Estates Gazette Property Podcasts

'It's a great time to be a property litigator' - get to know the PLA

EG's Jess Harrold talks to the chair of the Property Litigation Association, Martin Edwards, and the chair of the PLA's law reform committee, Mathew Ditchburn, about the organisation and its work. Edwards (partner at Shakespeare Martineau) and Ditchburn (partner at Hogan Lovells) discuss the PLA's reform priorities and successes, the challenges and opportunities facing property litigators, and why an era of great change makes for such a good time to be joining the profession.

Is the future of valuations virtual?

 

In this EG Property Podcast a valuer, client and software solution expert sit down to discuss the future of valuations in an increasingly technological world.

During the 30 minute roundtable, Lambert Smith Hampton’s head of valuations Simon Jones, John Hadcroft, senior portfolio surveyor at Aviva Investors and KEL Computing’s managing director Antony Schober talk about the need for the valuations sector to embrace technology to thrive, how the laboriously painstaking pulling together of valuations could – and perhaps should – be replaced by three minute videos and virtual reality, and how documentation automation delivery will ultimately enable surveyors to deliver a more valuable service to their clients.

For a part of the surveying business that has never quite has the same sex-appeal as the high-rolling investment surveyor, LSH’s Jones believes adoption of new models, such as EG’s Valuations360 tool, has the ability to make valuations an appealing career path for the next generation.

Listen in to find out more.

For more about how EG is working to make the valuations processes quicker, more accurate and as hassle-free has possible visit www.egi.co.uk/eg-valuations360/

London needs to speed up digital connectivity

LREF: London is failing to keep up with other global cities such as Singapore and still sits outside the top 20 European cities in terms of digital connectivity, meaning its economy and property industry face being left behind.

According to industry experts at a roundtable discussion on digital connectivity at LREF, the city is also being hampered by its legacy infrastructure and a complicated planning system, as well as land availability and a patchwork quilt of ownership, according to Andy Pyle, head for UK real estate at KPMG.

LISTEN to find out more.

All together now: changing attitudes to community engagement

In the week marking the one-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower disaster, leading figures from developers, non-profits and architecture firms sat down at LREF with EG to discuss the lessons learned from the tragedy as well as broader approaches to community engagement.

Peace achieved in Bristol eight months after EG Question Time

After facing off over the role of politics in planning at last year's EG Question Time Bristol City council's cabinet member for spatial planning and city design Nicola Beech and developer Generator South West's managing director Paul Isaacs claim to have developed a better working relationship.

Hear them discuss how they resolved their differences, as well as Bristol's pilot scheme to get more affordable housing built in the city and if tall buildings will alter the city's skyline.

 

Disclaimer: Please note that the podcast was filmed on location so there is background noise.

Workman launches new office-focused property management service

The battle for tenant retention at office buildings has been thrown into the spotlight by the rapid expansion of WeWork and now Workman has entered the fray with its new offering Welcome - Workman Offices, which is aiming to mesh the best bits of office services with property managment across the UK's more traditional office space.

 

TECHTALK RADIO: Meet the man tasked with spending $100m on tech for JLL Spark

In this week's episode of TECHTALK RADIO, JLL Spark co-chief executive Mihir Shah, talks to EG about the creation of a $100m fund to invest in proptech start-ups.

The JLL Spark Global Venture Fund will invest in companies focussed on leveraging technology to improve everything from real estate development and management to leasing and investing.

It will also help entrepreneurs and their companies by connecting them with JLL’s clients for feedback and distribution of their products.

Shah explains how the fund will work and reveals that the team is already in conversation with “at least three” UK-based start-ups.

Also in this episode co-hosts Emily Wright and Samantha McClary get overly excited about some new gadgets and reveal more news about EG's latest tech events. 

Leeds needs devo deal to capitalise on investor interest

Investor interest in city centre residential development will be "the ongoing story of Leeds over the next 24 months" as the city region continues to target a devolution deal with government, according to Martin Farrington, Leeds city council director of city development.

"There is no way Berlin will ever be a London. It hurts me, but it’s true”

Brexit or not, Berlin will never rival London as Europe’s leading tech hub says CBRE’s EMEA head of digital innovation Thomas Herr. “There is only one London,” he says. “There is no way Berlin will ever be a London. It hurts me to say that, but it’s true.”

Herr, a Berliner himself, adds that despite the German capital’s burgeoning start-up scene, rising costs could turn it into “just another expensive, boring city.” 

A lack of housing stock - the vacancy rate for apartments currently stands at 1.2% - and tight office supply means that rising rents are threatening to quash entrepreneurial spirit. In a city where only 18% of people own their homes, Berlin’s apartment rents rose by 8.8% to 9.79 euros a month in 2017 according to CBRE - a figure which has grown 71% over the last decade. 

Residential options outside of the city and the prevalence of co-working space have, so far, successfully supported Berlin’s digital community. But does the German capital have what it takes to retain its raw, innovative talent despite a squeeze on space, supply and resource? 

On the Case: Avoiding problems with oral variation of contract post-Rock Advertising

The Supreme Court has given its verdict in Rock Advertising Ltd v MWB Business Exchange Centres Ltd on the oral variation of contracts.

To discuss its implications for the property industry, EG is joined by Michael Paget of Cornerstone Barristers, who acted in the case. 

He talks listeners through the case itself, its journey to the Supreme Court and shares his top tip for helping property professionals avoid issues with oral variation in the future.