Just a couple of advertisements this morning: London agents with their ear to the ground will know that the British Property Federation and Allsop are looking to move offices. But, just in case there is a stray landlord out there unaware of the requirement, here are the details. The BPF wants about 4,000 sq ft, north of the river and within lobbying distance of the Palace of Westminster. Allsop is looking for 15,000 sq ft a bit closer to the lights of Regent Street than their current home in Soho Square.
The reason for not simply telling both to go put an advert in EG, is that both the BPF chief executive Liz Peace and Allsop senior partner Neil MacKilligin came up with exactly the same answer when asked why move now - and not when their leases run out in 2010 and 2011. "Rents will be higher, incentives lower and far more tenants will be seeking space" was essentially the answer.
The BPF can call on some pretty fancy advice from members like Francis Salway, chief executive of Land Securities - who said don't delay. Allsop is Britain's leading auction house and so has its finger on the pulse. They seem even keener to move. London letting agents with their ear to the ground are presumably already mentioning to hesitating clients that well-informed occupiers are moving well before their lease break. A ploy that will no doubt increase the likelihood of the prediction coming true.
