The Built Asset Blog

3 Nov
06:53

Carbon reduction - From Zero to Hero

Submitted by

Hong Kong will be hosting a C40 cities workshop at the end of this week. I've attended the "carbon tale of three cities" conference hosted by Britcham where Hong Kong, London and Toronto were represented. While Hong Kong represents 0.1% of the total global carbon emission, buildings are estimated to be responsible for more than 50% of Hong Kong’s carbon emissions. Some simple, tried-and-tested actions that can be implemented for... Read More

0 Comments (0 Ratings)

29 Oct
06:29

Put your property to the test

Submitted by

An asset training plan will drive a competitive advantage for assets that can tangibly demonstrate better sustainability, lower service charge and better tenant services. As the Asian market begins to recover from the global financial crisis, there has never been a greater need for fund managers to differentiate fund performance and develop a ‘best in class’ reputation to attract and retain quality tenants. The key to driving improved fund performance is a greater emphasis... Read More

1 Comment (3 Ratings)

3 Nov
06:01

Qe 2 - God save the Queen or is it the Titanic?

Submitted by

Feedback from Yesterday's ANREV conference in Hong Kong, an increasingly confident recovery in world economy coupled with super lose monetary policy means that Asian real estate markets will remain hot for the next 12 months. Key themes Expect sovereign failure in Europe but will be managed to minimise impact globally Super lose monetary policy means that we should expect a continued Asian real estate growth until Q3 next year followed by market corrections throughout... Read More

0 Comments (2 Ratings)

Qe 2 - God save the Queen or is it the Titanic?

11 Nov
09:14

Virtual PC - A new era has begun...

Submitted by

With 500 million people expected to be urbanised over the next 25 years globally, this will fuel substantial demand both for residential and office space and we predict there will be an increasing blur between the 2… How will technology help to accommodate people sustainably and shape the workplace of tomorrow? Cisco predicts that within the next 2 years, virtual PC will be become main stream. Home tele-presence will be possible and will allow employees to move freely and work... Read More

0 Comments (1 Rating)

11 Nov
08:55

IT gots the POWER!

Submitted by

I attended an industry lunch last week about intelligent buildings, energy management and sustainability... With IT only accounting for 2% of an average building's power consumption, IT companies like IBM and Cisco are now challenging building owners on what they are doing about the remaining 98%. They are producing smart building technology from systems to virtual network connectivity to improve buildings efficiency and reduce the carbon foot... Read More

1 Comment (1 Rating)

19 Nov
09:02

Change & innovation... Alive and well in Banking CRE!

Submitted by

Last week, I had the pleasure of hosting the CoreNet breakfast briefing given by Rick Bertasi, Global Head of CRE at Deutsche Bank. Key take away: SET YOUR STANDARDS: DB New Workplace is being established as the set of standards for DB around the globe. It includes " follow me printing" and log in to your desk top anywhere. This has driven an average of 1.2 FTE/ desk and 10.9 sqm/ workstation. However what was clear was the importance of the improvement... Read More

0 Comments (0 Ratings)

Change & innovation... Alive and well in Banking CRE!

26 Nov
12:00

Localism in action

Submitted by

I was intrigued by (to me) a new business model I came across recently when I decided at last to sort out my own PV roof installation having spent the last year extolling the virtue of the feed in tariff to landlords and occupiers alike across Europe. What impressed me was the Community Buying Group I was put in touch with who in my local area had aggregated orders for installations both to bring down the capital acquisition cost of units for all in the ‘pool’ (in a market where... Read More

0 Comments (2 Ratings)

30 Nov
12:53

Why third in line is not always a bad place to be………..

Submitted by

Reading the papers on a freezing Sunday just gone it was of course cheering to look at the sun drenched pictures of several stunning overseas resort properties. On reflection of course many of those resorts in Spain and Portugal and other sunbelt locations were promoted by Irish developers with a love of golf and were marketing lifestyle second homes to both Irish and other northern Europeans. These optimistic developers (first owners) in many cases have now lost all their investment through... Read More

0 Comments (3 Ratings)

Why third in line is not always a bad place to be………..

3 Dec
16:48

Contributing to the Part L Route Map

Submitted by

Later this month I will be presenting at Building magazine’s Part L Conference with my colleague, Matt Fulford, the head of our sustainability practice. We will be looking at the immediate impact of the Regulations and with 2013 fast approaching will also be considering the long term implications of the Part L Route Map. As Built Asset Consultants, we are acutely aware that the introduction of Part L has coincided not only with the trough of the property market, but also the start... Read More

0 Comments (3 Ratings)

20 Dec
13:24

Why Abu Dhabi Needs to Build Up its Property Services Capacity

Submitted by

Having recently reviewed the delivery pipeline of developers who are still active in the Abu Dhabi market, I have identified some real challenges for the property services supply chain in the region. For many years the Abu Dhabi property market has had a growing shortage of acceptable space, particularly as the dynamics of the labour market in the UAE did a flip after the global financial crisis and the commuter traffic started going to Abu Dhabi each morning, rather than what had been the... Read More

1 Comment (0 Ratings)

Why Abu Dhabi Needs to Build Up its Property Services Capacity

8 Feb
12:00

Economic reality exposed

Submitted by

This week the UAE Central bank published some much awaited statistics from 2010 which shed new light on the current state of the country’s economy. In summary, the UAE is struggling to boost bank lending after the recent credit squeeze, and the non-performing loan provisions offered by banks increased by 36% to Dh44.3bn. This represents approximately 4.4% of the total loans offered, higher than you would expect to see in a growing economy, and something which is likely to hurt banks... Read More

1 Comment (2 Ratings)

10 Feb
06:06

Putting Productivity Gains at the Heart of Corporate Real Estate

Submitted by

We are constantly striving to achieve greater productivity, especially in the current cost-conscious environment where businesses are looking to maintain cost savings and profitability gains and getting the most out of corporate restructuring. Here are few ways CRE can address the productivity challenge... Workplace: A well executed workplace strategy focused on the configuration and design of the workplace can increase productivity by 10% as well as reduce employee absenteeism. Successful... Read More

0 Comments (0 Ratings)

Putting Productivity Gains at the Heart of Corporate Real Estate

2 Mar
14:50

Do we really need so many property disputes?

Submitted by

A number of publications have recently reported the fact that property disputes have jumped 43% in a year, albeit the numbers over £25,000 are relatively low there are thousands of smaller claims. However, what is interesting is what is causing the dispute – a tenant’s need to reduce property costs by sub-letting part or assigning the whole of their space. http://www.fm-world.co.uk/news/fm-industry-news/property-disputes-on-the-rise/ Probably not surprising in... Read More

0 Comments (0 Ratings)

Do we really need so many property disputes?

8 Mar
17:45

MIPIM 2011: buzzing now!

Submitted by

MIPIM 2011: buzzing now! After having arrived in Cannes over the weekend, there has been a slow build up throughout the day, but I can safely say that MIPIM has now begun! Despite the cold weather (some are saying it is the coldest MIPIM ever!), the bars along the Croisette are most certainly buzzing. The general mood on the ground seems to be quiet but with cautious optimism, as people can see some stability returning. Having had several conversations with investors... Read More

0 Comments (2 Ratings)

10 Mar
17:51

London is the topic of conversation at MIPIM

Submitted by

With the UK being the country of honour at MIPIM this year, unsurprisingly the conversations taking place are centred on the London market. Everyone I meet appears to be cautiously optimistic about the UK market, but in reality most of these discussions are regarding London activity and there is little conversation about regional UK development or investment. I joined the panel discussion at the NLA stand at MIPIM this morning, to discuss the opportunities and challenges that... Read More

0 Comments (4 Ratings)

London is the topic of conversation at MIPIM

15 Mar
01:05

Sustainable workplace strategy in Asia

Submitted by

Many organisations are not gaining the full benefit of sustainability and are focusing on the more urgent need for rapid cost reduction. There is a widespread sentiment that environmental and sustainability measures are ‘nice-to-haves’ that should be addressed in better times. In addition, culture in Asia often means space issued according to hierarchy rather than business and operating needs. However, by evaluating the overall contribution that property can make to reducing occupational... Read More

0 Comments (0 Ratings)

14 Mar
14:04

MIPIM: was it a success?

Submitted by

After 20 client meetings, 5 press interviews and 1 oversubscribed EC Harris hosted lunch, I can safely say that it was a good week at MIPIM. As soon as I arrived, I headed straight to the Munich stand for economic comfort, which is always the best way to start MIPIM. It was packed with persons representing approximately 20% of European real estate investment cash – the beer flowed early as well. It was an early start on the second day and I had many meetings organised with... Read More

0 Comments (1 Rating)

30 Mar
08:31

Hong Kong... Victim of its own success?

Submitted by

Carrie Lam, Secretary for Development hosted a seminar on Office Development in Hong Kong last week. John Tsang gave the opening address and several highly respected speakers from the industry. The seminar was held in response to a growing concern in the private sector: Hong Kong is facing a crisis of quality office space. Predictions are that the annual average supply of new office space over the next 3 years will be 50 % of the past 15 year annual average which will... Read More

1 Comment (0 Ratings)

24 Mar
04:46

China... Bears Gather (not Pandas!)

Submitted by

The annual CoreNet Asia conference is always a test of market confidence and in Hong Kong today, the vibrancy of the region showed clearly as 400 delegates from corporate end users and service providers from all around the world gathered in Hong Kong. The opening address therefore came as a bit of a shock to many as Dr Jim Walker of the economic research and consulting business Asianomics, presented a very bearish analysis of the prospects for China… Get 2 economists in a room... Read More

0 Comments (4 Ratings)

9 Sep
16:33

The time is now...

Submitted by

With construction prices at their lowest since 2006 and pressure on commodity prices higher than at any time since 2007, there is a sound argument that 2011 could be an optimum time for procurement. Whilst the private sector may be reluctant to proceed due to a lack of debt finance and unreliable demand forecasts, it is less clear why the public sector is so reticent about procuring planned infrastructure at a time when there is real value on offer. There is no doubt that the fallout... Read More

1 Comment (0 Ratings)

22 Sep
05:36

All about communication!

Submitted by

I went to the Real Estate Asset Enhancement Asia Conference 2 days ago and there was a very interesting session on 'how can commercial landlords introduce building upgrades and improve service offerings to office tenants' . Vito Chiodo, Director of Property for Telstra in Australia, has demonstrated that the best way to undertake some major building refurbishment work, Landlords need to include tenants in the process. By making the process more official with... Read More

0 Comments (0 Ratings)

30 Jan
16:17

Property Outlook for 2012 – change brings opportunity

Submitted by

2012 looks set to be another year of change, but change drives opportunity and the winners will be those that anticipate it and adapt fast to create competitive advantage. We enter the year with an uncertain outlook in most markets across the world, where control, speed, asset performance and partnerships will be the key drivers for success. Our property sector experts have considered the year ahead and what it means for our clients. Click... Read More

0 Comments (2 Ratings)

Property Outlook for 2012 – change brings opportunity

2 Feb
09:56

UAE Government Reaffirms Plans

Submitted by

Abu Dhabi Executive Committee’s (ADEC) decision to formally approve a number of high-profile development projects is undoubtedly positive news for both Abu Dhabi and the UAE as a whole, and reaffirms the government’s commitment to making the country an attractive, growing and sustainable market. Many of the projects that were officially confirmed yesterday are already well known within the and it will have came as no surprise to anyone that transport and social infrastructure... Read More

0 Comments (0 Ratings)

8 Feb
16:14

How can we create an adaptive organisation?

Submitted by

The key driver for corporate property executives is to reduce operating costs, improve margin and to free up capital to allow for investment in new and more profitable markets. The boardroom agenda will become more agile and responsive, improving speed to market and allowing their business to execute plans efficiently and effectively, to grow and sustain revenues. Weighed down by an excess of property assets, the successful corporate will be those that manage their assets strategically, put... Read More

0 Comments (0 Ratings)

How can we create an adaptive organisation?

13 Feb
16:47

What is on the horizon for the London office development?

Submitted by

Investment remains very strong for London’s prime assets and competition is extensive. Insurers, Private Equity, Institutional Funds and Sovereign Wealth Funds are all fighting to secure prize and ‘trophy’ assets to bank within their portfolios. This is set to continue throughout 2012 and beyond. Refurbishment remains a strong option, with a lower risk profile, reduced capital costs and earlier to market opportunity. We expect to see the extent of refurbishment projects... Read More

0 Comments (0 Ratings)

What is on the horizon for the London office development?

13 Feb
16:46

European Retail Investment: Where are the opportunities?

Submitted by

It's going to be another tough year ahead but the market will provide pockets of opportunity for those across Europe. Food store development will continue at a pace, but mainstream retail development looks set for a relatively quiet period. We expect to see continued investment in to retail assets across Europe, where there is the opportunity to generate greater value and income. Therefore we predict greater demand for active asset management, skills and capabilities. We see... Read More

0 Comments (0 Ratings)

European Retail Investment: Where are the opportunities?

13 Feb
16:35

What is on the horizon for international retailers?

Submitted by

Given the tough consumer spending scenarios ahead - at least in the Eurozone countries - it’s going to be a tough year ahead for retailers, but if you look closely the trends are there: 1. Make more of the stores you’ve got. Consumer research suggests that cash-strapped customers are more likely to treat themselves if the store environment is easier to shop and invites them to feel special. Tired stores leak sales, and discretionary sales in particular. Many of the major... Read More

0 Comments (0 Ratings)

What is on the horizon for international retailers?

22 Feb
12:50

Selling Surplus Attractively

Submitted by

Based on recent announcements released by the Chinese Government, 970 million sqm of residential units were sold in 2011, while 1.4 billion sqm of residential projects are currently under construction in China. This shows a significant surplus of residential units in the coming year. Due to these surplus, developers face increasing pressure to attract buyers. Developers are also feeling the heat as the China Banking Regulatory Committee has mandated five years for the collection... Read More

0 Comments (0 Ratings)

22 Feb
09:38

London Office Development Pipeline: the challenge ahead

Submitted by

The London office development pipeline is significant and growing with a total construction value in excess of £12 billion that could be spent over the next 4-5 years. There are currently 150 projects with the potential to deliver over 53 million sq ft of floor space by 2016, but, not all will be delivered. Tenants are becoming rarer and much more cautious about committing to new space. So what space will tenants be choosing? We have reviewed what developers will need to do to... Read More

0 Comments (1 Rating)

London Office Development Pipeline: the challenge ahead

24 Feb
10:19

Not So Cool!

Submitted by

As we are organising one of the Educational Site Tour at the CoreNet Global Summit next month in Singapore, I visited uTown to better understand their philosophy and map out what our session. Being part of the Green Mark district programme, the university is now Green Mark Gold certified. What a disappointment it was when i heard they were missing 2 points to be Platinum! The reason why they are... Read More

0 Comments (2 Ratings)

28 Feb
08:04

Talent Fight Club

Submitted by

I participated in a RICS Roundtable on Corporate Real Estate and attended a CoreNet Chapter Economics Briefing over the course of the last few weeks. Both events were held in Singapore and focused mainly on the Asia market. The key message was that Asia is the place to be for the foreseeable future to take advantage of economic growth - no surprises there but interestingly one of the key themes which did come out of both sessions was that ‘Access to Talent’ is... Read More

0 Comments (1 Rating)

2 Mar
09:01

All about behaviour!

Submitted by

I’ve received an email from the Climateers this morning and they were asking people to go beyond the hour of the Earth Hour and set our own energy saving targets to reflect on and change our energy consumption habits. It really got me thinking and especially as a communication professional, you can never neglect the power of your employees! Involve your employees in saving energy. Don’t forget security guards and cleaners--often the lowest-paid support staff can make a... Read More

0 Comments (1 Rating)

6 Mar
16:50

Scarves, coats, even blankets at MIPIM

Submitted by

Everyone is keeping wrapped up warm on the first day at MIPIM, it has been scarves, coats, even blankets and definitely not swim wear! This has been mirrored by the slow start on the stands earlier today but there is quiet optimism that things are starting to pick up and the usual MIPIM buzz will begin! Despite the slow start, I have had a few meetings with Funders/investors. The general expectation is that they’re going to have to work a lot harder in their... Read More

0 Comments (2 Ratings)

8 Mar
09:32

The Skies turned blue

Submitted by

Yesterday the skies turned blue and one sensed the overall spirit of optimism in the German market about our merger with Arcadis. The morning seemed to be dominated by the legal firms and their brunches along the strand, which is always a great place to bump into clients Whereas the afternoon was spent catching up with contacts and new colleagues at the Bunker at the Dusseldorf, Frankfurt and Munich stands where the Weisswurst and Weizen are simply too good to resist. Our... Read More

0 Comments (1 Rating)

8 Mar
10:00

MIPIM: don't mention distressed assets!

Submitted by

You can tell that attendees' intentions are a lot more serious this year, just by number of people up and about at 8:30am this morning. I think MIPIM should be renamed to the "international real estate finance expo"! Everyone is looking for finance or at least assets with a bank flavour...just don't call them distressed! Read More

0 Comments (1 Rating)

22 Mar
00:56

Cut of foreign workers, impact on construction!

Submitted by

I had a TV interview for Channel News Asia yesterday to talk about the cut of Foreign workers in the construction industry in Singapore and thought I'd share few highlights with you... Will there be an impact? There will be an impact as the construction industry accounts for 38% of all work permit holders (excluding domestic workers). Whilst acknowledging that transition arrangements are in place over next 2 years , we need to consider both the short... Read More

0 Comments (3 Ratings)

Cut of foreign workers, impact on construction!

22 Mar
01:16

Views on 2012 February Property price in China

Submitted by

Here are some of my thoughts on last month Property Price report in China. On property prices As China’s Premier Wen Jiabao recently reiterated, the central government is determined to continue its efforts to curb real estate speculation. These policies are expected to be maintained for the foreseeable future. As a result, I believe that China’s property prices will likely continue their downward trend, likely going into the... Read More

0 Comments (0 Ratings)

Views on 2012 February Property price in China

27 Mar
08:41

Creating an adaptive organisation

Submitted by

The key driver for corporate property executives is to reduce operating costs, improve margin and to free up capital to allow for investment in new and more profitable markets. The boardroom agenda will become more agile and responsive, improving speed to market and allowing their business to execute plans efficiently and effectively, to grow and sustain revenues. Weighed down by an excess of property assets, the successful corporate will be those that manage their assets strategically,... Read More

0 Comments (1 Rating)

30 Mar
04:06

Leading by example

Submitted by

As I walked pass the contractor’s site office this morning, lights were turned on, computers flashing graphics and the air-conditioning working hard (maybe since yesterday?!). And there’s hardly anyone in yet! Here’s a reality check - It is Earth Hour tomorrow and this is a gentle reminder we all need to watch out our energy consumption. This month also marks one year since the tsunami and nuclear crisis in Japan. As we take a solemn moment... Read More

0 Comments (0 Ratings)

12 Apr
19:25

The future is now!

Submitted by

Just got back to Shanghai after a really thought provoking Corenet Global Summit in Singapore... This years theme was Reimagine: Reorient, Reignite Reinvent and it really brought a lot of dynamic ideas to the sessions and forums. Summit kicked off with Jonathan Pain with his Pain Report giving a passionate take on submerging and emerging countries. It was great to hear someone with strong and positive views about China and how the emerging middle... Read More

0 Comments (1 Rating)

12 Apr
19:04

Concessions ease Foreign Worker Restrictions in Singapore

Submitted by

A restriction on the employment of new foreign workers, introduced in the 2012 Singapore Budget, was a challenge on the Construction industry that I highlighted in my latest blog. The potential impact of this restriction has however been reduced over the last few days with an announcement by the Singapore Government that the maximum period of employment for existing unskilled work permit holders will be increased from six years to ten years. Allowing the retention of skilled operatives in the... Read More

0 Comments (0 Ratings)

Concessions ease Foreign Worker Restrictions in Singapore

17 Apr
08:10

People, Performance, Place

Submitted by

I have attended a session on flexible workplace during the Singapore Corenet Summit last month discussing why 80% of respondents worldwide now offer flexible working including: improved productivity, reduced overhead, and an improved work-life balance for staff. It was very interesting to share how we can apply strategies to increase employee productivity and satisfaction and how to connect benefits of a wider talent pool to fast scalability of the business. Both public and private sector... Read More

0 Comments (2 Ratings)

18 Apr
14:01

RealGreen Symposium - 'Its All about the Money'

Submitted by

I arrived yesterday at the Marriott Warsaw at the Central Eastern European RealGreen Symposium to see our recycled cardboard stand coming out of its boxes. Surprisingly by the morning the exhibition was fully dressed and our stand looked fantastic! Lots of positive comments!! The symposium offered an impressive selection of presenters from clients and consultants followed by a very positive discussion. There is a clear interest in green building in CEE but the key... Read More

0 Comments (0 Ratings)

RealGreen Symposium - 'Its All about the Money'

20 Apr
08:34

And prices continue to drop!

Submitted by

I was invited to be interviewed by Bernie Lo on CNBC Asia yesterday morning to talk about the property prices' drop in China. Below are few points I thought I could share with you regarding this, this is good follow up on last month blog written by our China Location Leader. Why are property prices across China dropping? Prices are decreasing due to a suite of measures that... Read More

0 Comments (1 Rating)

24 Apr
09:43

Just around the corner or a distant dream?

Submitted by

I have attended a number of conferences recently including RICS “Fit for the Future” Conference in Beijing. Opinions from these conferences together with feedback from our own clients regarding the current status of Property and Facility Management in China prompted me to write this blog. In regions with rapidly developing built assets and an apparent rush to beat competitors, it’s little wonder there is a focus on development management, and... Read More

0 Comments (1 Rating)

Just around the corner or a distant dream?

Positive Outcomes

Recent posts

Archive

Categories