UK office buildings emerge as good investment opportunities for Hong Kong investors amid anti-government protests, Brexit chaos
- Office buildings deliver stable rental income, Ship Street Advisors says
- An average of about £190 per sq ft, buildings in UK cities other than London represent a cheaper alternative
“While the vote for Britain to leave the European Union may have created a lot of uncertainties, it also led to a fall in the value of pound sterling, which has made UK property a lot more attractive,” said Paul Li Man-hong, a private-equity investment manager at the company.
“We keep an eye on office buildings, as they deliver stable rental income. We target the acquisition of office buildings occupied by government officials, or companies that serve the local community, such as law firms. Government officials and such companies will not move out even after Brexit,” Li said. Stable rental income can deliver a rental yield of between 6 per cent and 8 per cent per annum, he added.
More Hong Kong investors are considering opportunities abroad, according to Ship Street, as a result of the more than year-long US-China trade war and five months of protests in the city.
The pound has devalued by 15 per cent against the US dollar and the Hong Kong dollar since the Brexit vote in June 2016, and Ship Street has since 2017 raised £46.4 million (US$59.6 million) to acquire one office building each in Aberdeen, Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield and two in Cardiff.