Estates Gazette Property Podcasts

Returning to work and making it rain

In the latest EG Property Podcast, focused on talent, EG editor Samantha McClary talks with Lisa Unwin and Deb Khan, two women who have made a career of promoting and empowering other women.

This discussion wide-ranging discussion looks at why women are more likely to leave their professions, why that is happening more now, what that lack of talent means for an industry and how we make sure it comes back.

It also investigates the value of older, more experienced people in your business, taking a career break when you are still reasonably new to your career and why more women need to talk about their business acumen and they add real value (aka income) to business.

This episode is the second in a new series focused on talent in the real estate sector. If you have a story of your own journey back into the workforce to share or a burning topic you’d like to hear discussed, e-mail samantha.mcclary@egi.co.uk

 

Seeking out opportunities in distressed assets

As distressed situations rise, recovery experts say Covid-19 has convinced them that online auctions have a vital role to play in reaching investors who are keen to create value. Julia Cahill reports

“There are a lot of people just waiting to see how things play out… There’s all kinds of pain to come but there will be opportunities for people to get hold of assets and make them work,” says Nick Myers, partner in restructuring and recovery at accountant Smith & Williamson.

Distress has historically filtered through to the auction room as one route through which creditors look for an exit when there are property assets in play, and this was the focus of the final podcast in our EG Future of Auctions series.

Ollie Childs, head of commercial auctions at online auction house BidX1, has recently handled the distressed sales of a retail park and two shopping centres and he expects to see more activity around retail stock in H1 next year as well as around buy-to-let properties and smaller development sites.

Childs says there is a strong market of investors willing to buy value-add opportunities. 

High streets: the great unknown for private investors

For many cash-rich private investors the chief attractions of investing in the high street have been secure assets and reliable income. But well before the Covid-19 pandemic, a large proportion of high street investment stock was already leaving landlords exposed to significant uncertainty due to the weak occupational market. And coronavirus has pushed many high street investments even further up the risk curve.

On the Case: Ludgate House and the use of property guardians for rates mitigation

Roger Cohen, partner at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, explains the Court of Appeal's decision in Southwark London Borough Council v Ludgate House Ltd [2020] EWCA Civ 1637; [2020] PLSCS 221 - a potentially significant case on non-domestic rates and the use of property guardians as a rates mitigation measure for empty properties.

Cohen outlines how the scheme has worked in practice, and what the lower tribunals made of its operation in this case. Then, he addresses the Court of Appeal's ruling in favour of the billing authority, and what this means for property owners and property guardian providers. In addition, he offers his views on the wider issues relating to rating of empty properties.

Tales of the unexpected: What an unprecedented year has taught us about digitisation and data in real estate

The unexpected happened this year. The world shutdown. Physical human interaction stopped and we had to go digital.

Digital transformation was already taking place in the built environment, but it was largely being led by the innovators. Since March, everyone has had to innovate and digitise and has to do so at speed or face the consequences.

In the first of four special EG Property Podcasts looking at the lessons learnt out of the forced changes we have all had to make during the coronavirus pandemic, EG editor Samantha McClary chats to Max Bengtsson, head of marketing at LandTech, Beth McArdle, a partner at Shoosmiths and Sophy Moffat, head of research at Cluttons, about how adoption of tech and adaptation to a digital world has not just shaped property but people too.

During this 30 minute conversation they look at how adoption of tech and adaptation to a digital world has shaped not just property but people too, the key lessons that real estate has taken from the pandemic, some of the lessons they think it might – but hope it won’t – forget and do their very best to deliver some happily ever afters for this particular tale of the unexpected.

 

How technology and Covid changed auctions forever

Since the UK’s first lockdown put a stop to in-room auctions overnight, there has been a surge in online auctions to replace them. Change which looked set to take years has been crammed into less than eight months as technology and the Covid-19 pandemic combined to transform the market.

Bricks & Mortar: Chris Ridgway on what it means to be a rent review surveyor

In this latest episode of Bricks & Mortar, EG’s Sarah Jackman is joined by Chris Ridgway - head of business space lease advisory at Colliers - to explore the role of the rent review surveyor.

They go back to basics and discuss what a rent review means, how it is conducted and the type of person that’s suited to the role. Chris reflects on how he found his way into the profession, what he’s most enjoyed about it over the years and how being inquisitive, analytical and understanding the market are all key to being successful in the role.

Ultimately though “To be successful, you need to understand what you enjoy and what you’re good at because if you enjoy something, you’ll be good at it and if you’re good at it, you’ll enjoy it.”

The challenge of delivering truly carbon neutral city

Cities in the UK and around the world have set themselves ambitious net zero carbon targets. Advancing those is an imperative but how do we do that while still enabling liveable, thriving and prosperous places?

In this episode of the EG Property Podcast, EG editor Samantha McClary is joined by Gordon Affleck, a partner at 10 Design, Claudine Blamey, head of sustainability & digital strategy at Argent, Colin Hutchison, managing director at Elioth by Egis and Aref Lahham, managing director of Orion Capital Managers, to explore the challenges and opportunities of the carbon neutral city and how people’s behaviours will need to change to achieve these goals.

It is a conversation that very quickly turns to one about the need for regulation and a discussion that unapologetically raises the question of cost.

It is also a conversation that could have gone on for much longer, so keep your ears primed for round two in 2021 when we’ll take an even closer look at the economics of doing the right thing.

We’re Still Here: Retail woes, rates payback, glimmers of hope and a trip to the steamie

In this week’s We’re Still Here podcast EG news editor Pui Guan Man joins EG editor Samantha McClary to talk all things retail.

They discuss the misfortunes of Arcadia and Debenhams, how the circa £2bn of rates relief refunds offered up by the big supermarket chains should be utilised and how retail landlords are doing their bit in the national effort to bring the UK back to physical and economic health.

Also up for discussion is how the banking community is readying itself for a brace of problem loans and exactly what “the gossip in the steamie” means.

Future of Sheffield: The role of real estate in keeping the heart of Sheffield beating

In this episode of the EG Property Podcast, recorded as part our Future of Sheffield event, EG editor Samantha McClary is in discussion with Kellie Hatton from Shoosmiths, Mark Jackson from Scarborough Group, Professor Vanessa Toulmin from the University of Sheffield and Martin McKervey, chair of the Sheffield Property Association.

The panel talk about what the heart of Sheffield really is, the role that culture and collaboration will play in its journey out of the Covid-19 caused downturn and how its should grab hold of and celebrate its unique weirdness.

It is a wide-ranging discussion but one that is definitely worth a listen, so grab a cuppa or lace up your trainers for a little panel and PT session and enjoy.

Thanks to our Future of Sheffield partners Shoosmiths, Scarborough Group International and Sheffield Property Association.

If you’d like to watch this interview instead of listen, visit https://www.egi.co.uk/thefutureofukcities/sheffield/