Wales’ largest independent commercial property specialist Cooke & Arkwright has been named ‘Most Active Agent’ in south Wales for securing the highest number of deals in 2016.
The Cardiff-based firm has received the title from Estates Gazette after advising on some of 2016’s most high profile deals, including the acquisition of House of Fraser in Cardiff by Rosette Merchant Bank on behalf of Middle Eastern investors – one of the largest deals of the year.
Other flagship deals included Motonovo Finance’s 70,000 sq ft acquisition of office space at Central Square and the 55,000 sq ft letting at Brunel House to the HMRC.
According to the commercial property experts, 2016 has been a strong year for investment deals as a result of increased demand for property investments offering attractive income return for private investors, particularly overseas investors.
The Grade B office market in Cardiff has also been particularly active, and Cooke & Arkwright’s 61-strong team has further stated that 50% of its deals have been in smaller towns outside of Cardiff, Swansea and Newport, demonstrating a further rise in demand from tenants for out of city locations.
In addition to its strong performance in the deal market throughout south Wales, Cooke & Arkwright’s management team has increased the number of assets under management on behalf of investors and its lease advisory team has seen growth in instructions in response to strong demand for office space in Cardiff.
As a result of its growth, Cooke & Arkwright made a number of strategic promotions earlier this year which saw five key staff promoted to director, associate director and associate levels within the firm.
Andrew Gardner, managing director of Cooke & Arkwright, said: “We are delighted to have won the Estates Gazette’s Most Active Agent in south Wales. Our agency teams have worked hard throughout the year to deliver deals for our clients.
“2016 has been a phenomenal year for the city centre lettings market, despite the Brexit vote. To the end of Q3 office space lettings in Cardiff were up 61% on the same time last year. With the increase in demand for Grade A and Grade B space in Cardiff yet limited supply, significant further opportunities exist for investors and developers.
“The revaluation of business rates in April 2017 will be a key focus for us and we will be working with clients to identify their requirements and simplify the process of appealing rates bills to ensure they save money where possible.
“In 2017, we hope to see progress being made with the Newport M4 relief road and electrification of train line to Cardiff to ensure the delivery of the infrastructure improvements that are so vital to occupier and investment demand in south Wales.”