Hot property: Has the government reignited real estate investing?

PROPERTY

As the UK property market hots up again, have policymakers succeded in reigniting animal spirits? Bill McQuaker, head of multi-asset at Henderson, shares his thoughts.

For the majority of UK investors, the world has finally taken a turn for the better. Yes, the FTSE 100 has delivered a total return of more than 60% over the last four years, but for many people that hardly matters. The current generation of investors cares much more about the behaviour of the property market than about what goes on in equities and, after five years in the doldrums, residential property is suddenly showing signs of life. The chart below (on page 2) shows the regional breakdown from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors' (RICS) July house price balance report al...