Corporate foreign exchange news
European commercial property 'stabilising'
Wednesday, 22 July 2009 09:05:17 GMT

The European commercial property market is beginning to stabilise on the back of an improved investor sentiment, but there is still a schism between prime and secondary markets, a mid-year report from Knight Frank has concluded.Joe Simpson, a spokesperson for the global real estate consultancy, explained that premium markets such as London and Paris have seen a tightening of yields in the first half of year.However, he added that secondary markets are still in a precarious situation, with many locations still exposed to the risk of falling occupancy rates.Commenting on the role of the weak pound in bolstering commercial property sales in London, Mr Simpson stated: "It would have undoubtedly helped the case for dollar and euro-denominated investors to invest in the UK in the first half of the year."He went on to state that although it has strengthened in recent months, it is still selling at a discount.In its report, Knight Frank anticipated further falls in prime rents in the European market, particularly in the office sector.

