Could central London commercial real estate transactions hit £20bn in 2017?

The international real estate adviser felt that commercial property transactions in central London for 2017 could even surpass the previous record level of £21.6bn set in 2014.

During the first three quarters of 2017, commercial property transactions reached £14.22bn, with buyers originating from more than 27 different countries.

With the average final quarter turnover in the last five years standing at £6.6bn, Savills said it put 2017 volumes on track to easily exceed the £20bn threshold.

If Q4 follows previous patterns, 2017 volumes would be significantly ahead of the long-term annual average of £14.4bn and up on the £15.9bn recorded last year.

“2017 could be a record-breaking year for London investment, and at the very least, volumes look set to break the symbolic £20bn barrier,” said Stephen Down, executive director and head of central London investment at Savills.

“UK real estate – particularly prime assets with strong income streams in the capital – continues to appeal to a broad spectrum of international investors, while outside this sphere of interest there is also demand from a broad professional investor base, so long as properties are priced correctly.”