Your regular Diary scribe has just returned from a lengthy holiday in Florida – so, if you’ve particularly enjoyed the page these past three weeks, now you know why. But, as we savoured day after day of scorching sun (occasionally punctuated by a seasonal deluge of rain), and took in the local wildlife including turtles, dolphins, flamingos and alligators, our thoughts (well, some of them) remained on the lighter side of commercial property.
So, imagine Diary’s joy when, while we were actually riding rollercoasters at Universal Studios Orlando, the operator took the opportunity to announce its gigantic new theme park, the modestly named Epic Universe. It will, apparently, offer an “entirely new level of experiences that will forever redefine theme park entertainment”. Universal trumpeted: “Guests will venture beyond their wildest imagination, traveling into beloved stories and through vibrant lands on adventures where the journey is as astounding as the destination.” Which sounds like a nice way of referring to the long queues (the line for the rather fun new Hagrid ride was up to three hours at one point). At more than 750 acres, with a cost in the billions, this is, without doubt, the most exciting development announcement of 2019 – and Diary was on the spot. Coincidence? We think not. And if our editors would like a feature when it opens, Diary is happy to volunteer for the assignment.
Pokémon choose us
One of the movie highlights of 2019 was Pokémon Detective Pikachu – not least because it was filmed in London and familiar landmarks contributed significantly to its mashed-up fictional setting of Ryme City. If the cute little critters from Japan can call anywhere a second home, then our capital is surely the place – so it is fitting that the first Pokémon Centre to be opened outside of the Land of the Rising Sun is going to be right here. In Westfield London, W12, to be exact, opening on 18 October for around a month. It’s all to celebrate the release of new games Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, which take place “in a world inspired by the UK”. How inspired? Well, Pikachu wears a bowler hat and carries an umbrella in preview art issued on the official Pokémon Instagram page – and you don’t get more authentically British than that!
Horrible bosses
In news that is quite frankly shocking to Diary, it appears that many workers out there don’t like their bosses – and, in fact, people in property like them even less than most. According to research from global recruiter Randstad, property professionals are the employees most likely to quit their jobs to flee their boss. It found that the “worst leadership in the UK” can be found in real estate, with 29% of workers saying they would leave their job because of poor leadership – the highest percentage of all sectors in the poll. On the bright side, 20% said strong management was a reason to stay, so clearly bosses have a big role to play in property, good or bad. For the record, Diary’s boss is fantastic, and we’re not just saying that because she has to clear this page for publication…
Win your dream home?
You’ve likely heard this one before: £10 could win you a £2.1m luxury house. News stories about such competitions going spectacularly wrong are probably leaving you sceptical, but the team behind Winmydreamhome.com are at pains to point out that this one is different. “Winmydreamhome.com is on a mission to change this negative perception,” the press release reads, “and raise standards within the niche sector of house competitions through transparent practices and an approach that favours those entering before all else.” Sounds promising. On offer is a Kensington property owned by Misuma, the family-run property development company behind WMDH, which turned to this method after “Brexit uncertainty” thwarted its plans to sell through the usual route. According to director Marc Gershon: “House competitions are a fantastic format and we make no secret of the fact that by opting for this route we are looking to make a profit from the prize draw, but this doesn’t mean we can’t also raise a big chunk of cash for an amazing charity and give someone a leg up onto the ladder who may not otherwise have the chance. It isn’t the format itself that has let people down in the past, it’s those operating without the correct level of knowledge or with a lack of transparency that has created this negative stigma around house competitions and we want to change this.” They’re doing that with clear rules, a fixed timeline and, best of all, a skill-based mathematical test to ensure it isn’t an illegal raffle. So, if you’ve seen those fruit-based puzzles on Facebook, and reckon you can crack the numerical values of apples, bananas and coconuts, a beautifully renovated Victorian home could be yours.
New lease on life?
“40s is the new 20s when it comes to ‘generation rent’,” according to research from badi, the AI-driven platform. Leaving aside the question of whether that should be “40s are the new 20s”, let’s focus on the revelation of a boom in older renters in the UK – apparently there are now 10m over the age of 45, more than a quarter of the UK total. And, apparently, “older renters are looking for honesty over fun,” which sounds oddly like a dating profile. The “desired personality traits” requested by older renters include an easy-going nature and displaying signs of honesty (both 39%) as opposed to their younger counterparts, who look for friendliness (41%) and fun personalities (32%). So, for anyone who has spent years hoping for Martin Clunes and Neil Morrissey to make a comeback, it sounds like Old Men Behaving Badly would not be an accurate depiction of the mature flatshare market.
