UK
investment volumes remained subdued in July with £2bn transacted during the month,
according to Savills.
The firm added in its
latest Market in
Minutes report that total investment for the year to date was
£20.2bn, compared with £25.8bn in 2019. The all-sector prime commercial yield
climbed from 5.21% to 5.23%.
However, demand for
industrial assets has seen yields in this sector harden, with yields on
industrial distribution assets and industrial multi-let both down 25 basis
points in June at 4.25% and 4%, respectively.
Savills also reported
that it was seeing signs that West End office yields may also come in from
their current position of 3.75%, which could fuel investors who are seeking
value to look further afield to the UK’s regional cities where yields remain at
around 5%.
Richard Merryweather,
joint head of UK investment at Savills, said: “We anticipate that pricing will
remain competitive on core assets once they come to the market, with a strong
buyer pool waiting in the wings, which should significantly boost Q3 activity
compared to Q2.”