Estates Gazette Property Podcasts

Hybrid working looks to be here to stay. That not only means that offices need to work harder than ever before to lure tenants back but a wide range of other asset classes must up their connectivity game.   On this episode of Tech Talk Radio, EG head of content Emily Wright is joined by Wiredscore president William Newton and Watkins Jones head of divestment and asset management George Dyer to discuss just that.  Wiredscore research has revealed that over half of Europeans consider their internet to be better at home than in the workplace. As the world gears up to embrace hybrid working, it is clear there is more to be done to ensure that connectivity is supporting hybrid working across a number of asset classes including offices, BTR and purpose-built student accommodation.  "The key thing now for us as developers is to design places where people want to live and a critical part of that now is also where people want to work," said BTR and student accommodation developer Watkins Jones' Dyer. "For us, connectivity is a key part of that as well as looking at how we can integrate things like business lounges and co-working spaces into our buildings and really create an environment where people are happy to live and work."   Newton said: “Looking to the future, we don’t think the productive home-working we saw during the pandemic was a temporary shift. This is a new way or work and a better, more constructive way for people to live their lives. We are now incredibly well set up for remote work and landlords should be thinking very carefully about setting it up for people who want it.”

On this episode of Tech Talk Radio, EG head of content Emily Wright speaks to Insurami chief executive and founder Majed Chaaraoui and head of partnerships Jack Sibley.  Launched in 2019, Insurami effectively operates as a large-scale Deposit Guarantee platform for commercial real estate and is currently used by companies including The Howard De Walden Estate, Level39 and Huckletree.  Rather than forking out a hefty deposit in one go, tenants pay a monthly fee to the platform for a Deposit Guarantee. This then pays out to the landlord – up to the maximum cover value of £600,000 – if there is a default on the lease. Off the back of last month's announcement that Fasanara Capital has joined existing investors including Global Founders Capital, Entrepreneur First and Clocktower Ventures in a £42m raise to facilitate Insurami’s expansion, the duo reveal what those growth plans will entail.  They also explain why they believe their tech solution will release billions of pounds worth of otherwise illiquid funds caught up within the real estate sector. 

The office market in Cambridgeshire is flourishing as rents head towards the £50 psf level but a shortage of available land could hamper future growth, according to Bidwells senior surveyor George Craig. Bidwells leads the Cambridgeshire On-Demand Rankings for transacted space, with 822,813 sq ft disposed so far this year. It is a market led by the technology cluster that has formed around Cambridge University which seeks to attract the best talent the various colleges produce. One of the biggest success stories this year has been Roku, which specialises in streaming services including Peloton, whose growth through the pandemic has seen it expand from 20,000 sq ft to 116,000 sq ft. Craig expects the £50 psf barrier to be broken early in the new year, but says landlords will need to think creatively about repurposing existing stock as land is in short supply.

Jess Harrold is joined by deputy editor Tim Burke and news editor Pui-Guan Man for the latest weekly round-up podcast, with good news on the menu. Tim discusses how the real estate industry appears to be recovering from the worst of the Covid-19 crisis, with the latest results showing some major players turning profits and occupiers eager to take space. Pui digs into details on British Land's largest half-year profit since 2015, and tackles more of the week's news. But who will come out on top in the quiz of the week?

The latest episode of the EG Property Podcast continues our Investing through Auctions series with a practical podcast focused on how to buy in the new normal The pandemic saw a massive shift to online auctions and brought with it a rise in newcomers to the auctions market. In this 30-minute episode EG editor Samantha McClary chatting with head of sales at 574 Max Mason and managing partner of Harold Benjamin Vijay Parikh to learn more about how to buy at auction, the increasing importance of due diligence, how to make sure you get the very best deal – and don’t get carried away – and how online auctions are proving to be key in attracting a more diverse buying group to real estate.

Last week, the government introduced its anticipated legislative proposals on commercial rent arrears recovery for debts accumulated during the pandemic. They take the shape of the Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Bill – introduced into Parliament last week – and a new Code of Practice for landlords and tenants. To discuss the background to the proposals, the detail contained in the draft legislation and what it will mean for landlords and tenants, EG’s professional & legal editor, Sarah Jackman, is joined by Helena Davies, property litigation partner at law firm Brabners. Listen as they get to grips with the scope of the proposals and how the proposed new legally-binding arbitration process might work in practice.

In this week’s episode of Bricks & Mortar, EG’s Sarah Jackman is joined by Nina Zeilerbauer and Clare Coe of real estate recruitment specialist Madison Berkeley for a look at the employment market in the real estate sector. They attest to one of the busiest periods that they’ve ever seen, with lots of people – of all levels and across a range of sectors – on the move for a variety of different reasons. As a result, attracting new staff and retaining existing employees has become increasingly important, with factors such as remote working and flexibility playing a key part in the discussion. Both stress that communication is central to understanding the needs of existing employees and that counter-offering to someone who is intending to move elsewhere often isn’t productive. Tune in for the full discussion and their thoughts on the direction of the employment market over the coming months.

Jess Harrold is joined by deputy editor Tim Burke and London & offices reporter Alex Daniel for a wide-ranging round up of the week's hot topics. Daniel updates listeners on the office market and the surging interest in 22 Bishopsgate, including from Apple - and explains why controversial tower, The Tulip, has failed to get off the ground. Burke tackles the future of flex with the latest from some major players, and highlights some powerful content in this week's magazine featuring trans people in real estate sharing their stories, including the EG Interview with District Technologies founder, Lee Butz. Harrold himself weighs in with the details on the Covid rent arrears arbitration process introduced by the Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Bill - then puts his colleagues to the test in the quiz of the week.

In this episode of the EG Property Podcast EG editor Samantha McClary sits down with JLL UK chief executive Stephanie Hyde and global head of sustainability services and ESG Guy Grainger to reflect on two weeks of COP26. Both relocated to Glasgow for the full duration of the event, attending numerous discussions to make sure they were learning more about exactly what real estate can and needs to do to ensure that it plays its very important role in helping to solve the climate challenge. In this 20 minute discussion, they share invaluable insights from COP26, what has inspired them most and why now is no longer the time for pledges and goal-setting but for real and thoughtful action.

When the pandemic gripped in March last year, the nation's auction rooms fell silent. Bidding, buying and selling went online and gavel-wielders had to become instant masters of more sophisticated technology. But what was it like for the ballroom-junkies to suddenly have to adapt to a virtual world? And what, if anything, would they keep as we head back to the auction room? EG's senior writer Piers Wehner talks to Allsop partner Richard Adamson, Mountview Estate's head of sales and acquisitions John Herne, and Prideview's principal Jesal Patel to find out whether the future of auctions is in or out of the room.