Estate agency Savills has said it expects property sales across a number of markets to fall this year due to uncertainty surrounding Brexit and US trade policy.
The group said prospects for 2019 are "overshadowed by macro-economic and political uncertainties across the world" and that it is difficult to predict the effect on investor demand for the property sector.
Its comments come ahead of the vote on Prime Minister Theresa May's contested Brexit deal.
During the last quarter of 2018, the company said its business lines delivered growth in revenue and profits thanks to its less transactional trading activities.
This was achieved despite a period which saw heightened uncertainty surrounding Britain's departure from the EU, US-China trade relations and higher long-term treasury yields hitting investor sentiment in a number of global markets.
Savills' full-year results for 2018 are due to be published on March 14.
Brewing giant Greene King has named a Merlin Entertainments executive as the successor to its longstanding chief executive.
Nick Mackenzie will take over from Rooney Anand at the pub company from the beginning of May.
Mr Mackenzie had been managing director at Merlin, which includes over 100 business including the Edinburgh Dungeon, Madame Tussauds and the London Eye.
He is also currently a non-executive director at pub company Daniel Thwaites, though will step down from this role before joining Greene King.
The group's chairman Philip Yea said: "After a comprehensive search we feel that Nick's broad experience and track record at one of the world's leading leisure businesses as well as his knowledge of the pub business, both early in his career and more recently as a non-executive, make him the best candidate to lead Greene King through its next phase."
Greene King, which brews beers such as Belhaven Best and Old Speckled Hen and has more than 200 pubs in Scotland.
Paragon boost Edinburgh numbers
Independent building and project consultancy Paragon has strengthened its Edinburgh team with two new hires, as the firm doubles its headcount as part of its ongoing growth strategy in the Scottish capital.
Paul Lafferty joins Paragon as an associate director, with over 16 years’ of experience, after previously being an associate director at Savills.
Elaine McKail takes on the role of office manager, helping to grow the Edinburgh offering.
She brings with her over 30 years’ experience, having worked at a number of leading firms, including Ernst & Young, DTZ, and Royal Bank of Scotland.
The pair join Paragon director and head of office, David Philip, and associate director, Jamie March, at the Edinburgh office which opened on George Street in January 2018.
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