All Comment articles – Page 11
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InsightGround rent scandal reveals wider industry issue
Sometimes you have to ask why on earth something like the ground rent scandal ever even happened. As Alastair Stewart’s column suggests, the industry really doesn’t help itself.
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Insight
Flexible workspace mustn’t lose sight of its roots
As Adam Branson’s report suggests more and more large corporations are embracing co-working but operators need to be careful not to move too far away from the model that has helped the sector flourish in recent years.
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Insight
Northern Ireland’s infrastructure deal is not a windfall
In June, 10 of Northern Ireland’s 18 MPs became parliamentary kingmakers. As part of the deal the party struck with the Conservatives, the DUP negotiated an additional £1bn in funding for Northern Ireland.
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Insight
Using BIM to its full potential
We use BIM for design and construction, but why aren’t we applying it to operations?
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Insight
Self-regulation is better than government intervention
Experience shows that the longer sharp practices that rip off people or other businesses continue, the bigger the fall when the government intervenes.
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Insight
Has the serviced office sector come of age?
In June, private equity giant Blackstone announced it had bought a majority stake in flexible workspace provider The Office Group.
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Professional
Planning policy must assure a better future for petrol stations
There has been a decline in the number of petrol stations in the UK over the past couple of decades.
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Insight
Carillion is not the only contractor that pursued tenders too recklessly
Almost two years ago, I wrote about a looming problem: the potential for contractor default bringing the continuing growth of the London property market to a shuddering halt.
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Online
We must ensure downsizing is attractive option
It is well known in this country that we have a strong attachment to home ownership and climbing up the property ladder. As a consequence there has long been a reluctance to move back down; far from being seen as a pragmatic step, down-sizing is viewed negatively and with suspicion. ...
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Insight
Can industry keep up with changes in how people invest?
A combination of legislative changes, new technology and social shifts is changing how people invest in property.
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Insight
Construction: Swimming against the tide
The UK construction industry has certainly suffered a bad rap in recent years. While Britain’s corporate sector has earned a glowing reputation for slickness and innovation around the world – particularly in areas such as financial services and technology – the building industry has, for the most part, endured something ...
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Insight
Crackdown on unfair leaseholding has put housebuilders in hot water
Not for the first time, some of Britain’s biggest housebuilders have found themselves on Sajid Javid’s ‘naughty step’. The communities secretary is not only stopping their money-spinning sale of leasehold houses but also encouraging buyers to ‘dob them in’.
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Insight
Wholesale ban on leaseholds would be counterproductive
The government’s proposed ban on selling new-build houses on a leasehold basis is a welcome move intended to protect consumers from unfair and excessive ground rent and other charges. However, the real issue lies in the detail of leasehold sale agreements.
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Insight
RESI 2017: building a build-to-rent team
Learning from an established operation in the US, where customer service is king, significant emphasis at Atlas Residential is placed on ensuring that the right people are in the best position for their skillset, leading to job satisfaction and empowerment – something that historically has been a gap in corporate ...
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Insight
Listen to your tenants' demands – they are clients too
The tenant-landlord relationship tends to be a cyclical one, with power shifting from one to the other dependent on whose hands the market outlook plays into.
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Insight
Rise in flexible space is set to transform industry
Flexible workspace has become more than a property buzz phrase and a passing fad.
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Insight
Real estate continues to prosper in uncertain times
Just over a year on from the shock outcome of the Brexit vote, what lessons have been learned by the real estate industry?
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Insight
There is more to council property buying spree than meets the eye
Local authorities are seldom thought of as a significant group in commercial property investment and historically they haven’t been.
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Insight
Housing associations are now major players
As your recent piece on IPOs attests, the social housing sector is undergoing dramatic change , building on the trend of ‘mega-mergers’ - from London Quadrant (L Q) and East Thames last year to Notting Hill and Genesis most recently.
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Insight
Retailer consolidation set to transform warehousing
Shares in British supermarkets plunged last month when Amazon announced it was buying high-end grocer Whole Foods Market for £10.7bn, sending a shockwave through the grocery sector.
