Commercial Finance Specialists

There was contrasting fortunes for London's commercial property market in 2009, it has been claimed.

International and domestic investors are initiating commercial development plans for London while other ventures are suffering at the hands of the recession.

This is according to real estate company Asteco, which said the London's commercial property sector has experienced a "year of two markets".

Using figures from Savills Research, the company said there has been "huge demand" for office commercial developments in the capital but "relatively few willing or unwilling sellers".

Asteco's report predicts that prime office rents will see a "noticeable recovery" from the middle of this year, a trend that is likely to continue until 2013.

"A recovery in values has now commenced, we therefore expect Middle East and North African (MENA) investors to play a greater role in UK investment in 2010 because of market confidence and a still reasonably strong dollar," explained Richard Angel, Asteco's head of international investment.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors' recent Commercial Property Survey suggested that commercial finance in London may be affected as demand for retail space begins to fall.