Publications

- February 1, 2012: Vol. 6, Number 2

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Who Owns the City?: Foreign Investors Now Own a Majority of City of London Office Space

by Michael Marx

This is a testing time for many, not least those in the property industry. The global economy continues to experience widespread turmoil as banks reduce spending and governments tighten their belts, while doubts continue to hang over the future of the euro zone. The City of London’s office stock has experienced its fair share of pain, as capital values plummeted by 50 percent between 2007 and 2009. Nonetheless, the City’s real estate continues to attract international investors, who now account for 52 percent of office space ownership, up from just 8 percent in 1980.

Against the background of continuing economic uncertainty, we commissioned Who Owns the City?2011, the fourth in a series of studies into patterns of office ownership across the City of London that we have been conducting since 1998. Our findings demonstrate the continued rise of the City’s attractiveness for international investment; the study examines the trends that have contributed

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