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During a major international tournament, any mention of penalties is enough to bring Diary out in a cold sweat. Not so the good folks at Knight Frank, who have seized on the chance to host a “Property World Cup” of their very own.
And how have they sought to mirror the classic format of the world’s premier sporting event? By ignoring it completely, and instead comparing the value of an area the size of an official penalty spot based on luxury residential prices across 30 top tier cities around the world.
Naturally. Monaco (not a member of FIFA, and so more a force at club-level than international) comes out on top, where the 0.038 square metres of turf is worth $2,490. Similarly, Hong Kong (2nd) and New York (3rd) have no “skin in the game” in Russia, which leaves London as the leading location with a stake in both competitions.
Should that play out in Russia over the next few weeks, Diary will be delighted – and may come to love the penalty spot..
Jace and the juice
Jace Tyrell was not going to let a little thing like a food-free diet stop him from attending EG’s annual LREF dinner last week.
Eight days into a 28-day juice cleanse, the New West End Company chief executive showed true dedication to networking as he sat through a four-course meal with nothing but water and tepid tea to satisfy his appetite.
As the plates of pan-fried scallops, perfectly pink roast lamb and Amalfi lemon sorbet graced the table, Tyrell insisted that he doesn’t miss solid food at all and that his combination of the liquid diet and a daily 5k run have left him feeling “better than ever”.
That was a week in. We would be curious to see how he is faring now he has hit the halfway mark. A call out to the members of his team: any and all tips – anonymous or otherwise – regarding hangry moments will be welcomed with open arms by us here at Diary. More fodder (sorry Jace) for upcoming pages.
‘Expert’ e-fail
Given that GDPR was supposed to put an end to unsolicited marketing enquiries, we should all have been able to look forward to a quieter life. Clearly nobody told one “business sales expert”, who got in touch with JLL’s Chris Sutton this week asking whether he was thinking about “selling Jones Lang & Lasalle (sic)”.
Diary doesn’t doubt Sutton’s influence for a moment: he is after all lead director of JLL in Cardiff and former chair of CBI Wales. But this is one enquiry that may be slightly above his pay grade. “Do you think the New York Stock Exchange would notice?” he tweeted, before presumably pressing delete on the enquiry.
Droning it
Knight Frank says the role of the real estate adviser is changing, and this is hardly any better illustrated than by KF moving into the world of drone advisory.
The agent has started briefing its clients on new regulations through its head of mapping (who knew that was a thing?), Michael McCullough. He warns landowning clients that “whilst drones can be fun and incredibly beneficial for professional users; landowners, the public and other users of our airspace need to be reassured that the rapid expansion in this area is efficiently managed to make drones safer for everyone”.
He underlines this with the scary news that failure to comply could end with five years in the slammer. That may seem like a bit of a downer, but for the KF rural team, it seems, the only way is up.
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Mushy peas with that?
Here’s a prime investment opportunity for you – a much-loved chippy on Bond Street. Bond Street, Nuneaton, that is. Far from small fry, auctioneer Loveitts believes that Wale’s Fish and Chip Shop – famed for its crinkle-cut chips – will be the “catch of the day” when it goes under the hammer next month, with a guide price of between £170,000 and £190,000. But Loveitts director and auctioneer Sally Smith offers the tantalising news that a sale could be secured in advance – so extra-hungry investors should seize the chance to net a batter deal.
