THE AGENTS

Rosie Greenwood

Fleurets

Birmingham Office Negotiator

Our geographical responsibility as one of the most strategically-placed offices in the Fleurets network is vast. We cover a hugely-populated area that takes in Birmingham, Warwickshire, Stoke-On-Trent, Nottingham, Shropshire and Leicestershire.

There are 50 major towns and cities in our catchment area that consistently provide a good mix of freehold and leasehold opportunities - I think, it's fair to say, that this is the "engine room" of the UK pub trade.

Much has been made of the smoking ban and, indeed, a recent poll conducted on our website, www.fleurets.com, indicated that 59% of people who took part felt the ban had resulted in a negative effect on the trade. The stats can't be argued with, but we've enjoyed brisk business since 1 July, both in terms of instructions and sales.

There is no shortage of good leasehold opportunities in densely-populated areas throughout the Midlands and more freeholds are becoming available.

I think many people who were sitting on a valuable asset are now deciding to cash-in and sell, increasing the number of properties available, which is good news for anyone eyeing up the area.

Cities near us don't have large pockets of high-value inner-city housing like London does. In Birmingham and Nottingham we are now seeing a large amount of city-centre residential development.

Here in Birmingham, until recent times, you would have had to travel out to the third ring before you got to any quality housing. Birmingham's high quality residential projects have resulted in more people coming back to live in the city, which is great for pubs, hotels and restaurants.

Opportunity waits for those looking to invest in the Midlands - those looking for wet-led operations should look to the Black Country, where there are a number of good properties available. However, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and some areas of Shropshire are prime territory for food-

led venues.