All articles by Rob Thompson
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ProfessionalLandlords push back against CVAs to offset challenge of re-letting
Retailers, both big and small, continue to struggle against a backdrop of changing consumer shopping habits, ecommerce, rising labour costs and business rates, as well as a general fall in consumer confidence driven by economic uncertainty in the aftermath of Brexit.
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ProfessionalMore clarity needed on leasehold and overseas ownership reforms
The government has been busy. Just before Christmas it responded to the consultation on “tackling unfair practices in the leasehold market” by outlining plans to restrict the sale of leasehold houses and setting new ground rents at a peppercorn.
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ProfessionalNew challenges lie in store for the real estate industry next year
I wrote almost a year ago that the impact of Brexit on the UK real estate market was uncertain but it did not feel like the disaster some had predicted.
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ProfessionalLeasehold reform paper needs a sharper focus to be successful
It is a measure of how seriously the government is taking the housing crisis that, while in the middle of all-consuming Brexit negotiations, it has found the time to issue a consultation on leasehold reform for residential property in England.
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ProfessionalGood news for UK plc as foreign money flows into London offices
The Brexit referendum decision was arguably the most significant political event to have occurred in this country in decades.
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Professional2017 Predictions: how will Brexit affect UK real estate in the coming year?
Since the outcome of last June’s EU referendum there has been ongoing uncertainty over its impact on the UK real estate market.
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ProfessionalLandlords must remain vigilant to stave off tenant insolvency threat
Not all of the blame for dampened consumer confidence can be laid at Brexit’s door.
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ProfessionalHow would Brexit affect UK property investment?
By granting the UK electorate the vote on whether or not Britain should leave the EU, David Cameron has set the political hares running.
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ProfessionalPrepare for what promises to be an interesting year for property
In my last piece for 2015, here are some things to watch out for in 2016.
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InsightDiverse talents: the rising stars shaping the future of property
Property is about people and if the industry is to continue to thrive it must continue to attract brains and enthusiasm as well as offer a rewarding and exciting career path.
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ProfessionalIs it game, set and match for the future of UK town centres?
The retail industry is in the midst of great change. The internet is accelerating a fundamental shift in people’s thinking about this sector.
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ProfessionalSimpler tax system would boost liquidity in the real estate market
Tax is simple. That is, if the Office for Tax Simplification and the Tax Law Rewrite Project are to be believed.
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ProfessionalGovernment needs to think big on planning, not have another tinker
Successive governments have made changes to the planning system because they have acknowledged it has held back development.
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ProfessionalDevelopers and insurers no longer in the dark over rights to light
I hesitate to start by mentioning a legal case, but the recent decision in Coventry v Lawrence was a welcome outcome for developers and gave insurers greater comfort when looking at the whole issue of rights of light insurance.
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ProfessionalHow to conduct your tenancy review to get what you want
A snapshot survey carried out after our recent joint presentation with Farebrother on London occupiers’ needs confirmed, perhaps unsurprisingly, that location remains the most important factor for businesses when choosing their premises, cited by 34% of those surveyed, followed by cost (24%) and quality of building (14%).
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ProfessionalIt’s worth checking the fine print before signing on the dotted line
Sometimes clients express concern that lawyers “over lawyer” documents. Finding the right balance when documenting the parties’ agreement is an art.
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ProfessionalSpeedy action is needed to move property deals out of the slow lane
As my predecessor Jon Vivian’s last column for Property Week looked back over his two decades as a columnist, I thought I would start by looking forward to the next 20 years, in particular what needs to happen to speed up transactions.
