Member Article

London Proves to be a Success for Commercial Property Investors

2017 was an eventful year and I suspect a lot of people are hoping for 2018 to be quieter in all the right ways. The London property market is keen to move briskly and we are going to focus our attention on the commercial sector of the London property market.

Almost £16 billion of turnover came from the West End and the City of London itself, with the market remaining strong and increasing year on year. While the £16 billion figure is down on the rather impressive 2015 turnover of £20 billion, we are heading upwards.

Investors are regaining their confidence in the London commercial market after the hiccup from the Brexit vote, along with international investors buying up prime London sites thanks to the devaluation of the pound.

With or without Brexit, London still has a lot of business to do. This is very much about supply and companies are tripping over themselves to be positioned in one of the greatest cities in the world.

London has always had a welcoming and flexible approach to business, even the more non-traditional or disruptive businesses. While cities like Barcelona and Madrid have banned Uber, London has welcomed the business as a fair alternative to the existing transportation model.

Ironically, we are seeing the devaluation of the pound as a huge benefit for London. The city has had a lot of practice weathering storms over the years and we are already seeing the mitigating process being put into effect and ultimately, getting on with the job at hand. This attitude is just what investors want to see, they want to see the economy push on and the city carry on like nothing changes.

London has a global appeal and is often seen as the “trophy asset” for an international property investor. The corporate office market is attracting significant attention from Asian investors. One third of turnover in the commercial sector is made up of buyers from Asia, this a significant vote of confidence as the region looks to cement itself as a major player in the UK market.

London has long been known to respect the rights of overseas investors, this goes a long way in terms of instilling confidence that your asset truly is your asset. The UK is known to behave in a respectful manner and investors have come to love the UK for upholding the law.

FJP Investment is a team of investment specialists sourcing a wide range of investment opportunities both in the UK and overseas. Recently launched opportunities include the £High Street Group Investment.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by FJP Investment .