EG Property Podcasts

In August 2022, Whitbread announced it had acquired 5 Strand for a hub by Premier Inn hotel. The 700-bedroom development will create one of the largest budget hotels in central London, a stone’s throw from Nelson’s Column. In this exclusive EG podcast, the team behind the £125m acquisition will lift the lid on why they were so attracted to the location, how the opportunity came about and the task of planning for such a large hotel in the heart of the West End. And we ask what will it bring and how does it align with Westminster City Council’s goals for sustainability and a fairer economy?

Co-living has been gaining in popularity as a housing trend, especially in urban areas among young professionals and digital nomads. The attraction of co-living spaces lies in their ability to offer affordable, social and flexible living arrangements while also providing access to vibrant communities of individuals with shared interests and values. In this EG podcast, in collaboration with JLL’s head of living capital markets, Simon Scott – whose team has a proven track record of working with both investors and developers to create successful and vibrant rental communities in the UK – we discuss where the real opportunity is for co-living going forward and how we might expect the market to evolve over the next decade. What are consumers looking for, and what are the development and investment opportunities? How will ESG priorities, climate change and sustainability affect this product and the tenant group that it targets?

The podcast explores the benefits of flex space in the post-pandemic era, including scalability, versatility, and location. It discusses the premium that flex space brings to buildings, highlighting increased rental income and demand. The chapter focuses on the division between top-tier and average office spaces in London and the challenge of fluctuating office attendance. It also explores how customers are using flex space and amenities efficiently, as well as the adoption of sustainable changes in the industry. The importance of collaboration and tailored approaches in the flexible office market is emphasized, along with the growth and maturation of the sector.

For the latest weekly round-up, Jess Harrold is joined by editor Sam McClary and news editor Pui-Guan Man. Man dives into the results of EG's extensive survey on what RICS members want from the beleaguered organisation going forward, and shares details of her EG Interview with the current leadership of the RICS: chief executive Justin Young, board chair Martin Samworth and regulation board chair Nigel Clarke. McClary shares her passion for EG's Future Leaders program and the lessons learned from the nine inspirational speakers at the latest Future Leaders summit - everything from proper investment, to the authenticity gap, how to speak to Gen Z and the right way to ask, and answer, "how are you?" Listen to McClary share her highlights of the event, then watch all nine talks at: https://www.eg.co.uk/eg-events/future-leaders-talks/    

Associated British Ports is searching for a national agent to work alongside regional specialists so it can press the accelerator on commercial opportunities across its estate of 21 sites in the UK, according to its Humber head of property Greg Lacey. ABP has launched a property growth strategy in which it aims to considerably increase revenues from commercial occupiers. Lacey believes ports provide a mixture of connectivity and competitive land prices allied with the incentives on offer through the freeports initiative that will make them a force to be reckoned with over the next decade. He also believes ports can be a driving force in the race to net zero with a number of renewable technologies on site that can offer green and competitively-priced energy to ABP’s growing roster of commercial tenants.

This latest episode of Bricks & Mortar sees EG’s Sarah Jackman catch up with Barny Evans, director – sustainability & ESG, at planning & development consultancy, Turley. Evans has spent over 20 years in the sustainability field and has seen it evolve significantly in that time, both in terms of the breadth of available career opportunities and the policy that underpins it. He discusses his route into the profession, the things that have helped him advance his career and why sustainability is a rewarding and dynamic area of real estate to be part of. He has plenty of advice for those looking to get into the sector, which he also details in EG’s new Starting out in real estate publication: www.eg.co.uk/starting-out-in-real-estate

In the latest weekly round-up, Jess Harrold is joined by news reporters Chanté Bohitige and Evelina Grecenko, and head of special content, Emily Wright. As Wright makes her first EGLSM appearance after maternity leave, she shares her insights into how the real estate sector has changed in her time away, plus details from her sustainability discussion with Sarah Ratcliffe, new chair of a revamped Green Property Alliance. Grecenko offers an update on the ever-busy life sciences field, including her EG Interview with the dedicated Life Sciences REIT, about its efforts to meet changing tenant requirements and keep ahead of the competition. In another volatile week for the office market, Bohitige discusses industry reaction to Meta handing back the keys to its London offices at Triton Square, and the analysts at investment bank Jefferies offering a glum forecast. Plus, the success of Liverpool One, a major deal involving a US university, the rise of the "greenium" - and DJ Chanté adds another track to the EG Certified Bangers playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0pBand693O5IhhaScVM6uZ

In a special Monday morning episode of the weekly podcast, Jess Harrold is joined by Nina Zeilerbauer, co-founder of real estate recruiter Madison Berkeley, and Adina David, executive director at MGT and founder of the networking organisation Ladies in Real Estate, to discuss the Empower Equity campaign launching today. Zeilerbauer and David discuss the continuing problems that impact on female representation in senior leadership,  and how their week-long initiative seeks to encourage greater retention. As part of the Empower Equity 2023, they will be publishing a new 30-minute reverse mentoring audio interview each day in the week of 25th September 2023 on the Madison Berkeley and LIRE websites. Each interview features a junior female in real estate putting questions to a senior figure in the industry. Listen to Zeilerbauer and David share their insights, then dive into the Empower Equity recordings at https://www.madisonberkeley.com/news/ and https://www.ladiesinrealestate.co.uk  

In this episode, EG's Office Politics meets Andy Street, West Midlands Mayor. Street discusses the importance of storytelling for mayors, his career at John Lewis leading to regional politics, and why Liz Truss may still be right. The podcast covers topics such as investment and development in Birmingham, leveling up funding and fiscal devolution, building a self-sufficient economy, thriving tech sectors and decarbonization challenges in the West Midlands, and implementing sustainable decarbonization in the residential sector.

Sarah Hayford, founder of the Land Collective – a youth-focused organisation that encourages those from underrepresented groups to engage with the built environment sector – is this week’s guest on Bricks & Mortar. She joins Sarah Jackman to discuss a new initiative – Black Girls in Property – a week-long internship run in August and open to female year 11 students of black or mixed-black heritage, based in London. They touch on the inspiration for the programme, its structure and what’s next to help highlight the opportunities in the sector to participants. They round off by looking at the Land Collective’s upcoming initiatives, including the ESG launchpad and virtual internship programmes.