Estates Gazette Property Podcasts

Forget the trophy assets: this is where the real value in the UK office market is

Speaker: Steve Coulson CEO and founder, Kitt 
Chair: Tim Burke, editor, Estates Gazette

While capital continues to chase a narrow pool of prime trophy assets, the industry may be looking for value in the wrong place. This episode explores the "missing middle", the vast majority of the UK office market consisting of smaller, operationally under-managed buildings that represent the sector's biggest untapped opportunity.

We discuss why the future of UK offices isn’t in new developments, but in the strategic transformation of existing stock. Join us as we break down why the modern arbitrage is purely operational and how investment-grade managed space has officially arrived as the next evolution of the office model.

How the Good Growth Fund is reimagining every Manchester district

Speaker: Bev Craig, leader, Manchester City Council 
Chair: Evelina Grecenko, senior reporter, Estates Gazette 

Greater Manchester has spent a decade as the UK’s fastest-growing city region, with productivity consistently outpacing the national average. This success is no accident; it is the result of a long-term leadership approach and a consistent vision that integrates investment in skills and public health to drive a genuine increase in quality of life.

In this episode, Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council, discusses how the city region is leveraging its trailblazing devolution powers to deliver a £38bn boost to the UK economy by 2035. We explore the launch of the Good Growth Fund, a landmark vehicle designed to pump-prime 2 million sq ft of employment space and nearly 3,000 new homes in its first wave alone.

Operational excellence: How private capital wins in 2026

Speakers:
Nick Mumby, partner, Gowling WLG 
Chair: Tim Burke, editor, Estates Gazette

Real estate is increasingly an operational business rather than a passive investment play. As funding conditions stabilise and sentiment improves, private capital is gravitating toward sectors where hands-on operating capability can drive performance and create value beyond traditional financial engineering.

This episode explores how investors and operators are navigating today’s sustained capital costs defined by viability pressures, constraints and persistent planning friction. With living sectors continuing to attract capital and overseas investors weighing regulatory and macroeconomic risks, the ability to value-add and execute rather than just allocate is emerging as the key differentiator.

If returns in 2026 are shaped by delivery, execution and operational discipline, where is private capital placing its bets and what does the next phase of operational real estate activity look like?

Real Estate 360: Sentiment, viability & the tech opportunity in 2026

Speakers:
Stacy Eden, head of real estate, RSM  
Kelly Boorman, partner – head of construction, RSM
Chair: Akanksha Soni, news editor, Estates Gazette

Real estate may be regaining confidence, but the fundamentals are shifting. We're joined by RSM to unpack the findings of its latest Real Estate 360 survey and explore what’s really driving market sentiment in 2026. With 64% optimistic about the year ahead, funding conditions easing and living sectors still leading allocations, is the recovery story finally gaining traction or are viability pressures and tax constraints still holding the sector back?

From planning delays and rising development costs to the policy levers government can, and can’t, pull, this conversation will examine the mechanics of delivery in a higher-for-longer environment.

We’ll then pivot to technology. With one-third of firms implementing AI this year and smart buildings topping the innovation agenda, how are data, automation and cyber resilience reshaping risk management and occupier experience?

If you want to understand where capital, construction and technology intersect in 2026, this is the conversation you won’t want to miss.

The £21bn Blueprint: Steve Rotheram on Powering Liverpool’s Decade of Delivery

Speakers:
Steve Rotheram, mayor of Liverpool City Region
Chair: Evelina Grecenko, senior reporter, Estates Gazette

Liverpool City Region arrives at MIPIM 2026 with a record £11bn pipeline and a 10-year mandate to expand the economy by a further £10bn. This is no longer a vision of what could be, it’s a roadmap of what is being built. In this episode, mayor Steve Rotheram details how the region's largest-ever investment fund is fuelling high-growth clusters in life sciences, AI, advanced manufacturing and clean energy.

We’ll explore the emerging Mayoral Development Corporation designed to strip away planning friction and fast-track 17,500 new homes across the city's historic North Docks, as well as the planned £5bn transformation of Liverpool Central Station. Join us as we discover why Liverpool is the UK’s frontline for institutional capital in 2026. 

Capital to capital: inside the hotel investment race in London and Edinburgh

Speakers:
Chair: Shifali Gorka, reporter, Estates Gazette
Jill Anderson, acquisitions manager, Whitbread 
Jonathan Langdon, senior acquisitions manager, Whitbread 

We’re diving into the hotel investment race in London and Edinburgh with the experts leading the charge. Learn how affordable brands like Premier Inn are winning the battle for "impossible sites” and get the inside track on the future of UK hospitality development. We’ll also discuss whether there’s a shared playbook for growth in both cities, how market conditions compare, and what challenges lie ahead for operators and investors. Whether you’re active in the sector or tracking UK hotel investment, this is the MIPIM conversation to catch.

From stalled to sustainable: How Cardiff Capital Region is bridging the housing gap

Speakers: 
Mike Brough, strategic director regional growth, Cardiff Capital Region 
Gemma Clisset, partnerships director, Lovell 
Chair: Akanksha Soni, news editor, Estates Gazette 

Real estate regeneration isn't just about laying bricks; it’s about solving the complex puzzles of stalled sites and brownfield land. Across the UK, thousands of homes remain "unbuildable" due to viability pressures, leaving communities in limbo. But in South East Wales, a new blueprint for delivery is emerging. In this episode, we dive into the Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) Housing Viability Gap Fund, a targeted £35m programme designed to breathe life into derelict land. We explore how this "evergreen" approach to investment is converting 230 acres of brownfield into 2,500 new homes.

Winning the global capital race

Speakers:
Chris Pilgrim, UK Head of Capital Markets, Avison Young 
Richard Day, head of debt advisory, Avison Young
Chair: Tim Burke, editor, Estates Gazette

For over a decade, London has reigned as the world’s most "magnetic" city for capital, but as we move through 2026, the global leaderboard is tightening. While London remains the premier safe haven for international investors, cities like Tokyo, New York and Sydney are strategically competing for the same pool of institutional and private wealth. In this episode, we sit down with Chris Pilgrim (UK head of capital markets) and Richard Day (head of debt advisory) at Avison Young to dissect this shifting gravity. We’ll explore how foreign capital is diversifying into high-growth UK assets and how savvy investors are leveraging deep liquidity to secure the next generation of prime real estate.

Beyond the void: Property guardianship as a strategic ESG solution

Speakers:
Stuart Woolgar, chief executive, Global Guardians  
Chair: Akanksha Soni, news editor, Estates Gazette

As the UK faces a widening gap between vacant commercial stock and urgent residential need, the traditional development model is being challenged to move faster. Following a high-level discussion at the London Stand at MIPIM on alternative housing models, this episode serves as a strategic debrief on how property guardianship is reimagining the "standard" build.

We’re joined by Global Guardian’s Stuart Woolgar to discuss how guardianship provides an immediate, risk-mitigating solution for owners of empty buildings while delivering tangible social impact. Exploring 15 years of proprietary data infrastructure, we discuss the ability to mobilise and populate properties in as little as 30 days, turning dormant assets into vibrant community hubs.

Why Europe’s youngest city is the UK’s biggest opportunity

Birmingham isn't just growing; it’s getting younger. With major projects and investment including HS2, the BBC at Digbeth and the Birmingham Sports Quarter acting as a massive gravitational pull, the city is transitioning from potential to proven delivery. In this episode, Joanne Roney (managing director, Birmingham City Council) discusses how the city’s project pipeline is setting new benchmarks for delivery in the UK. We’ll explore why Birmingham’s status as one of Europe’s youngest and most diverse cities is the ultimate de-risking factor, creating built-in, long-term demand for high-quality urban living.
We’ll also dive into the exciting plans of the Birmingham Central Heart’s prospectus, launching at MIPIM 2026. A bold vision reimagining the connection between the business core and the future HS2 terminus. Spanning eight key sites and a partnership of major landowners, these plans are set to transform the public realm. This isn't just about buildings; it’s about a city raising its sights through active travel, culture, and civic pride. If the future of investment is shaped by delivery and operational discipline, Central Heart is where Birmingham is placing its biggest bet.