EG Property Podcasts

Redefining how real estate uses tech to address the climate challenge

In this episode of the EG Property Podcast, Tim Burke, EG’s deputy editor, sits down with the founders of Vectr7 Investment Partners Mary Criebardis Singh and Dominic Wilson to talk about climate technology investment in the real estate space.

The pair are raising $25m (£19.7m) for the fund, which will invest in companies across Europe with a specific emphasis on greenhouse gas capture or avoidance in the real assets industries, including real estate, infrastructure, transport and utilities.

The fund is targeting cheque sizes of $1m to $3m and will look to invest in around 15 ventures. It has already backed three companies: machine learning powered smart sockets company measurable.energy, hybrid-work management software company Kadence, and local office space and events company Patch.

In this 20-minute discussion, we dive into what the pair hope to achieve with the fund, how we need to redefine how the real assets industry utilises technology to address sustainability issues more widely and the changing nature of investment.

Driving a better experience in the workplace

In this EG Property Podcast, we delve into the transformative world of workplace environments, focusing on the EG Power Properties List, powered by HqO.

Listen in as EG editor Samantha McClary sits down with Samuel Warren, senior vice president of sales at HqO, for an in-depth discussion on what it takes for companies to not only make it onto this coveted list but also to achieve the distinguished HqO Best Spaces to Work certification.

The conversation looks at the critical importance of curating superior occupier experiences in today’s competitive landscape and uncovers why HqO has spearheaded the Real Estate Experience platform.

This initiative aims to arm businesses with actionable insights drawn from comprehensive data on how end-users engage with their workspaces. Join us as we question the future of workplace design, investigate the role of data in shaping occupier experiences, and reveal the strategies that companies can employ to transform their spaces into hubs of innovation and productivity.

Find out more about how to make it on to the Power Properties list here 

Voice of the Region: Hampshire – Retail reinvented

High streets are awash with opportunity for occupiers willing to take advantage of historically low start-up costs and find new ways of using space, according to Flude surveyor Alice Masterman.

Operating from Flude’s Portsmouth office, Masterman was 2023’s top individual dealmaker in the Radius rankings for the South East region. She transacted 86 deals and more than 150,000 sq ft of space.

Masterman says the relatively high cost of industrial space means many brands which become online-only are now taking advantage of low retail rents and returning to the High Street. She also believes the health sector, from aesthetics to dentistry, is playing an increasingly important role in the overall mix.  

The great workplace reset

In a recording of 'The Great Workplace Reset' panel, held in partnership with Avison Young and Shoosmiths at MIPIM on 12 March 2024, Samantha McClary asks expert guests what the future holds for our places of work. 

Nuala Gallagher, corporate director, city development at Liverpool City Council; Theo Michell, co-founder & COO, Bywater Properties; Nathan Rees, partner and co-head, real estate investment group, Shoosmiths; and Nick Walkley, principal and UK president, Avison Young, discuss the major questions facing the sector.

Does the central business district still exist? What do people actually want from the places they work? What kind of buildings will we need, and is there still a place for big, shiny towers? How can we get more young people back into town and city centres? And can planning decision-makers keep up with the pace of change?

Dealmaker of the Month: John Proctor, FHP

The industrial sector has begun the year with a degree of caution but activity is hotting up in the small to medium size end of the market as opposed to sheds, according FHP joint founder and director John Proctor.

Proctor is EG’s Dealmaker of the Month for February after finishing the month top of the individual dealmaker Radius Rankings, with 116,155 sq ft of space either let or sold.

He says there are reasons for cautious optimism for the industrial sector, with demand picking up since the turn of the new year, particularly for units up to 50,000 sq ft. He also welcomes the fact that ESG has become intrinsic to the market, extending right the way down to the process of obtaining finance.

School of Hard Knocks: Serial founder Neil Sinclair

Welcome to The School of Hard Knocks, a six-part series brought to you by EG Property Podcasts that will off up a bounty of lessons from those who have experienced a rough time or two that will enable us to better navigate the tough times ahead.

Over the course of this series, we’ve been meeting people who have lived through some of the highs and lows of this wonderful business of real estate and through our conversations we will dig deep into the skills, the mindsets and the structures you need in place to successfully navigate tricky times.

Joining EG editor Samantha McClary for our penultimate lesson in the School of Hard Knocks curriculum is founder extraordinaire and all-round real estate expert Neil Sinclair.

With more than 60 years’ experience in real estate, some high highs and some low lows, Sinclair has managed to stay grounded throughout. He is driven by honesty, a passion for his charitable work and the desire to keep testing the grey matter.

This lesson is ram-packed with advice about how to take a hard knock and how to stay passionate about the work that you do.

So, sit back, get your pen and paper ready, because it is time to enrol yourself in EG’s School of Hard Knocks. Listen hard and enjoy.

Click here to listen to episode one with Scarborough Group's Kevin McCabe
Click here to listen to episode two with Harworth Group's Lynda Shillaw
Click here to listen to episode three with JLL's Katie Kopec
Click here to listen to episode four with Canary Wharf Group's Jane Hollishead

In on the Act: Daniel Black discusses differences between English and Scottish law

English and Scottish law have increasingly diverged in recent years, not least in property law.

To talk listeners through those key differences, EG’s Sarah Jackman is joined by Daniel Black, barrister at Falcon Chambers. Following an overview of the basic differences between the two systems, they discuss three key areas of practice:

• residential tenancy law;
• energy efficiency; and
• building safety.

Are there things that one system could learn from the other? And what are the key pieces of legislation currently passing through each Parliament that listeners should be aware of?

Voice of the Region: Glasgow – Captain of industry

Glasgow’s industrial market is in rude good health, with demand outstripping supply leading to strong rental growth and high deal volumes, according to GM Brown Property Consultants founder and director Gregor Brown.

With 134 deals over the line in 2023, Brown was the UK’s biggest individual dealmaker in the Radius On Demand Rankings, letting more than 300,000 sq ft of space across all major use types in and around Glasgow.

Brown also says Glasgow has a glut of vacant office space and believes much of this may need to be repurposed for alternative use. He says there are various BTR developments in the pipeline for Glasgow city centre which he believes will prove important in bringing back demand for the city’s shops, bars and restaurants.

School of Hard Knocks: Canary Wharf Group’s Jane Hollinshead

Welcome to The School of Hard Knocks, a new six-part series brought to you by EG Property Podcasts that will off up a bounty of lessons from those who have experienced a rough time or two that will enable us to better navigate the tough times ahead.

Over the course of this series, we’ll meet people who have lived through some of the highs and lows of this wonderful business of real estate and through our conversations we will dig deep into the skills, the mindsets and the structures you need in place to successfully navigate tricky times.

Joining EG editor Samantha McClary for our fourth lesson in the School of Hard Knocks curriculum is Jane Hollinshead, chief people officer at Canary Wharf Group, who shares vital advice around the power of diversity of skills, the value of your network, and finding balance.

Hollinshead isn’t afraid of hard knocks – not only in the boxing ring where she keeps herself fit and grounded – but in life. She’s prepared to take leaps of faith and she understands that sometimes you need to be pushed over the edge – and push others too.

But if you are pushing, says Hollinshead, be nice because real estate is all about connections and relationships. And guaranteed that one day you’ll be across the table from someone you really wish you’d probably been a bit kinder to.

So, sit back, get your pen and paper ready, because it is time to enrol yourself in EG’s School of Hard Knocks. Listen hard and enjoy.

Click here to listen to episode one with Scarborough Group's Kevin McCabe
Click here to listen to episode two with Harworth Group's Lynda Shillaw
Click here to listen to episode three with JLL's Katie Kopec

School of Hard Knocks: JLL’s Katie Kopec

Welcome to The School of Hard Knocks, a new six-part series brought to you by EG Property Podcasts that will off up a bounty of lessons from those who have experienced a rough time or two that will enable us to better navigate the tough times ahead.

Over the course of this series, we’ll meet people who have lived through some of the highs and lows of this wonderful business of real estate and through our conversations we will dig deep into the skills, the mindsets and the structures you need in place to successfully navigate tricky times.

Joining EG editor Samantha McClary for our third lesson in the School of Hard Knocks curriculum is Katie Kopec, international director of JLL, who shares her experiences of working in the same business for 40 years.

But Kopec has definitely not had just one job. A persistent learner, Kopec shares her wisdom on the development market, coping with a complete lack of activity and finding strength in flexibility.

So, sit back, get your pen and paper ready, because it is time to enrol yourself in EG’s School of Hard Knocks. Listen hard and enjoy.

Click here to listen to episode 1 with Scarborough’s Kevin McCabe
Click here to listen to episode 2 with Harworth’s Lynda Shillaw