Commercial Property Seminar Provides Advice To Local Investors And Landlords

07/05/2009

A commercial property seminar entitled ‘Managing in a Volatile Property Market’ held in St Albans and organised by Lloyds TSB, Aitchison Raffety and Pictons was packed full of advice for landlords as well as property investors and occupiers. Some 50 guests attended.

Nick Hogg, Associate Director, Financial Markets for Lloyds TSB Bank Plc, began by saying the bank was very much open for business and looking to lend. He predicted that interest rates would not rise above 1.25 per cent by the end of this year and would remain low in the short to medium term.

Roger Talbot, Chairman of Pictons Solicitors LLP focused on strategies that landlords could use to maximise returns together with remedies for tenant default. Keeping a building occupied and thus avoiding having to pay rates on an empty building was key.

Predicting the bottom of the commercial property market was not easy according to Mark Bunting, Group Director of property consultants, Aitchison Raffety. However with historically low interest rates he recommended that now was a good time to invest or for owner occupiers to purchase new premises particularly for office and industrial properties. The retail market could remain weak for a few more quarters.

For further information contact Mark Bunting, Aitchison Raffety on 01727 843232, Gerard Sampson at Pictons on 01727 878504 and Carlo Gajewski at Lloyds TSB on 01442 235638.

Picture shows from left: Roger Talbot of Pictons, Carlo Gajewski and Nick Hogg of Lloyds TSB and Mark Bunting of Aitchison Raffety