Real Estate Research
Keep up to date with the latest real estate research and property market reports.
Market overview
- Property Snapshot, April 2012 (PDF 346KB)
The UK Budget was neutral, although it is seen as pro-growth and has support from capital markets. Eurozone worries have eased on the back of the ECB’s injection of €1 trillion into the European banking system; many problems remain though.
- Property Snapshot, March 2012 (PDF 118KB)
The components of GDP growth for Q4 11 show that business investment is the principal constraint on recovery. Capital formation and inventory growth fell by 2.8% and 0.8% q/q respectively, offsetting positive contributions from export and household spending at 2.3% and 0.5% q/q. Moderating inflation expectations may be supporting household spending.
- Specialist Property Snapshot, February 2012 (PDF 309KB)
The second estimate of Q4 11 GDP remains at -0.2% q/q. PMI indicators improved in December and January, suggesting that some momentum is building. Infl ation is falling rapidly and should begin to improve sentiment, but employment prospects remain a worry.
> View more MARKET OVERVIEW research
Offices
- Glasgow Net Stock Absorption, February 2012 (PDF 373 KB)
2011 saw office net stock absorption record a very modest fall for central Glasgow city offices. Despite a rise in take-up in the second half of 2011, a strong element of market churn has meant that occupation declined in the City Core.
- Edinburgh Net Stock Absorption, February 2012 (PDF 256 KB)
2011 saw Edinburgh City Core experienced healthy absorption of offi ce space, despite a modest fall in annual take-up. Overall, occupation of office space in the City Core increased by 266,833 sq ft helping to raise overall occupancy to 89.2%, the highest level since 2007.
- Birmingham Net Stock Absorption, February 2012 (PDF 309 KB)
Grade A product in Birmingham continues to be absorbed at a healthy rate. Grade A net stock absorption of office space in 2011 reached 204,418 sq ft. This means that 744,833 sq ft of Grade A space has been absorbed in Birmingham over the past three years.
- Bristol Net Stock Absorption, February 2012 (PDF 317 KB)
Bristol office net stock absorption was negative during 2011 as occupation fell by 166,459 sq ft. Much of this can be attributed to the release of second-hand space onto the market, which is not being absorbed at the same rate as Grade A product. Grade B occupation fell by 304,084 sq ft in 2011.
- Leeds Net Stock Absorption, February 2012 (PDF 319 KB)
Leeds has seen a healthy absorption of all grades of office space during 2011. Grade A absorption reached 149,480 sq ft across Leeds CBD compared to 90,381 sq ft in 2010. Overall, absorption for all grades of space rose dramatically in 2011. While occupation levels fell by 293,213 sq ft in 2010, 2011 heralded a strong recovery, rising by 208,478 sq ft.
- Manchester Net Stock Absorption, February 2012 (PDF 275 KB)
Despite remaining at relatively modest levels, Grade A net stock absorption of office space in Manchester continued to increase in H2 2011. During 2011, Grade A occupation increased by 89,482 sq ft across all submarkets. Although that figure was substantially down on 2010 (459,447 sq ft), occupation of Grade A space across Manchester rose above 80% for the first time since 2007. Total occupation across all grades of space is at a three year high (83.6%).
> View more OFFICES research
Industrial
- Global Office Real Estate Review - Second Half 2010 (PDF 1.11MB)
The Colliers Second Half 2010 Global Industrial report is now available. This report features 150 industrial markets around the world making it one of the most comprehensive publications of its kind.
- Bristol Industrial Review, Spring 2009 (PDF 358KB)
Bristol's location at the axis of the M4/M5 interchange, combined with its reputation as the leading commercial centre in the South West ensures that there is plenty of activity in the industrial property market.
- Midlands Industrial Review, Spring 2009 (PDF 367KB)
With excellent communications and drive times allowing for access to almost anywhere in the UK, the Midlands will remain the nations big shed capital.
> View more INDUSTRIAL research
Retail
- Central London Retail Health Check, Spring 2012 (PDF 831KB)
Central London’s retail vacancy rate has edged upwards for the fi rst time in almost three years, although it remains well below that of the UK.
- National Retail Barometer, Winter 2011/12 (PDF 666KB)
UK retail vacancy rates have fallen for a third consecutive half year, although they remain well ahead of pre-recession levels. At October 2011, 12.7% of units across our sample of 15 towns and cities were empty, down from 13.3% last April.
- Central London Retail Health Check, Autumn 2011 (PDF 268KB)
The proportion of vacant units and floorspace in our sample of 10 Central London streets has fallen for the fourth consecutive six month period to 1.9% and 0.9% respectively – down from 3.5% and 2.0% in January 2011.
> View more RETAIL research
Investment
- Real Estate Investment Forecasts, Q1 2012 (PDF 623KB)
Over the fi rst 11 weeks of the new year, only £5.4bn worth of deals have completed on 189 transactions, down from £7.1bn on 296 transactions over the same 11 weeks last year.
- Property Pricing Survey, March 2012 (PDF 590KB)
Property was very much a selective buy in Central London and the South East across all sectors. Other geographic locations were mainly a sell (33% to 50%) across all sectors except for residential. For this survey, there was a very pronounced north/south divide, with the north a sale and the south a buy.
- Real Estate Investment Forecasts, Q4 2011 (PDF 472KB)
Risk aversion is aff ecting all asset classes with safe haven asset yields falling, including UK gilts. In contrast, eurozone uncertainty has pushed the German bund up to over 2%. UK initial yields fell marginally in October from 6.23 to 6.20 on the IPD monthly index. UK property capital value is being supported by eurozone instability.
> View more INVESTMENT research
Healthcare
- Care Homes Review, Autumn 2011 (PDF 2.73 MB)
In H1 2011 we find ourselves in unusual circumstances – local authority fee cuts and the Southern Cross debacle. Our reported statistically robust KPIs, which we weight by the number of beds and apply a two year rolling average, are masking what is happening in the healthcare market.
- Specialist Care Homes Review, Autumn 2011 (PDF 139 KB)
According to our specialist KPI analysis, the effect of the government and local authority funding cuts to the specialist care sector is not yet feeding through to our weighted KPI statistics. However, examination of the non-weighted KPI data suggests that despite increasing acuity of care, wage costs and real fees have not made an impact on profit margins despite a marginal fall in occupancy levels.
- Care Homes Review, Spring 2011 (PDF 1.22 MB)
Operators caring for residents funded by Local Authorities are unlikely to see fee growth keep pace with cost inflation in 2011 or 2012. There are, however, positive opportunities resulting from the austerity measures for private sector operators of high quality care homes.
> View more HEALTHCARE research
Residential
- Residential Data Shot, March 2012 (PDF 165KB)
The government, being keen to kick-start the housing industry has made several headline grabbing announcements lately on government-backed mortgage and house building schemes.
- Residential Data Shot, February 2012 (PDF 184KB)
The slowing housing market and difficult lending environment have forced many would-be homeowners into the private rental market. Recent articles in the press have highlighted this issue, pointing to the financial benefits of the private rental and buy-to-let markets.
- Residential Data Shot, January 2012 (PDF 168KB)
2011 saw weak, yet resilient, house prices. Halifax recorded a 1.3% decrease in house prices over the last 12 months, while Nationwide recorded a 1% increase overall for the 12 months to December. What they do agree on is that house prices held up well under pressure exerted by the strains in the wider economy.
> View more RESIDENTIAL research
Hotels
- Hotels Snapshot, H1 2011 (PDF 1.95 MB)
After its deepest recession for over 60 years, the UK saw some signs of stability returning in the 1st half of 2011. Nevertheless, in certain areas concern remains. Banks continue to be reluctant to lend on business-friendly terms despite the historically low base rate of 0.5% since March 2009, whilst inflation remains persistently above the Bank of England’s target of 2.0%.
- Hotels Snapshot, H2 2010 (PDF 849KB)
Those banks that lent the most into the hotel sector at the height of the market are those less willing or able to lend into the sector at present. Those that took a more cautious view to hotel lending during the period between 2004 to 2007 are now seeing this as an opportunity to lend to the strongest hotels through attempting to expose any breakdown in a customer’s current banking relationship.
> View more HOTELS research
Speciality
- Global Premier Streets and Destinations, March 2011 (PDF 1.59MB)
What makes the leading global city streets such compelling and enduringly successful destinations? In this paper we explore a cross-section of the top global retail-led streets and identify the essential ingredients that contribute to their attractiveness as destinations, including the built environment, the range of shops and the mix of culture, leisure and entertainment.
- Caravan Park sector overview, February 2011 (PDF 1.5MB)
The economic downturn has meant that caravan sale results have been volatile over the last few years so we anticipated mixed results from the survey. Overall, it would seem that sales are about on a par with 2009, with the majority (37%) of the sample reporting the same number of sales by volume. Almost as many operators reported a decrease as an increase in sales.
> View more SPECIALITY research
Research Videos
- A Briefing with Anatole Kaletsky - What really matters in 2012? (VIDEO)
February 2012: Tuesday 7 February saw Anatole Kaletsky deliver an engaging presentation on the future direction of the property market. Anatole Kaletsky’s overall view was rather more optimistic than most in the audience anticipated. The strength in emerging markets, a recovering US economy and the fact that the European issues are already discounted, provided a positive platform.
- Exclusive video: Colliers International’s house view of 2011, and outlook for 2012 (VIDEO)
December 2011: At the conclusion of what has been another challenging year for the UK property industry, Colliers International’s Research & Forecasting team reviews the current state of the market with contributions from a number of in-house sector experts.
- Has there been an improvement in lending to real estate?, June 2011 (VIDEO)
June 2011: Colliers International Director, Walter Boettcher, comments on the latest from the UK and property markets.
- Rob Fay shares his views on the London retail market (VIDEO)
June 2011: Will the Central London retail market’s resilient performance sustain? Rob Fay, Director at Colliers, comments on the strong performance of the London retail market, against the fragile national picture.