Intelligence Talks

UK students are struggling to find housing and demand for accommodation is soaring. Supply is failing to keep up, causing rents to rise on average by around 8% this year, according to the latest Knight Frank data.So what's going on? How can universities, developers, and investors collaborate more effectively to tackle the supply crunch? What emerging trends will shape the future of student housing in 2025 and beyond? From the race for high-quality accommodations to the evolving expectations of Gen Z students—this conversation is a must-listen for anyone navigating the student property market.  Anna is joined by Neil Armstrong and Merelina Sykes, joint heads of Knight Frank’s student property division, along with research associate Katie O’Neill, to unpack these critical questions.For more, see Knight Frank’s student accommodation survey 2024: https://content.knightfrank.com/research/1663/documents/en/knight-frank-ucas-student-accommodation-survey-report-2024-11543.pdf And Knight Frank’s latest quarterly update on the market: https://www.knightfrank.be/research/uk-student-housing-q3-2024-11625.aspxProduced by Ollie Peart at Rethink Audio.

We take a look at the key risks facing UK housing and retail markets in the aftermath of the Autumn Budget. We focus on the threats and opportunities for both sectors following the biggest rises in taxes at a budget since 1993.Will mortgage rates stay higher for longer as a result? Plus, does the Budget really just spell bad news for the high street or will we see a retail renaissance?  Anna is joined by Knight Frank’s head of UK housing research Tom Bill and head of UK retail research, Stephen Springham. Stay tuned to find out whether Tom will be fixing his own mortgage for two or five years following the Budget…

You potentially won’t be able to let an office in the UK without an EPC A-B by as soon as 2030. So how can London’s office landlords prepare effectively for this energy efficiency deadline? Currently, 70% of commercial property floor space is rated EPC C or below across England & Wales. So getting ahead of potential future regulation could mean a first-mover advantage, particularly where there is a demand and supply imbalance.To unpick this complex topic, Anna is joined by Flora Harley, Knight Frank’s head of ESG research, and Harriet Hicks, ESG consultant at the property agency, who explain some of the risks and strategies commercial property landlords and investors must consider. They discuss Knight Frank’s new report on building obsolescence, which looks at more than 3,000 commercial properties that have undergone retrofitting leading to an improved EPC rating of at least B, and the measures landlords took to get there.They also delve into new research on building obsolescence, highlighting key areas such as regulatory, functional, physical, and financial risks. Practical measures like LED lighting and digital twin modelling for building improvements are discussed, along with market trends, tenant collaboration, and potential future innovations in the sector. Knight Frank’s report: Meeting the Commercial Property Retrofit Challenge - Part 1: Defining a Strategy is available here: https://www.knightfrank.com/research/report-library/meeting-the-commercial-property-retrofit-challenge-part-1-11509.aspx

Co-living is a small but growing trend in UK cities, driven by urbanisation, rising housing costs, and the need for community in an age of digital isolation. Experts from Knight Frank explore the investment landscape, government policies, demographic appeal, and future prospects of co-living compared to traditional student accommodation. The conversation covers topics such as policy evolution, investment trends, and the challenges and opportunities in the sector.Host Anna Ward discusses this and more with guests Chris Benham, Oliver Knight and Katie O’Neill. For more, please see Knight Frank’s 2024 Co-living Report here: https://content.knightfrank.com/research/2854/documents/en/co-living-report-2024-11304.pdf

What is the current state of the London office market and how will the next six months pan out? Knight Frank's Head of London Research Shabab Qadar joins host Anna Ward to discuss market activity and what is coming next for development activity and investment in the capital’s office sector. They discuss how a future supply crunch could impact the market, where the new emerging office districts will be, to what extent repurposing will feature in the market and how much stock will shift to other uses.

Rachel Reeves used her first speech as chancellor to reverse some Conservative housing policy following a Labour landslide. But aside from bringing back local housing targets, how else will the government get Britain building again? In this episode our expert panel dive into getting the balance right between net-zero goals and extensive housebuilding plans, the need for renewable energy and regulatory certainty, and how the UK and European residential markets compare. Also, if you had £50 million, where should you put that money right now in residential real estate? Host Anna Ward discusses this and more with guests Flora Harley, Stuart Baillie, and Kate Everett-Allen from Knight Frank.