Vail Williams, like over 16,000 other property professionals from across the UK, attended UKREiiF in Leeds one month ago.
It was a fantastic few days of networking, knowledge sharing and learning. One of the most interesting insights to emerge from the event came from the UKREiiF Insights Report 2026, produced in partnership with Holistic Insight.
The findings paint a more nuanced picture of the market than many might have expected, as David Ramsay, Head of Planning at Vail Williams, explores.
While positive sentiment remains the majority view across the built environment and infrastructure sectors, confidence has softened compared with last year. Yet at the same time, organisations continue to pursue investment, development and regeneration opportunities.
For me, that was one of the report’s most important messages. The challenge facing our industry is not simply confidence. It is delivery.
A more cautious market but not a market standing still
The report found that 63.1% of respondents remain positive about the year ahead, down from 69.5% in 2025. Neutral and negative sentiment have both increased, reflecting the impact of geopolitical uncertainty, financing pressures and concerns around project viability.
That shift is understandable.
Public sector organisations continue to operate against a backdrop of constrained finances, increasing service demand and economic uncertainty. At the same time, local authorities, NHS trusts and government agencies are keen to help deliver housing growth, regeneration, infrastructure investment and public service transformation.
Yet despite these pressures, the report reveals something encouraging.
Nearly two-thirds of development and funding organisations expect to increase investment or development activity over the next 12 months, despite being the most cautious respondent group in the survey.
That tells us something important. While confidence may have softened, ambition remains. The property industry is not stepping back. It is becoming more selective, more focused and more determined to make projects work, but this will require additional collaboration and partnerships.
The public sector remains central to growth.
One of the most striking findings from this year’s report, and reflected at the conference itself, is the prominence of public sector activity as a source of opportunity.
When respondents were asked where they see the greatest opportunities over the next 12 months, public sector activity ranked among the top three sectors, alongside residential and regeneration. Together, these sectors accounted for more than 40% of all responses.
That should come as no surprise.
Whether it is unlocking housing delivery, supporting town centre regeneration, improving healthcare and education infrastructure or enabling economic growth through strategic land use, public sector organisations increasingly sit at the centre of placemaking delivery.
At Vail Williams, we are seeing this first-hand. Public bodies are viewing their estates not simply as operational assets, but as strategic tools capable of supporting wider social, economic and environmental outcomes.
We are seeing the conversation evolve beyond asset management to become more about placemaking, but the challenge of viability remains. What we know from experience, is that the right planning and development strategy will be key to delivery.
Perhaps the most telling finding in the report is that viability and development economics emerged as the single most important factor shaping investment decisions. Cost of finance and geopolitical uncertainty also ranked highly.
In many ways, this reflects the reality facing public and private sector organisations alike. There is no shortage of ambition. There is no shortage of need. There is no shortage of capital looking for the right opportunities.
What remains challenging, is bringing all the ingredients together in a way that allows projects to move forward.
