbers, and many more. -Determine whether they can sustain the rental costs and fees of the property. -If they can, prepare the lease agreements and get the payments settled out. Conclusion As with rental property investment in San Diego, you should still keep your expectations realistic. If you pick the wrong property, the result can be catastrophic. Follow these tips to make sure you get the perfect property that will secure a good cash flow from start to finish. Once you master the right practices, you’ll be able to ensure a better future for you and your family.

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PropTech Trends That Are Reshaping Real Estate

Advances in AI applications are already causing revolutionary changes in the commercial real estate field, and we’ll continue to see a shift in the way real estate professionals do business in the years to come. With PropTech start-ups increasingly offering technologically innovative products and business strategies for the real estate market, Instant Offices looks at some of the top predicted AI trends that PropTech companies will be bringing into the real estate market in the next two years: Augmented and virtual reality ·         Applications: VR can be used to provide customers with virtual tours, allowing prospective tenants and buyers to view properties on the other side of the globe, or even to get a look inside properties that haven’t been built yet. Augmented reality, which overlays virtual objects on top of a real-world environment, can help agents to enrich their in-person property tours. ·         Benefits: This technology makes it easier for agents to sell to clients anywhere in the world and gives clients confidenceto make a decision knowing exactly what they are buying or letting. ·         Insight: According to a 2018 VR survey, real estate will be one of the top drivers of investment in virtual and augmented reality technologies in the coming year. Biometrics ·         Applications: Technologies like voice commands and facial recognition are being used to improve the security in commercial buildings. ·         Benefits: Biometric technologies offer better safety and security for clients, which is especially useful for those who work with sensitive information. Bots ·         Applications: AI applications like chatbots can be made available to customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This helps commercial real estate agencies to provide clients around the world with readily available support, any time of the day or night. ·         Benefits: Using bots helps agents to provide customers with better accessibility, irrespective of their schedule or the customer’s time zone. Cryptocurrency and blockchain ·         Applications: Blockchain-based smart contracts are set to become more widely used in the world of commercial real estate. ·         Benefits: Blockchain can negate the need for any third-parties in a real estate transaction, while cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are also gaining traction, reducing the need for notaries, lawyers and title holders. Data analysis ·         Applications: AI can analyse huge amounts of data to help agents match the right properties to the right customers in a short space of time. ·         Benefits: Data analysis helps providers offer more targeted marketing and tailored solutions to their customers. ·         Insight: According to a 2016 Gartner report, at least 30% of companies globally will be using AI in at least part of their sales processes by 2020. Data visual tech ·          Applications: Drones can be used to capture footage of properties and their surroundings for use in virtual tours, and to produce videos of areas that are undergoing development or upgrades. ·         Benefits: Using visual data technologies, agents can provide customers with an in-depth look at potential properties and locations. Geolocation tech ·          Applications: AI draws critical data about properties from maps of their location. This data can be analysed and used to predict future changes and trends. For example, AI can use data about development plans in a geographical area to predict the price of property in that area. ·         Benefits: Geolocation tech can give agencies valuable insights into up-and-coming areas as well as trends in their prospective clients’ preferences. Internet of Things ·          Applications: IoT is everywhere, with more and more real-world items being equipped with sensors that can be read by Internet applications and translated into data. This applies to buildings too. ·         Benefits: IoT makes it possible to build “smarter” properties, which are tailored to the needs of those occupying them. ·         Insight: The Edge in Amsterdam is a 15-storey office building embedded with 28,000 sensors. It is widely regarded as the smartest building in the world. In a nutshell, AI helps to make real estate sales and rentals quicker and easier for customers and providers. The right AI application can save a lot of time and hassle all around by making the process more targeted and efficient, and by providing virtual support. Real-World Examples Here are some examples of how some companies around the world are using AI to transform commercial real estate: CityBldr, Seattle: CityBldr uses an AI platform to locate deals and rank properties based on their development potential. The AI can also estimate the anticipated return on investment of each property. BioConnect, Toronto: This company uses biometrics to improve and personalise building security. The platform identifies users based on unique physical qualities such as their face, eyes, heartbeat and fingerprints. It also offers a product that combines a dual-factor fingerprint and card lock system for data centre server cabinets. Skyline AI, Tel Aviv: Skyline is partnering with Greystone Labs to analyse key industry insights, which they plan to use to improve deal performance and the loan underwriting process. According to Research and Markets, AI revenue will reach $38.8 billion by the year 2025. With so many innovative applications helping to improve, customise and automate everyday business processes, it’s no wonder AI in real estate will continue to grow by leaps and bounds.

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Stargazing Hawaiian Style

The islands of Hawaii are like black pearls in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Most people know that the place is the treasure chest of many natural wonders including black sand beaches, turquoise-colored ocean, waterfalls and chaotic yet beautiful volcanic eruptions. Little did people know that the island-state is also one of the best places to look up the clear sky at night. Yup, Hawaii is also the best spot to do stargazing. The unpolluted air and the high elevation of its mountains mean that you will have an unobstructed view of the bright stars and other heavenly bodies visible to the naked eyes or with the aid of sophisticated telescopes. There is so much beautiful Hawaii real estate on market to view these stars. Another reason why a state is a great place for astronomy encounter is that of its altitude. Hawaii is positioned at 21 degrees North Latitude which makes it able to see both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere which makes it the only state in the US which will make you able to see both the North Star and the Southern Cross. If you are planning to visit Hawaii, here are some stargazing activities that you can try: * Check the astronomy calendar of celestial events prior to your visit. Be informed about the perfect date and time to catch astronomical events, including moon phases. You don’t want to miss the spectacular show that rarely happens in 10 or 100 years. * If you will be heading on to the Big Island, find a tour that will take you to the summit of Muana Kea for sunrise. You can also do a warmer stargazing at the lower elevation through a telescope. Or head on to Imiloa Astronomy Center where you can use their telescopes to see a clearer view of the stars and other heavenly bodies. * On Oahu, take time to visit the Bishop Museum and enjoy its planetarium. They also have a website where you can find night sky events in Hawaii. *Visit the University of Hawaii Institute of Astronomy. It has tons of information related to astronomy that will serve as your guide. *Some hotels are promoting stargazing on their rooftop to attract guests. One example of this is the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort in Kaanapali.  Scout for hotels that let you experience stargazing in Hawaii. * If you have the money for it, you can rent a barge and experience stargazing in the middle of the ocean. The calmness of the ocean plus the magical sightings up above will make your Hawaii vacation an unforgettable treat. If you are in the market for Hawaiian real estate contact a trusted Hawaii real estate agent.

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LONDON REAL ESTATE LURES OVERSEAS CLIENTS DESPITE BREXIT ‘NO DEAL’ FEARS

A JLL annual central London offices seminar has highlighted the strength of the capital’s office market amid political and economic uncertainty, underlining its continued pull to both investors and occupiers. Central London has seen sustained levels of both leasing and investment activity so far in 2018 and corporate property consultant JLL anticipates that the final numbers will match, if not exceed those recorded in 2017. £12.2 billion of central London offices have been traded in the first three quarters of 2018 following a strong Q3 performance where £4.3 billion of transactions were recorded.  These latest year-to-date figures are only 6 per cent down on the corresponding period for 2017, a year that saw record investment volumes of £17.7 billion. Currently, £4 billion of assets are identified as under offer and another £4 billion of stock on the market and although this suggests that activity towards the end of the year will remain strong, it also highlights the lack of investment opportunities compared with the same period of 2017 when £16 billion was available. Take-up of offices across central London reached 8.3 million square feet at the end of Q3 2018, with 3.1 million sq ft leased in the West End and 4.5m sq ft in the City. Active demand remains well above the 10-year average, with over 9 million sq ft of enquiries currently searching for space – with demand spread across the occupier spectrum. Looking towards the transition at Brexit, and especially in the event of ‘no deal’, the leasing market could become relatively subdued as occupiers reconsider embarking on any new commitments in the short term. This will be relatively mild, however, as most demand is driven by unavoidable lease events rather than expansion, says JLL. Julian Sandbach, head of Central London Capital Markets at JLL, said: “At the beginning of the year it seemed unlikely that investment volumes would reach similar levels to the bumper numbers we saw in 2017, and now it looks possible that they could even be surpassed. Despite the degree of uncertainty around the outcome of Brexit, London continues to attract significant levels of overseas capital who continue to target prime assets. “As the record levels of foreign capital demonstrate the majority of international investors feel that whilst London is subject to some short-term uncertainty, the long-term prospects for London as a global gateway city with a secure investment platform, underpinned by the long-term commitments of occupiers, remain unchanged.”

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Overseas Investors to be Attracted to Revamped Hull Office Site

London-based European real estate investment and asset management firm, Catalyst Capital, has invested hundreds of thousands of pounds to refurbish an office development in the heart of Hull city centre. Chameleon Business Interior has renovated Anchor House, based in the Maltings on Silvester Street, into a New York-loft style work space. Originally built in the late 1860s for the Hull Brewery Company Ltd, The Maltings and Anchor House were used for storing barrels waiting to be distributed to the city’s many pubs. The refurbishment has now transformed Anchor House into a range of office suites available for lease, from just less than 400 sq ft to almost 10,000 sq ft in area, as well as a sandwich bar opportunity sitting in the heart of the wider commercial district. Larger units of up to 20,000 sq ft are expected to come available in Anchor House later in the year. The building is being marketed by East Yorkshire property agent, PPH Commercial. Nick Pearce, PPH director, commented: “Hull, and the wider region, is in the midst of a cultural and economic revolution and with that comes a lot of attention, both nationally and globally. It is no surprise, therefore, that overseas investors are beginning to notice the city’s property market and get excited about it. “Anchor House is a fantastic relic of Hull’s industrial past which found a new lease of life as attractive offices. “Now, with the refurbishment completed, it is one of the most stunning locations in the city centre, with units available to suit start-ups through to much larger organisations. “We expect a lot of enquiries from local companies, but also from national companies as well because Hull’s new found status, coupled with the quality of the space, means Anchor House should attract attention from far and wide”.

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Positive Outlook Across UK Real Estate

The real estate sector is collectively upbeat for the next year but remains guarded beyond that. Indeed, while 88% of respondents to a survey carried out by the British Property Federation (BPF) said they were confident the market could bloom for the next 12 months, their confidence was less certain going into 2017 and beyond. More than half of those surveyed said that 2016 would be a year where development activity would rise but 46% noted concerns as we move into 2017. The surveyed has highlighted barriers to development, namely developable land being made available in London. Respondents encouraged local government to do more to help the property sector grow while calls in London for the assembly and sale of developable land continued. Investment was encouraged in the blossoming “build to rent” market (a sector which allows developers to keep ownership of those houses newly built). London remains, unsurprisingly, the favoured location for planned investment. 53% said their business plans to grow investment levels while 23% planned to maintain levels over the next year. Elsewhere, in the Midlands for example, 60% expect to add to their investment portfolio while 23% would keep levels the same. The North West of England saw respondents less eager to increase investment with only 25% saying they would do so. It was even lower in Scotland with just 16% revealing they would be happy to increase investment. BPF chief executive Melanie Leech acknowledged the important contribution the real estate sector makes to the UK economy and said it was crucial that it remains buoyant because of what it can do for “regeneration” and “growth” across the country. The positivity across the sector was therefore “welcome”. She said there was a number of things that can be done to see that positivity continue into 2017 and beyond. While she admitted some things are out of their hands, the government should set out a clear mandate to “assemble and sell” public sector land. She also noted her enthusiasm at data revealing that investment and a positive outlook was not solely based in the capital city but across the UK.

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