JLL survey shows corporates and investors think that voters will shun Brexit
- Survey reveals investors are less fearful of impact of Brexit on their long term property strategies than corporate occupiers
- London office market viewed as property sector that would be most impacted by a vote to leave
London, 14th June 2016 - In a recent JLL survey of top international corporate occupiers and UK-based investors into their business attitudes to the EU referendum, 80% held the view that UK will vote to remain in the EU.
The survey also revealed attitudes of corporates and investors to future property market decisions in the event of a Brexit. 60% of the investors surveyed felt that there would be no changes to their property strategy in the short or long term as a result of a leave vote. Only 30% expect reduced allocations in UK property.
Of the corporate occupiers surveyed, almost half foresaw they would need to review their UK business space in both the short or long term. A third believed it will reduce leasing activity in the short term and lead to reduced headcount in the longer term. Only around 1 in 5 think it will have no impact on strategy in the short term, a figure that falls to 13% in the longer term.
The London office market was seen as being by far the most likely to be affected due to the significance of the financial services market which would be most immediately vulnerable to Brexit. The most obvious issue is the potential withdrawal of ‘passporting’ rights allowing them to offer services throughout the EU from London.
JLL predicts that if the UK does leave the EU, there is likely to be a slowdown in investment and leasing in the short term. However, London’s key attributes as a business location: talent base, language, the time zone advantages and the networks of businesses and institutions, would mean that it would remain a magnet for both occupiers and investors.
JLL UK CEO Chris Ireland commented: “While the medium and long term economic and property market implications of a Brexit can be exaggerated, there would be greater uncertainty in the property market, with a reduction in leasing and investment volumes in the short term. Staying in the EU will give us far more stability.”
“Investors are more optimistic than occupiers about the outlook if a Brexit were to occur probably because they are aware of the wider attractions that the UK property market has to global capital. There would however be a period of significant uncertainty.”
Further information:
Clive Booth, Head of Communications, JLL UK
07525 911933
About JLL
JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a professional services and investment management firm offering specialized real estate services to clients seeking increased value by owning, occupying and investing in real estate. A Fortune 500 company with annual fee revenue of $4.7 billion and gross revenue of $5.4 billion, JLL has more than 230 corporate offices, operates in 80 countries and has a global workforce of approximately 58,000. On behalf of its clients, the firm provides management and real estate outsourcing services for a property portfolio of 3.4 billion square feet, or 316 million square meters, and completed $118 billion in sales, acquisitions and finance transactions in 2014. Its investment management business, LaSalle Investment Management, has $57.2 billion of real estate assets under management. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit www.jll.com.