Deep Dive into property: Brexit and Covid-19 headwinds reveal uncomfortable home truths

Assessing the sector's chances over the next year

The property sector's foundations were rocked to core at the start of the pandemic due to several property fund suspensions. With many of them since lifted, will the sector remain safe as houses or will it fall flat? Four experts share their thoughts with IW in this week's Deep Dive.

  Laura Elkin, portfolio manager at AEW UK REIT Covid-19 has created substantial and multiple challenges for the commercial property sector, from mass outflows of investor capital leading to fund suspensions, to volatility in asset values and substantial discounts for listed companies. Investors eye exit door as property funds prepare to reopen For more than a year now, as a result of Brexit-related upheaval prior to the current pandemic, the rate of property transactions has slowed below long-run averages and property funds have been forced to find other ways to create value fo...