2016 and the commercial property market

Head of Commercial Property, Julien Pritchard, provides a snapshot of what lies ahead for commercial property clients.

A look back at 2015

2015 was, by all accounts, a good year for commercial property with a good level of recovery in the rental market.

Unsurprisingly central London offices have led the upswing. However, several areas including Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Manchester, Leeds and Oxford have also seen a healthy increase in office rents. Industrial rents have also risen in many locations, fuelled in part by growing demand from online retailers and parcel couriers. Retail has not fared as well. Again London and popular tourist locations continue to perform but outside of those hotspots the retail world is still adjusting to a shift in consumer spending habits.

2016 looks positive for the commercial property market

There is a general feeling of optimism for the coming year. There is a consensus that UK GDP will grow by 2.25 to 2.5% through 2016 to 2017 and this can only be good for the markets. It is still far from simple to obtain finance on commercial development sites and with many sites being snapped up for residential development the supply of new commercial sites may decrease which should increase the demand/ rental costs for existing commercial units.

The mantra “location location location” is as true for commercial property as it is for the residential sector and the right space, in the right place with the right infrastructure and services should garner good returns for commercial property investors. Prudent landlords may well consider spending their hard earned money on refurbishing existing space to make it more attractive to tenants and securing a higher income per unit rather than investing in additional secondary or tertiary space.

Are you moving in 2016?

The Commercial Property Team at Pinney Talfourd Solicitors in Essex can assist with all aspects of commercial property work including refinance, sales, purchases, lettings and licences for alteration, assignment etc. If you have any queries relating to a commercial property please contact any member of my team on 01708 229 444 and we will be happy to help. Alternatively, click here to find out more about our services. 

This article was written by Julien Pritchard, Head of the Commercial Property Department at Pinney Talfourd Solicitors. The contents of this article are for the purposes of general awareness only. They do not purport to constitute legal or professional advice. Specific legal advice should be taken on each individual matter. This article is based on the law as at January 2015.