Commercial Property News

Liverpool's magnificent Grade II Listed Albany Building on Old Hall Street, Liverpool city centre is poised to re-open its gates following completion of the first phase of a £24 million refurbishment.

The Albany Building Ltd is the company responsible for the transformation of the building from derelict former offices into 123 luxury apartments. The complex will also be home to the Albany Dining Rooms, a new restaurant/bar with private dining rooms, which will open this summer.

The first phase of the refurbishment project, which started in October 2003 is complete. The superb show apartments will be opened to public view in the coming weeks.

Chris Nisbet, Chairman of Albany Building Ltd said,"The restoration of the Albany Building has been a labour of love. It is a jewel in Liverpool's architectural crown that was simply crumbling away until we started the project.

From the outset we set out to preserve the beauty and original features within the building whilst bringing it new life. The harmonious, contemporary apartments bring 21st century luxury into a 150 year-old setting."

Four months after the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) launched its new trio of NAEA Diplomas, 248 senior level estate agents have committed to study.

Ruth Lilley, head of membership and professional development, says that this high level of commitment, so early in the programme, shows a growing awareness of the value of vocational training amongst senior members of the profession.

She said: "Those who have signed up represent the broad cross-section of estate agency businesses, from large corporates to one-man bands. The one thing they have in common is a commitment to professionalism.

"They have undertaken a programme of serious study, which we believe they will enjoy, and which will certainly pay dividends for their careers."

At the end of April, 248 estate agents had commenced study for an NAEA Diploma, including 182 registering for the full programme of study, and 66 registering to upgrade their certificate-level qualifications to NAEA Diplomas by completing the project part of the Diploma course.

Currently, women are outstripping men in the rush to sign up for the programmes, a trend that the NAEA is also seeing for its entry-level Technical Awards.

Women make up 136 of those registering for NAEA Diplomas, compared with 112 men.

Ruth Lilley said: "It is particularly significant to see women outstripping men in terms of their demand for qualifications at this senior level, which is still very male-dominated in the industry.

"These female estate agents are clearly demonstrating their ambition for the future by underpinning their career development with formalised qualifications."