Intelligence Talks

With Andy Burnham now Prime Minister, "Manchesterism" has moved from regional talking point to potential national strategy. So what is "Manchesterism", and what does it mean for UK real estate? Will Matthews, Knight Frank's Head of Commercial Insight, is joined by Insight partners Jennifer Townsend and Darren Mansfield to unpack the discussion. The conversation explores why devolution does not have to be a zero-sum game between regions, returning momentum in regional office markets, and the role rising defence spending will play in the UK's growth story. Tune in for a practical take on the future shape of UK growth under a new PM.For more insights like this, subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠Will's newsletter⁠⁠⁠ for his weekly take on commercial real estate markets.Produced by ⁠⁠⁠Rethink Audio⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode of Housing Unpacked, Tom Bill is joined by Alex Webster, Head of Lending at Coutts, for a discussion about wealth, lending and property at a time when political uncertainty and market volatility have become part of everyday life. With speculation mounting over tax policy, interest rates and the economic outlook, Alex explains why many wealthy buyers are continuing to transact and why, in her view, volatility has become the "new normal". The conversation explores how ultra-high-net-worth individuals think about property, debt and wealth creation, and why some of the assumptions people make about the prime market are often wrong. ⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠ to Tom Bill's UK Residential Outlook, for all the latest properties, exclusive market analysis, news and data.

Real estate capital is increasingly targeting energy infrastructure, but why now, and what does it mean for traditional investors? In this episode, Will Matthews is joined by Nik Potter, Associate in Knight Frank's Capital Markets Insight team, and Flora Harley, Head of Energy and Sustainability Insight, to explore the rationale, the volumes and the returns shaping investment into energy infrastructure. They unpack the three megatrends pulling capital into the sector, and discuss why the fundamentals will feel familiar to traditional real estate investors. The conversation also looks at the UK's infrastructure investment backlog, the policy backdrop, and how pension reform could unlock significant new capital. Listen for a grounded view on where energy infrastructure fits within the real assets universe.For more insights like this, subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠Will's newsletter⁠⁠⁠ for his weekly take on commercial real estate markets.Produced by ⁠⁠⁠Rethink Audio⁠⁠⁠.

What would a Burnham premiership mean in practice? In this episode of Housing Unpacked, Tom is joined by former Treasury special adviser James Nation to explore which policies will remain longer-term ambitions, and what is realistically deliverable in the near term.Will a coronation create legitimacy concerns? Is an emergency Budget needed? And with fiscal wriggle room tight, who becomes Chancellor and how difficult is the job they inherit?For the property market, there is a lot on the line. There is renewed speculation around CGT alignment with income tax, a familiar debate over the merits of a land value tax, and early signals on greater devolution of fiscal powers.But each comes with big questions around how much revenue they raise, how quickly they can be delivered, and whether they survive contact with Treasury scrutiny.Either way, Burnham will now be judged on what he does rather than what he says.

After decades being shaped by global investors and rapid price growth, today’s market is more price-sensitive and domestically-driven. In this episode of Housing Unpacked, Tom Bill speaks with Anthony Payne, CEO and co-founder of LonRes, to examine what’s happening at the top end of London’s residential market. They discuss what LonRes data reveals about prices and transaction volumes across different markets and price points in the capital, the extent to which super-prime deals are still taking place and the rising number of fall-throughs. The conversation also explores whether the market is nearing a turning point or settling into a prolonged period of more muted growth and the one thing Anthony believes is needed to boost demand – and it’s not a stamp duty cut.⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠ to Tom Bill's UK Residential Outlook, for all the latest properties, exclusive market analysis, news and data.

The same dataset can look dramatically different depending on how it is visualised. Most charts are produced with good intent, but not all of them tell the full story, and some are designed not to. Knowing how to spot the difference could change how you read every market report you pick up. In this episode of Commercially Minded, Will Matthews, Knight Frank's Head of Commercial Insight, is joined by Seb Jones, Senior Analyst in Knight Frank's Modelling and Intelligence team, to examine how data visualisation shapes the conclusions that property professionals reach. They explore everything from innocent design failures that accidentally misdirect, to techniques that can steer readers towards conclusions the data does not support. If you want to know how to spot the signs that a chart is misleading you, and what questions to ask before you form a view, this is the episode to listen to.For more insights like this, subscribe to ⁠⁠Will's newsletter⁠⁠ for his weekly take on commercial real estate markets.Produced by ⁠⁠Rethink Audio⁠⁠.