The Interview – David Porter

TheBusinessDesk.com speaks to David Porter, partner and head of Knight Frank’s Manchester office.

If you could improve anything in the region, what would it be?

I believe an improved regional train service would add real benefit. A significant amount has been invested in extending the metro service beyond the city centre to the likes of Oldham and through to Manchester Airport, and the proposed HS2 will enhance what is already an excellent service to London. However, the current train services from Manchester to areas such as Leeds, Newcastle, Liverpool and the surrounding commuter towns are irregular and need improving. A better regional service could widen Manchester’s catchment area both in terms of the commuter workforce and general business activity.

Looking into your crystal ball, what are your property predictions for the next six months?

There has been a significant increase in the weighting of money being invested in property across London and the South East. This high level of interest has driven up prices and led investors to consider other centres. Manchester is perceived as the ‘next port of call’ and is currently attracting interest from investors from the across the world.  

This continued interest could lead to a commitment towards a speculative office development in the city centre. With high levels of demand for Grade A accommodation and little supply, Manchester presents a strong case for speculative development particularly in the central business district. We believe that over the next six months, someone will announce they have secured speculative funding to commence a building without a pre let.

What is the best project you’ve been involved in?

Acting for KPMG on the acquisition of its new Manchester headquarters at One St. Peter’s Square, where they acquired the top three floors, totalling 62,500 sq ft.

It was a key instruction as we not only secured fantastic accommodation for KPMG, meeting their key objective to occupy the best space obtainable in the city centre, but this part pre let enabled the developer (Argent and Greater Manchester Property Venture Fund (GMPVF)) to commence the overall building, which acted as a catalyst for the wider regeneration of St. Peter’s Square and surrounding area.

This area is set to become one of the main focal points of Manchester city centre and will no doubt attract further occupier investment into the city.

Name the person who has most inspired you and the one who has had the biggest influence on your career?

Early on in my career it was Charles Stevens who inspired me the most. I worked with Charles for over seven years during which he guided me on how I now approach office agency and development.

I have also been fortunate to work alongside Alistair Elliott, who is now senior partner at Knight Frank and considered by many to be one of the UK’s leading office agents. I worked with Alistair for four years, advising on various office agency developments in the Thames Valley. The experience gained working with both Charles and Alistair was invaluable and had a major impact on my career.

Is there any building or project from any time that you wish you could have worked on?   

I would have loved to have worked on Canary Wharf from its conception. Being involved throughout that process and watching it evolve into the major financial district it is today would have been a fantastic experience.

If your career didn’t exist, what would you do?

I would have loved to have been a professional cricketer, but sadly I was nowhere near good enough! I guess I would have ended up in another professional service, perhaps an architect – most office agents are frustrated architects!
 
What’s the best thing about your job?

The variety, not only in terms of the people I deal with, but what I do every day. Whether good, bad or indifferent, no two days are the same. Sometimes this can be infuriating but most of the time, it’s this diversity that makes me genuinely enjoy my job. A standard 9-5, it most certainly is not!