Global Drama, Local Consequences: What The Events of 2026 Mean for Your Mortgage

A fast‑moving start to 2026 sets the tone for this episode as Tom Bill and Pepperstone’s Michael Brown break down a month of relentless global drama and its impact on borrowing costs - from Trump’s tariff brinkmanship and geopolitical flare‑ups to fiscal fears over Japan. We dig into why UK swap rates have risen, how much faith to put in recent UK economic data, why haven demand is rising, and how political jitters in Westminster are still rattling gilt markets. All of it feeds directly into mortgage pricing, the timing of Bank of England rate cuts, and what buyers and sellers should expect in the months ahead. ⁠Subscribe⁠⁠ to Tom Bill's UK Residential Outlook, for all the latest properties, exclusive market analysis, news and data. Produced by ⁠⁠⁠Rethink Audio⁠⁠⁠. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Retail is back on top, ending 2025 as the top performing real estate asset class. How can the sector's resurgence bring insights - and valuable lessons - to apply to other commercial real estate sectors? We dive into Stephen Springham's insight series 'Retail Renaissance' to find out.Host Will Matthews, Knight Frank’s Head of Commercial Insight, is joined by Stephen Springham, Head of UK Markets Insight, who brings over 30 years of industry experience.In this episode you'll discover why 'relevance' trumps 'prime', and the importance of addressing underinvestment and complacency. Plus: how to navigate the complexities of repurposing retail spaces, and why strong occupier relationships are vital for a sustainable market. For more insights like this subscribe to Will Matthews' newsletter for his weekly take on commercial real estate markets. And you can read Stephen Springham’s Retail Renaissance papers, exploring what other real estate sectors can learn from Retail’s fall and unlikely rise again.Produced by Rethink Audio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we take a deep dive into Los Angeles’ luxury housing market—one of the world’s largest super‑prime residential hubs, currently ranking third globally for $10‑million‑plus sales. Despite a range of challenges in recent years, the market continues to show remarkable resilience and remains a key destination for global private wealth.Liam is joined by Nick Segal to unpack the dynamics of a market that has recorded 250 sales above $10 million in the past 12 months, totalling $4.6 billion. Nick explains how the city is navigating significant headwinds—from the ULA tax reform, which imposes an excise tax of up to 5.5% on high‑value transactions, to complex insurance challenges and the emotional toll following last year’s devastating fires. While these factors have prompted some wealth migration to states such as Texas and Florida, the conversation explores why a degree of “stickiness” remains, and why some buyers are already returning to California.The discussion explores the structural shifts in buyer behaviour, noting a move away from “aspirational” pricing towards a necessary realism among sellers. Nick highlights how tech wealth and other alternative sectors are backfilling changes in the traditional entertainment industry. In addition, a new trend in wellness‑driven development is reshaping the luxury landscape, with an increasing emphasis on lifestyle quality.Looking ahead to 2026, Liam and Nick discuss the potential for a “righting of the ship,” driven by anticipated interest rate reductions and growing political momentum to recalibrate tax initiatives. They identify key sub‑markets to watch, including the Palisades—which is poised for a major recalibration—and Beverly Hills, which remains a stronghold for developers due to its exemption from the ULA tax.For more insight into global wealth, luxury markets and the assets that sit alongside property subscribe to Liam’s twice-weekly research briefing here: https://preferences.knightfrank.com/subscribe-to-research?utm_campaign=2703391_Data%20Protection%20-%20Not%20asked%20consent%20%28Headshot%29&utm_medium=Email%20Marketing&utm_source=Dotmailer&dm_t=0,0,0,0,0Host: Liam Bailey, Global Head of Research at Knight Frank & Editor of The Wealth Report, [email protected]: Nick Segal, Managing Broker at the leading Los Angeles brokerage, Carolwood, which has recently launched a new strategic alliance with Knight Frank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rob Perrins, Executive Chairman of Berkeley Group, joins Tom Bill to explore the realities behind the government’s housing ambitions, the impact of the Autumn Budget, and what it will really take to deliver 1.5 million homes. With over 30 years at Berkeley, Rob offers a unique perspective on the UK’s planning system and the challenges of delivering homes at scale, particularly in London. He discusses why housing delivery has stalled, how the regulatory burden and taxation are undermining viability, and why restoring confidence and the “feelgood factor” is critical for the market. Rob also reflects on his career at Berkeley, the legacy of founder Tony Pidgley, and how the company’s culture of regeneration, placemaking and long-term investment continues to shape its approach today.⁠Subscribe⁠ to Tom Bill's UK Residential Outlook, for all the latest properties, exclusive market analysis, news and data.Produced by Ollie Peart at ⁠⁠Rethink Audio⁠⁠. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our latest Intelligence Talks episode, Liam Bailey, Global Head of Research at Knight Frank, is joined by Tom Burchfield, Head of Market Intelligence at Liv-ex, the world’s leading fine wine exchange. They unpack a challenging three-year period for the Liv-ex 100, why Tuscany has shown resilience, and what the recent rebound could mean for the end of the downturn. Liam and Tom explore how changing investor behaviour, shifting global demand, and evolving preferences for top vintages are reshaping the market. From Europe to Asia and the US, they reveal the forces stabilising prices and the trends shaping luxury alternative assets for the year ahead.For more insight into global wealth, luxury markets and the assets that sit alongside property subscribe to Liam’s twice-weekly research briefing here:https://preferences.knightfrank.com/subscribe-to-research?utm_campaign=2703391_Data%20Protection%20-%20Not%20asked%20consent%20%28Headshot%29&utm_medium=Email%20Marketing&utm_source=Dotmailer&dm_t=0,0,0,0,0 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2025 has been the year of not taking anything for granted in student housing. There’s noise in the headlines, nuance in the data, and if you know where to look opportunity in the fundamentals. Katie O’Neill speaks to Knight Frank's Head of Student Housing Capital Markets, Merelina Sykes, and Head of Student Housing Valuations, Neil Armstrong. She asks; how are investors navigating the current investment landscape? What’s really happening with rental growth, and how is it shaping occupancy? And importantly, what does the student think?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former Treasury and No.10 insider James Nation joins Tom Bill to unpack a Budget that has soothed markets but failed to boost Labour’s poll numbers. James talks about how easy it will be to introduce a mansion tax, the politics around an investor visa, and why the next big guessing game might not be related to taxes rises but the identity of the new Chancellor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this second of three post-Budget specials, Tom Bill is joined by Michael Brown from Pepperstone to unpack a chaotic week for Westminster, the markets and the wider economy. From the unprecedented OBR leak and the Treasury’s credibility problem to front-loaded spending, back-loaded tax rises and why gilt markets may be calm for now, Michael explains what really mattered in the Budget, what the Bank of England is likely to do next, and why political risk may be the biggest story of 2026.Read more from Head of UK Residential Research Tom Bill here.Subscribe to Knight Frank's research here.Produced by Ollie Peart at Rethink Audio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Budget Special, Tom Bill is joined by Nimesh Shah, CEO of tax advisory firm Blick Rothenberg, to break down why he sees this as a “once-in-a-generation” Budget, what the new mansion tax signals for future wealth taxation and how the extra 2% on rental income and frozen thresholds squeeze landlords and middle earners. They also discuss whether markets will accept a fiscal plan that spends upfront and pushes major tax increases into the later years of the Parliament - plus the emoji that Nimesh chooses to sum it all up.Read more from Head of UK Residential Research Tom Bill here.Subscribe to Knight Frank's research here.Produced by Ollie Peart at Rethink Audio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What market is poised to outpace even the mighty New York? This week the global Head of Research at Knight Frank, Liam Bailey, is joined by President & CEO of Miller Samuel, Jonathan Miller. Jonathan is a legendary New York housing market expert whose insights shape understanding of luxury real estate trends nationwide.Using fresh data from the Knight Frank Global Super-Prime Intelligence Report, Liam and Jonathan explore how billionaires and centi-millionaires are reshaping global housing markets, and what the latest quarter’s slowdown really means.Across 12 leading global hubs, 474 residential sales above $10 million took place in Q3 2025, totalling $8.5 billion. But with volumes down 21% and values down 29% on Q2, the big question is: what’s driving the shift?Jonathan describes a market in rude health: despite a slowdown in Q3 sales, Wall Street continues to fuel the luxury sector, and Q4 is shaping up to be a bumper season in the city.Meanwhile, in Miami and Palm Beach, demand remains strong but low inventory is holding back transactions. Liam draws parallels with London, where, spoiler alert, wealth taxes are not helping super-prime volumes, and with Dubai, where, as in Miami, limited stock is constraining sales.Looking ahead to 2026, New York appears set for a strong run. But one market in particular is poised to outpace even the Big Apple… tune in to find out which.For more global wealth and property insight: Subscribe to Liam’s twice-weekly Global Property Briefing here: https://preferences.knightfrank.com/subscribe-to-global-property-briefing Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.