Keep calm and carry on: London's lessons for surviving real estate cycles

Keep calm and carry on: London's lessons for surviving real estate cycles

From Intelligence Talks by Knight Frank

March 27, 2026 · 23 min

About this episode

The episode discusses London's evolution through various challenges and its implications for the future of real estate.

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 They explore how 2020 accelerated the shift towards higher‑quality space, why the “return to office” debate is now outdated, and how AI, supply constraints and long‑term capital are shaping the next cycle.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 Matthews' newsletter⁠⁠ for his weekly take on commercial real estate markets. Produced by ⁠⁠Rethink Audio⁠⁠ . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Guest: Shabab Qadar

Topics covered

  • real estate
  • London
  • economic cycles
  • office space
  • AI
  • investing

Keywords

  • deregulation
  • financial crises
  • political change
  • pandemic
  • return to office
  • supply constraints
  • long-term capital

Mentioned in this episode

Places: London

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