JLL ranked top real estate investment broker in the UK again

JLL has been ranked the number one real estate investment advisory firm in the UK in 2018, for the second consecutive year, according to recently released independent data from CoStar which identified the adviser’s market share as 21%.

JLL cited overall UK investment volumes of £64bn in 2018 which offered a second consecutive year of unexpected upside, and comfortably exceeded its forecast of £55bn. Investment activity was just 1% down on an exceptionally strong 2017, and 33% ahead of the 10-year average.

JLL achieved a number of landmark transactions throughout the year in a variety of sectors from industrial to retail and alternatives.

Offices continued to be the most sought-after asset class in 2018, and accounted for 45% (£28.8bn) of transactions, with JLL undertaking 23% of these deals. Alternatives also continued to appeal to investors and 2018 saw over £19bn worth of alternative assets transacted in the UK, representing a 17% increase on 2017. Within this sector nearly £8bn of hotels were traded and JLL emerged as a market leader with a 26% share of the sector.

Notable transactions undertaken by JLL’s UK capital markets team in 2018 included:

• The acquisition of Plumtree Court, EC4, the Goldman Sachs’ European headquarters, on behalf of Korea’s National Pension Service
• The sale of AXA Investment Managers’ Ropemaker Place, EC2, to Ho Bee Land for £650m
• The purchase of the SACO hotels portfolio on behalf of Brookfield for £430m
• The sale of a portfolio of South East trophy assets - Thames Tower in Reading, The Charter Building in Uxbridge and The Porter Building in Slough to Spelthorne Borough Council for £285m
• The disposal of Quadrant Estates and KKR’s Gallag

Alistair Meadows, head of UK capital markets at JLL, said: “JLL’s continued success is defined by our access to capital, real estate and occupational insights and expertise in finance, all of which provide our clients with the confidence to work with us to help them achieve their investment ambitions. The surprisingly strong transactional activity throughout 2018 highlights the enduring appeal of the UK market, with a diverse and global pool of investors continuing to support robust levels of investment. As we predicted, South Korean buyers returned to the market in 2018 and look set to remain major players. Living space continues to grow, and while scale remains a challenge, these sectors are rapidly moving up investors’ wish lists.”