The Intermediary – December 2025 - Flipbook - Page 41
SPECIALIST FINANCE
Opinion
the long-term impact of ownership
versus renting without being thrown
off by rate noise.
Ownership becomes a case of
stability and balance sheet strength.
Renting becomes a case of short-term
flexibility. Neither is automatically
right, but 2025 has made it possible for
owners to think more clearly about
which option suits the future they
want to see.
There is also a clearer appetite for
strategic investment inside businesses
themselves. Plenty of firms are
expanding into new units, others are
adding manufacturing capacity or
acquiring competitors.
Some of the most interesting
cases are the ones that look slightly
uneven on paper; for instance, the
business that has grown faster than
expected, or the owner looking at
a mixed property and trading deal
rolled together.
A few years ago, those cases might
not have been considered, but with the
pace of the market easing, there is now
space to understand them properly
and make the investment work.
to understand what the investor
actually wants the next few years to
look like. Investors are not asking for
perfection. They want decisions that
make sense in 10 years’ time, not 10
days. If advisers and lenders focus on
that, rather than the noise or the hype,
then this could easily turn out to be a
stronger investment year than anyone
expected back in January. ●
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Opportunities forming
Across the market, certain themes
stand out. Industrial property remains
one of the most reliable places for
investors to put money, with demand
still rising strongly and supply tight.
Retail continues to experience its
ups and downs, but local units and
mixed-use buildings are aracting
genuine interest.
Hospitality is more measured,
usually driven by people who know
the sector well, and healthcare
continues to show strength across both
property and business investment.
None of these areas are overheating,
but they remain sensible investment
environments which, for many
people, is a far more comfortable place
to commit capital than the extremes
we have seen in the past.
A clearer year
If there is one message in all of this,
it is that advisers are working in a
market that has seled into a more
even rhythm. With less noise in the
background, investors are more open
to talking about the long term rather
than quick fixes.
For advisers, the most valuable
conversations this year are the ones
where you slow things down enough
December 2025 | The Intermediary
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