Real estate investment trusts (REITs) are attractive investment vehicles, as they are exempt from corporate tax. A reduction in REIT requirements and restrictions has encouraged new entrants, although many were hit hard by the retail crash during the COVID-19 outbreak. Revenue is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 0.4% over the five years through 2024-25 to £8.5 billion including estimated growth of 11.8% in 2024-25, while the average profit is expected to be 19.3%. As many REITs own some form of retail and office property, lockdowns and social distancing measures during the pandemic meant the REIT industry lost revenue. Many REITs were forced to sell assets to stay afloat, threatening a spiral in retail property value, with shopping centre giant Intu Properties collapsing into administration. While many REITs with exposure to warehouses performed well in the aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak amid the e-commerce boom, the industry contended with significant headwinds like rising interest rates and rock-bottom confidence in 2022-23, hurting asset valuations and stifling investment activity. Macroeconomic conditions improved somewhat in 2023-24, with both business and consumer confidence picking up thanks to more optimistic growth prospects and stabilising interest, supporting rental income. However, the higher base rate environment has posed financing challenges, resulting in REITs finding alternative sources of finances like share placements to capitalise on low property values. In 2024-25, REITs have welcomed interest rate cuts, easing financing pressures and lifting asset values. This will support balance sheets, driving investment activity and revenue growth. REIT revenue is forecast to grow at a compound annual rate of 5.6% over the five years through 2029-30 to £11.2 billion. The hike in corporation tax in April 2023 has resulted in investors looking towards REITs due to their tax advantages, positioning REITs for significant investment in the coming years and driving revenue growth. REITs will welcome solid government support in the form of regulatory changes aiming at making the industry more competitive. Technological innovation will also shape the industry. Most notably, proptech solutions are being introduced, which improve property management and operating efficiency, supporting profit.

Industrial real estate is forecast to experience the highest annualized capital growth in the commercial real estate sector in the UK between 2025 and 2029. On average, capital values for commercial property are expected to increase by ***** percent per year, while for industrial real estate, that figure amounted to *** percent. Additionally, industrial is forecast to experience the ******-highest return on investment in the commercial property sector.

Private companies were responsible for most of the new homes built in the United Kingdom (UK), amounting to ******* units in 2023. Housing completions in the UK decreased for three years in a row between 2007 and 2010. This was followed by several years of fluctuation and a gradual increase from 2013 to 2019. The number of homes completed in England remained relatively stable in 2021 and 2022, after reaching a low point in the second quarter of 2020 due to the restrictions implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Construction starts and completions Comparing the number of starts and completions in London side-by-side shows that whenever there is a significant growth or fall in the number of projects started, that peak or valley tends to be reflected in the number of buildings completed a couple of years later. Nevertheless, disruptions, delays, and other obstacles may affect that correlation. Still, observing how many home construction projects started in the UK can provide some insight into the level of activity that construction companies may have in the near future. Given that the number of housing starts is forecast to fall in 2023, there might be slightly less work to be carried out the following year. Nevertheless, housing starts are expected to pick up again by 2024 and 2025. Housing associations in the UK Housing associations are not-for-profit organizations created to develop and rent homes for a lower price than in the private market. They have acquired certain relevance in the UK, although this type of organization also exists in other countries. On several occasions during the past decade, over a fifth of housing starts in London were developed by housing associations. Meanwhile, the number of new homes completed in Scotland by housing associations has increased a lot throughout the years, with several thousand units constructed every year during the past decades.

This statistic displays the office vacancy rate in London (UK) from 2006 to 2013 and a forecast thereof until 2019. Office vacancy rates are numerical calculations of all office space that is available to rent in any given market. The calculation is presented as percentage and it is the opposite to office occupancy rates. The office vacancy rate in London amounted to seven percent in 2013 (decrease from 10.2 percent in 2010) and it was projected to decrease further to 4.4 percent by 2019. Office vacancy rates are understood as one of the indicators, foretelling the future good or poor economic performance of the commercial sector in London. The lower the office vacancy rate, the better conditions for business, as companies have confidence in expanding and upgrading, and the market witnesses numerous new entries into the business. It is also interesting to juxtapose the projections for the leading European cities, such as for example the vacant office space in Frankfurt or office vacancies on the market in Paris, in view of the theory of global centers of business being interconnected and more similar to one another, than to the region they are located in.

Mortgage rates increased at a record pace in 2022, with the 10-year fixed mortgage rate doubling between March 2022 and December 2022. With inflation increasing, the Bank of England introduced several bank rate hikes, resulting in higher mortgage rates. In May 2025, the average 10-year fixed rate interest rate reached **** percent. As borrowing costs get higher, demand for housing is expected to decrease, leading to declining market sentiment and slower house price growth. How have the mortgage hikes affected the market? After surging in 2021, the number of residential properties sold declined in 2023, reaching just above *** million. Despite the number of transactions falling, this figure was higher than the period before the COVID-19 pandemic. The falling transaction volume also impacted mortgage borrowing. Between the first quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024, the value of new mortgage loans fell year-on-year for five straight quarters in a row. How are higher mortgages affecting homebuyers? Homeowners with a mortgage loan usually lock in a fixed rate deal for two to ten years, meaning that after this period runs out, they need to renegotiate the terms of the loan. Many of the mortgages outstanding were taken out during the period of record-low mortgage rates and have since faced notable increases in their monthly repayment. About **** million homeowners are projected to see their deal expire by the end of 2026. About *** million of these loans are projected to experience a monthly payment increase of up to *** British pounds by 2026.

Investments in the commercial property market in London peaked in 2017 and have since declined. In 2022, the value of investment in the sector was **** billion British pounds, which was a slight uptick from the previous year. Many European countries followed the same trend and experienced an increase in investments in 2022. According to the forecast, investment volumes in London are expected to fall in 2023, as developed markets continue to tackle accelerating inflation. In the following years, the market is expected to grow year-on-year, reaching about **** billion British pounds in 2027.

According to the forecast, the volume of flexible office workspace in the United Kingdom is expected to nearly double between 2019 and 2023, reaching *** million square feet in 2023. Flexible office space, also referred to as coworking space or shared office space, refers to commercial office space that allows short-term leases to individuals, freelancers, small and medium enterprises, and other professionals. In contrast to traditional offices, flexible offices provide equipped and serviced office premises without long-term rent commitment.