The commercial property sector in London has continued to perform well, despite many other regions in the UK failing to keep up with the capital, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) UK Commercial Market survey. In the city, occupier demand increased during the second quarter of the year, with this trend expected to continue.
Meanwhile, London was the only part of the country to report positive rental expectations, RICS revealed, noting that demand for office space is the driving force behind the market at the moment. Simon Rubinsohn, chief economist for the institution, commented: "This starkly contrasting picture is expected to persist for some time, reflecting the markedly different economic picture in the capital."
Research published earlier this week by CB Richard Ellis showed that the West End is one of the top-performing London districts in terms of its office leasing market, with take-up for such space increasing by 18 per cent over the course of the second quarter. The firm noted that the vacancy rate in this part of the city has also fallen to a low of 3.8 per cent.