Five indicators that tell you it’s time to sell

Leasehold and freehold sales are a core part of our business, and we pride ourselves on complete exposure to current leisure sales trends in London. As a result, we have identified that right now is a great time to start looking at your options in the market, as London leisure is hotting-up to boiling point this summer.

Here are some signs to look out for…

1. Warming interest

If there has been a successful clustering of leisure properties with the right fundamentals (location, physical characteristics and good active management potential) around your business, it is a great indication that the value of your property may be peaking.

In order to identify these trends, contact a leisure property agent with complete visibility of the market and a vast network of potential buyers. A large portfolio and relevant track record of disposals will help you to completely understand the current demand for your site.

2. In search of character

One key characteristic of the current central London market is the rise in high-end independents and strong concepts that are dominating key estates, such as the sought after Portman Estate. This is due to wealthy residents and visitors demanding more memorable dining experiences.

Quality operators in these areas are looking for potential character and charm, and are willing to pay premiums to take sites with this potential. You never know, the next celebrity Michelin Star restaurateur may be ready and waiting for a site like yours – we’ve seen it happen.

3. Consistently upward profit

If your business is seeing high profit margins month-on-month, it is a positive sign of future commercial success for potential buyers. While it might seem counter intuitive to sell a profitable leisure property, your success might now demand extra space and new practical requirements that your current property cannot satisfy. In which case, upsizing might be a good option.

4. Off the books

Often, high-growth operators and “talk of the town” restaurateurs do not publicly announce their movements into new areas. Therefore, it is important to partner with a reputable consultant with a valuable contacts book, offering more clarity on what is happening on and off the records.

We have the ability to fully expose our clients to the market however we also appreciate that confidentiality is crucial, particularly with staff, so we are well adept to handling sales and acquisitions with little or no information available to the public eye.

5. Opportunities elsewhere

Regardless of how well your existing leisure property is, it is always wise to survey the market for potential new commercially viable investments. Areas undergoing regeneration on a large scale are ideal locations for restaurant property investment, as prices are likely to be lower than those in well-established, up-market areas like Soho and Mayfair.

An example worth considering is Peckham, where an influx of young professionals and creative students has led to the proliferation of cafes, bars and restaurants like Anderson & Co on Bellenden Road, and breakfast time favourite No67 in the South London Gallery.

Establishments like these that sit alongside the neighbourhood’s more traditional shops and eateries are evidence of the area’s potential, and one of the reasons it has been featured as one of the nine best places to Live in London according to the Sunday Times best urban places to live list.

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