Property

City firms ‘retrofit’ buildings to lure staff back to offices

A growing trend: Refurbishing offices is much more environmentally friendly than building from scratch

Cacao floors, wellness rooms and outside space are being installed to improve staff well-being and drive green credentials as firms try to appeal to Gen Z

6 min read

SoftBank has been WeWork’s biggest backer since it started investing in 2017

SoftBank posts $6.2bn loss after WeWork bankruptcy

Japanese investor holds a majority stake in the office leasing company

2 min read

The redevelopment of Broadgate in the City of London, which is part-owned by British Land

Hedge fund Millennium doubles British Land short position as UK property crisis rolls on

The shares of London-based property developer are down by roughly 20% this year

1 min read

Moving out of Canary Wharf and into the City puts firms in close proximity to clients in high-growth sectors like private equity, hedge funds and fintech

Canary Wharf vs The City: Old school revival as docklands’ appeal wanes

While HSBC’s exit is the most high profile to date, the gradual bleed out of Canary Wharf has swelled in recent years

3 min read

'As CEO I’m looking for growth and to build AUM,' says Swiss Life Asset Managers UK boss Giles King

Swiss Life Asset Managers targets UK real estate growth despite sector turmoil

Even residential and commercial real estate - which are facing strong headwinds - could present opportunities, according to one of Europe’s largest institutional real estate managers

3 min read

While demand for prime space will continue, planning committee chair predicts need to act fast on 'stranded assets'

Unused City offices could soon become hotels and galleries

The Square Mile's governing body wants to be quicker to react to financial pressures and a shift in work patterns

2 min read

Blackstone limits Breit withdrawals again

Investor redemptions outgrow limits for the fourth month in a row

2 min read

Blackstone stock weighed down by investor concerns over real estate bets

Backers weigh future of flagship Breit offering after results last week

4 min read

Andreessen Horowitz puts $350m behind ex-WeWork boss Neumann’s new startup

Venture capital firm is investing $350m at a valuation of more than $1bn, a person familiar with the matter says

3 min read

Thoma Bravo will take offices in the newly redeveloped Norfolk House on St James's Square

Thoma Bravo plans London office launch

US giant looks to take two floors in heart of Mayfair

2 min read

China Evergrande set to outline plan to restructure by end of July

Evergrande said that it is also taking appropriate steps to comply with Hong Kong exchange rules to avoid a possible delisting of its shares

Evergrande ropes in advisers to review $2bn cash seizure

Chinese property giant also agrees to $575m project disposal

Banks seize $2bn from Evergrande unit as results delayed

Developer says ‘major incident’ at Evergrande Property Services will be investigated

The building, which has been dubbed EightyFen was completed in October 2020

Royal London nabs new HQ in the City

The insurer will have floors ten to 14 in new development 80 Fenchurch Street

1 min read

The Silicon Roundabout was lauded as London's great tech hub. Does it still have that power?

London’s Silicon Roundabout is over — say hello to the Tech Belt

“They used to all crowd together. Now, a number of companies are pulling in different directions, saying ‘I’m big enough, I’ve got 3,000 people, I don’t need to go there because people will come to us’.”

5 min read

London is the destination of choice for Hong Kong’s most affluent

The BNO scheme provides a direct route to UK citizenship for most Hong Kongers

8 min read

Many banks, hedge funds and insurers in the Square Mile are making plans for flexible working in preparation for post-pandemic life

Back to work as UK lockdown lifts: How City firms are planning for a return to the office

Employers are offering Covid tests and overhauling office space to get staff safely back into work

2 min read