Residential Land are once again Platinum Sponsors of the RESI Conference held at the Celtic Manor in Wales.

RESI 2012 will take place from 13-14 September 2012. Each year the conference has gone from strength with over 1000 delegates attending RESI 2011.

The conference is the premier residential property event and each year the Residential Land team enjoy meeting business colleagues and other delegates when we host our annual Platinum Sponsors drinks.

We look forward to seeing you at RESI 2012!

Residential Land is proud to be the Headline sponsor of the RESI Awards 2012, taking place in London on 15^th May 2012 at the InterContinental in Mayfair.

The launch of the first RESI Awards will see industry nominees rewarded for success in a variety of categories and criteria, these include:

Entry categories

• International Sales Agency of the Year
• UK Sales Agency of the year
• Letting Agency of the Year
• Residential Consultancy Practice of the Year
• Property Manager of the year

Nominated categories

• Asset Manager of the Year Award
• Investment Deal of the Year
• Large Developer of the Year (more than 1,000 units)
• Small Developer of the Year (less than 1,000 units)
• Development of the Year
• Residential Financier of the Year
• Newcomer of the Year
• Landlord of the Year
• Innovation of the Year
• Residential Personality of the Year Award

For more information about each of the categories, visit the official RESI Awards site: www.resievent.com/Content/Categories

The awards are a fantastic opportunity to recognise and reward the leading industry players involved in residential property.

Whilst we are the Headline sponsor of RESI Awards 2012, we are still keen to win an award ourselves – to do this fairly we need you to nominate us as ‘Landlord of the Year’. This award is aimed at organisations such as Residential Land who have increased their portfolio size, value and occupancy as well as developing effective and pioneering property management strategies benefiting the tenants.

If you work with us then hopefully you agree that Residential Land deserve to be nominated as Landlord of the Year – As a responsible landlord we are continuously seeking ways to improve our tenants rental experience – click to this link to read the Residential Land Tenants Charter

If you would like to nominate Residential Land as ‘Landlord of the Year’, please visit:
http://www.resievent.com/page.cfm/Action=Form/FormID=32/t=m

Their key findings are:

• In the face of economic uncertainty, prime rental growth has slowed.
• However, stock levels have been contained as renewal rates have remained high and tenants have sought increased tenancy lengths.
• Over the medium term, tenant demand and rent levels will remain driven by limited mortgage availability and increased demand from those delaying house purchasing.
• In the short term this will be tempered by the outlook for the financial and business sector, which is a key component of rental demand.

The report states that whilst growth has recently eased in the prime rental market of London, rental growth is expected to outperform the UK over the next five years.

Residential Land has all of its residential investment portfolio in prime central London and continues to experience high levels of occupancy and growing rent levels.  The company continues to look for new investment opportunities.

If you have any residential property opportunities within Prime Central London please contact one the Residential Land’s acquisition team or email enquiries@residentialland.com

To download a copy of the Savills report, visit:
http://www.savills.co.uk/research/residential-research.aspx

When asked “Is property still a good investment?” his response was “Yes , especially in London. I don’t think you can go wrong buying a flat in London and putting in a tenant . I will look to invest again, perhaps in the prime market , where the value is most likely to rise , though probably at the lower end of prime, where yields are higher “.

Residential Land are prime central London experts and we are actively seeking to increase our portfolio. If you have any opportunities for us, contact one of our acquisition experts or email enquiries@residentialland.com

From November 22 to 29, the Barclays ATP World Tennis Tour Finals came to the O2 arena in London for the end of season showdown.

Throughout that week Residential Land donated tickets from our corporate box to tennis fans keen to watch the excitement - in exchange for a charitable donation to the KIND children’s charity.

KIND works with thousands of disadvantaged children and families across Liverpool. The charity strongly believes in the importance of investing in the future of under privileged children and their efforts are channelled through 4 main areas:

1. Teaching - The S.E.E.D (Social Environmental Education Development) Centre in Liverpool’s Toxteth area.

2. Residential Breaks at a countryside centre in “The Lakes.”

3. Helping - The Annual Kind Christmas Appeal.

4. Practical Help - with supporting families in need.

Their work really does help children most in need and provides families with a sense of normality which so many of us take for granted.

Thank you to everyone who donated money to KIND in exchange for the ATP tickets. It turned out to be an exciting week of tennis with Federer claiming his sixth ATP World Tour Series Finals win, beating France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

This truly exceptional charity was formed in 2004 to help children living with serious and life limiting illnesses between the ages of 3-18 across the UK.  The charity’s aim is to grant wishes for children however impossible the wish may seem and to help hospitals, hospices and specialist schools improve their facilities.  Wishes already made and granted include meeting the boy band One Direction, to own a giant Teddy, to go to Disney Land Paris, to meet JLS and to meet Gordon Ramsay and eat in one of his restaurants.

During 2012 Rays of Sunshine would like to grant one wish every day with each wish including the whole family giving each family member happy memories of the child’s wish to treasure in future years.

Some of the wishes already granted include meeting the boy band One Direction, owning a giant Teddy, a trip to Disney Land Paris, meeting JLS and to meeting Gordon Ramsay and eating in one of his restaurants.

Unfortunately the charity receives no government funding and relies solely on donations and the support of fundraisers and volunteers.

The party is the highlight of the Rays of Sunshine Children’s Charity year.  If you would like to help the charity fulfil the wishes of more children, find out more about this event or to simply make a donation please visit www.raysofsunshine.org.uk

Stuart Birke, the Corporate Lettings Manager was thrilled that Residential Land showed their support for his son’s team.

Stuart’s son Grant aged nine plays centre midfield for the team and was awarded at the end of last season with the ‘Manager Player of The Year’ award which of course made Stuart extremely proud as he may have a future England Captain on his hands.

We will keep you updated with the results of our young guns as the season progresses including all League and Cup matches.

The new kit has clearly brought the team luck, as it was worn for the first time last weekend which resulted in a successful win and a ‘Man of The Match’ award for Grant.

Please feel free to have a look at the website www.whetstonewanderers.co.uk.

Good luck boys and keep on winning!

Residential Land has been a major donor and proud supporter of the Raisa Gorbachev Foundation for a number of years.

The Foundation, set up in 1996 in commemoration of Raisa Gorbachev (wife of former Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev), it was founded to improve the lives of children affected by cancer. The foundation and its supporters aim to bring down the financial, national and political barriers that stop children receiving life-saving and life-enhancing treatment. Funds raised for the foundation are invested in detection, control and welfare for the young lives affected by the disease.

Residential Land were proud to be invited back to this year’s Raisa Gorbachev Foundation Gala evening which was held at The Stud House, Hampton Court Palace on 22nd September 2011. The prestigious fundraising event is always enjoyable and guests this year included Sir Ben Kingsley, Eva Herzigova, Jemima Khan, Geri Halliwell and Anna Friel.

The annual Gala is the main fundraising event for the foundation, with money raised from ticket sales and a charity auction. Lots had been generously donated from various sources, with works of art from the likes of Anthony Gormley, Tracy Emin and Sir Peter Blake auctioned off to raise money. Residential Land successfully bid on a sculpture by artist Nic Fiddian Green, entitled ‘Still Water’.

Residential Land pledged in excess of £75,000 at this year’s gala, which in total raised an astonishing £1.1m. All money raised goes directly to causes supported by the charity.

The Foundation Director, Marcus Beale kindly sent this letter thanking us for our support:

To find out more about the Raisa Gorbachev Foundation and their incredibly important work, please visit www.raisafund.org.uk

View from Hampstead Heath, NW3

But what really makes NW3 so high-end and, how does the NW3 postcode command such a premium in property prices?

Since the 18th and 19th centuries, actors, playwrights, artists of every genre, émigrés, avant-garde ‘misfits’ and business tycoons have been drawn to Hampstead as a place where they felt valued, esteemed and respected for their work and ideals. A nostalgic affection for such individuals has fostered a desire to belong to this set and ever since, countless generations of artists, including Agatha Christie, John Keats, Henry Moore and Dame Judy Dench, have been lured to Hampstead.

The vast wealth of this prized neighbourhood is fuelled by the number of high profile residents that call home to residents such as Sting, Helena Bonham Carter, Boy George, Stephen Fry and Liam Gallagher.  A lust for life amongst pop idols and film stars has seen competition for property burgeon, and as a result, property prices in the area are increasingly high.

So aside from this nostalgic connection to Hampstead’s avant-garde past and current Hollywood allure, what else is key to its popularity?

Hampstead has a unique, chic character and style, luxurious local amenities and an unbeatable location.  Its centrality in zone 2 of the Underground network is a big plus. Residents of NW3 have access to three different tube lines (Metropolitan, Jubilee and Northern lines), as well as a host of bus and national rail services.

Perhaps it is its iconic patch of countryside, Hampstead Heath, that rises high above the London skyline? Hampstead Heath does after all offer residents and visitors 791 acres of public parkland, beautiful views and the well-known heath is a celebrity in its own right, having featured in countless films and TV shows.

But the heath’s A-list status is also born of its versatility. It hosts concerts, plays, festivals and community get-togethers as well as family picnics, romantic proposals and has parks perfect for ball games, walking paths and even its own racecourse.  It is also the location of a number of museum houses that remain crucial to preserving British history.

These are great characteristics and genuine reasons why buyers willingly pay a higher price for property in Hampstead. But something else makes Hampstead so esteemed.

Hampstead is prestigious, purely because it always has been. It now has more millionaires within its boundaries than any other area in the UK* and because its people uphold the traditionally glamourous image, Hampstead will continue to impress for years to come.

Hot Property:

Rosslyn Hill - Luxury Apartments in Hampstead

Luxury apartments for Sale on Rosslyn Hill

Rosslyn Hill, which adjoins the south of popular Hampstead High Street, has long been an affluent and glamourous residential area of NW3. At number 2 is a beautifully presented former Georgian hotel.

A two bedroom garden flat is on offer in this block for £995,000. Alternatively the two bedroom penthouse, with study, is available for £1.45m.

Contact Residential Land for more information on this and other prime central London property: 020 7408 5155 or visit www.residentialland.com

RESI 2011 was the best RESI yet. More than 1,000 people attended this year’s residential property event at the Celtic Manor in Wales. The highlight of this year’s conference was the RESI Dragons’ Den, a take on the popular TV show where residential property business ideas were pitched to a panel of influential experts.

Bruce Ritchie, CEO of Residential Land, was the panel chair and judge – bringing with him fellow residential property experts Tony Pidgley, Nick Candy and ex-Dragon himself, James Caan.

Entrants to the competition were required to submit a 500 word proposal about their business idea. The judges were looking for innovative, serious and determined proposals. A short list was drawn up and 4 finalists were chosen to present their pitches to the panel and audience at the RESI conference in the Canaerfon Suite. Property Week filmed each of the pitches:

Lucky Wu: A Chinese property portal setup by Sherry Madera to showcase overseas property to Asian investors

Click-to-Purchase: A website created by Neil Singer that provides real-time property auctions

My Space Pod: Affordable custom built accommodation made from recycled shipping containers, presented by Sam Minionis

CheckYourLet: A ‘TripAdvisor style’ review website for private rental properties pitched by Howard Morgan

Each of the confident pitches had business merit in their own right, but it was Howard Morgan, Managing Director of consultancy firm RealService whose idea for a private-rented sector review site won the support of the four RESI dragons’.

The audience too seemed to be behind the idea as Morgan confidently pointed out that such site already existed in the US and said “Something like this would come to the industry anyway and therefore it’s much better to be organised professionally, co-ordinated and supported by the people in the industry.” After Morgan successfully swayed the judges and walked away with a prize trip to Austria, he was quickly cleaned out of business cards by potential backers in the audience.