Has the investment case for commercial real estate changed?Commercial real estate faces no shortage of challenges, from higher borrowing costs to a weaker economic backdrop.

In this episode, Will Matthews is joined by Shabab Qadar and Katie O'Neill to discuss the evolving investment case for real estate, including the importance of rental growth, supply-constrained markets, operational excellence and the structural trends influencing capital allocation across the sector.

For more insights like this, subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠Will's newsletter⁠⁠⁠ for his weekly take on commercial real estate markets.

Produced by ⁠⁠⁠Rethink Audio⁠⁠⁠.

Everything about AI feels extreme, from the billions being invested to the predictions about how profoundly it will change our lives. But if AI is reshaping how work gets done, what does that mean for the buildings where work happens? In this episode, Will Matthews is joined by Dr Lee Elliott, Global Head of Occupier Research, and Chris Dunn, London Office Insight Associate. Together they unpack the crucial difference between AI adoption and integration, explore the squeeze on entry-level roles and the impact on the next generation of leaders, and ask what parallels can be drawn with COVID-era predictions about the office. Listen now to hear what the AI story means for occupiers, landlords and the workplaces of the future.

For more insights like this, subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠Will's newsletter⁠⁠⁠ for his weekly take on commercial real estate markets.

Produced by ⁠⁠⁠Rethink Audio⁠⁠⁠.

With Andy Burnham now Prime Minister, "Manchesterism" has moved from regional talking point to potential national strategy. So what is "Manchesterism", and what does it mean for UK real estate? Will Matthews, Knight Frank's Head of Commercial Insight, is joined by Insight partners Jennifer Townsend and Darren Mansfield to unpack the discussion.

The conversation explores why devolution does not have to be a zero-sum game between regions, returning momentum in regional office markets, and the role rising defence spending will play in the UK's growth story.

Tune in for a practical take on the future shape of UK growth under a new PM.

For more insights like this, subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠Will's newsletter⁠⁠⁠ for his weekly take on commercial real estate markets.

Produced by ⁠⁠⁠Rethink Audio⁠⁠⁠.

Real estate capital is increasingly targeting energy infrastructure, but why now, and what does it mean for traditional investors?

In this episode, Will Matthews is joined by Nik Potter, Associate in Knight Frank's Capital Markets Insight team, and Flora Harley, Head of Energy and Sustainability Insight, to explore the rationale, the volumes and the returns shaping investment into energy infrastructure. They unpack the three megatrends pulling capital into the sector, and discuss why the fundamentals will feel familiar to traditional real estate investors.

The conversation also looks at the UK's infrastructure investment backlog, the policy backdrop, and how pension reform could unlock significant new capital. Listen for a grounded view on where energy infrastructure fits within the real assets universe.

For more insights like this, subscribe to ⁠⁠Will's newsletter⁠⁠ for his weekly take on commercial real estate markets.

Produced by ⁠⁠Rethink Audio⁠⁠.

The same dataset can look dramatically different depending on how it is visualised. Most charts are produced with good intent, but not all of them tell the full story, and some are designed not to. Knowing how to spot the difference could change how you read every market report you pick up.

In this episode of Commercially Minded, Will Matthews, Knight Frank's Head of Commercial Insight, is joined by Seb Jones, Senior Analyst in Knight Frank's Modelling and Intelligence team, to examine how data visualisation shapes the conclusions that property professionals reach.

They explore everything from innocent design failures that accidentally misdirect, to techniques that can steer readers towards conclusions the data does not support. If you want to know how to spot the signs that a chart is misleading you, and what questions to ask before you form a view, this is the episode to listen to.

For more insights like this, subscribe to ⁠⁠Will's newsletter⁠⁠ for his weekly take on commercial real estate markets.

Produced by ⁠⁠Rethink Audio⁠⁠.

The innovation sector is widely seen as one of the UK's biggest economic opportunities, and the signals are hard to ignore: OpenAI is establishing a permanent presence in London, US AI companies are expanding their European footprint in the capital, and innovation clusters are emerging across UK cities well beyond the Golden Triangle. But is the real estate industry reading those signals correctly?

In this episode, Will Matthews is joined by Jennifer Townsend, a partner in Knight Frank's Occupier Insight team, to explore what the real estate industry often gets wrong about measuring innovation demand, and what better metrics look like in practice. From funding as a leading indicator of space requirements, to AI clusters building momentum in cities like Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester, the discussion examines how to understand where demand is heading, not just where it has been.

For more insights like this, subscribe to ⁠⁠Will's newsletter⁠⁠ for his weekly take on commercial real estate markets.

Produced by ⁠⁠Rethink Audio⁠⁠.

What does London’s past reveal about its future? Shabab Qadar, Head of London Offices Insight, joins Will to unpack London’s evolution through deregulation, financial crises, political change and the pandemic.

They explore how 2020 accelerated the shift towards higher‑quality space, why the “return to office” debate is now outdated, and how AI, supply constraints and long‑term capital are shaping the next cycle.

If you want a clear, focused view on London’s future, and the implications for occupiers, investors and planners, this episode has it.

Hosted by Will Matthews, Knight Frank’s Head of Commercial Insight. For more insights like this, subscribe to ⁠Will's newsletter⁠ for his weekly take on commercial real estate markets.

Produced by ⁠Rethink Audio⁠.

To unpack how ESG is evolving into a conversation about risk, resilience and returns, Flora Harley, Head of Knight Frank’s Energy & Sustainability Research joins us on this week's episode.

We explore why ESG is increasingly being reframed as operational performance, how occupiers and investors are prioritising energy efficiency, cost certainty and liquidity, and where sustainability initiatives genuinely protect long‑term value.

From electrification and energy‑use intensity to lending, insurance and the emerging “brown discount”, this episode cuts through the jargon to focus on what really matters.

If you want a clear, practical take on ESG, without the buzzwords, this one’s for you.

Hosted by Will Matthews, Knight Frank’s Head of Commercial Insight. For more insights like this, subscribe to Will's newsletter for his weekly take on commercial real estate markets.

Produced by Rethink Audio.