Conditions ripe for Japanese commercial investment boom in Central London

London is likely to see an influx of Japanese investment into Central London offices in 2019, as Yen buyers find office investments a third cheaper compared to three years ago, according to the latest data. Analysis of the Central London offices market reveals the significant currency discounts for global investors over time. Compared to the previous market peak in 2015, Japan has the biggest discount on the West End offices market, with Japanese investors paying 31.2% less in Q4 2018. In 2018 Japanese investors spent £222 million on Central London assets. Major deals in 2018 included the £154m acquisition of First Avenue House on High Holborn, by a Japanese private client of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank (SMTB) and Knight Frank. The deal was the sixth largest private purchase in London last year. Central London remains a compelling destination for long-term investment, with the value of the pound providing a strong incentive for international investors in 2019. Japan is in a leading position relative to other nations, and expect to see Japanese interest in the London market translate into higher investment activity in 2019. Japanese investors are now expanding their Central London appetite into a wider range of sectors in 2019, including Hotel, Logistics and Residential as they look to diversify out of Japan. Investors can expect discounts of up to a third on 2015 values for West End offices, which combined with Japan's ongoing programme to diversify its public purse, means London is very well placed for significant investment in 2019.

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"John Woodhouse has played an important role in our growth by brokering all our property acquisitions and meeting our accomodation needs. John quickly grasped the nature of our business and understood our requirements for flexibility, which we achieved in our lease terms. He has also been able to obtain very advantageous Options Contracts for us to allow us to respond to market conditions in years to come. I would recommend the use of Bond Woodhouse to anyone requiring an innovative and pro-active approach to the acquisition of commercial property."

“Having worked with a number of property agents in the past, Mark’s approach was an interesting and refreshing change to the services offered by the large corporate firms that I had used in the past. I have engaged Mark on a couple of occasions now and his methodical, analytical and strategic approach has realised significant benefits for Acre Resources. He is candid, direct and balanced in his style such that the commercial direction he advises upon can to be totally trusted."

Bond Woodhouse helped us to relocate out of our managed office provider into our first conventional lease space, and managed the whole process from searching to securing the right space. Mark was always on hand to ensure that the problems that arose throughout the legal process were dealt with efficiently – even when he was on holiday he was making the necessary calls to ensure our project stayed on track. I have no hesitation in recommending Mark as a dedicated property agent for companies who need to acquire new office premises.

"John and team have provided a thorough and efficient service and have displayed a combination of professional competence and pragmatism. I would not hesitate to recommend them to any business requiring assistance in property matters."

"Bond Woodhouse took the time to understand us as a business. They were able to understand, better than we could ourselves, what might be possible in terms of office space. I would recommend anybody considering acquiring an office to consider using Bond Woodhouse. They have literally saved us hundreds of thousands of pounds."

"Not only did you understand the needs of our business but you also hammered out an impressive rental agreement and rent free period. I genuinely felt like you made time for me and the information you supplied was clear and understandable - perfect for a client like me!"

"Thank you for an excellent service - your experience, advice and hard work has been invaluable in this process. As you know, this is the first time we have been through an experience like this and we did not really know what to expect. Now we really understand the value of the role that you played in the whole process and we would have no hesitation in recommending your services to anyone in a similar position."

"Thank you for your support and effort which has resulted in our company saving substantial amounts of money. We are delighted with your services and we would not hesitate to recommend you to other companies"

"I would like to say that we have been very impressed with the professional way your team has handled the matter and in particular I feel that special credit should go to Andy Guntrip. Andy has been monitoring progress throughout and when issues have arisen his easy going but focused approach has achieved results."

Conditions ripe for Japanese commercial investment boom in Central London

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