Monthly Musings - March
I’m writing this on the plane back to London from Cannes after another brilliant MIPIM event.
Along with our Partnerships Lead, Oscar, I had some great chats (and a few crisp European lagers, although the sunshine was clearly saving itself for the A-listers jetting out for the film festival in May!) with some of the world’s most prominent names in property. As great as it was to be networking on an international level once again, an incredibly poignant moment really put things into perspective, as we found ourselves stood in front of the Ukrainian stand.
The explanation that there would be no representatives from our Ukrainian peers this year had been updated by hand, replacing the word ‘situation’ with ‘war’, reminding us that it’s important that we don’t shy away from the true tragic scale of what is happening as we speak.
Given that one of the main programmes at the event was Driving Urban Change, it is worth noting that before the war, we were making great strides towards sustainability targets. As the move away from Russian oil has now been accelerated, perhaps we can further reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.
Homebuyers are paying more and more attention to how sustainable properties are. It’s no longer just virtue signalling – it could be the difference between entering a marketing suite and walking straight past it. Our first article this month looks at how sustainability has become a major factor when moving home.
Next up, we look at why rural areas are getting more youthful, as young buyers swap bright lights for quiet nights in the country.
We then explore Halifax’s report that the UK’s house prices are increasing at the fastest rate for 15 years, as the market continues to defy economic expectations.
Finally, as an Aussie, I couldn’t help myself. Introducer Today has reported that Neighbours’ Ramsay Street has conquered the UK soaps as the highest performing property market! While it must have been a very slow day at the office for Boomin, whose research was used to draw this conclusion, you can bet that shrewd investors will be bingeing on Netflix to find the next popular (and profitable) TV town!
All that’s left to say is: enjoy the extra hour of daylight!
Best wishes,
David Graydon
