Business Chief Europe Magazine February 2021 | Page 60

AFTER ONE MONTH OF 2021 , COULD YOU DISCUSS THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE WHEN IT COMES TO CORPORATE REAL ESTATE ?
CORPORATE FINANCE

Business Chief speaks with corporate real estate leaders from North America and the EMEA region to discuss the current landscape and global 2021 trends

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AFTER ONE MONTH OF 2021 , COULD YOU DISCUSS THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE WHEN IT COMES TO CORPORATE REAL ESTATE ?
JL : The current landscape in corporate real estate across the majority of markets continues to be that of uncertainty – with the pandemic greatly impacting market activity and transactions . In Knight Frank ’ s Africa Market Pulse Survey , which was conducted at the onset of the pandemic , office landlords indicated that only 20 % of office leasing deals were proceeding normally , while a majority ( 40 %) were experiencing delays .
Overall , however , market performance has continued to be influenced by a range of factors beyond COVID-19 . These have included low commodity prices in oil dependent economies , currency devaluation , ongoing recession in countries such as South Africa and hyperinflation in markets such as Harare , which are adversely impacting demand and returns .
FEBRUARY 2021