Opinion

Hear our experts’ take on the latest developments and trending topics

5 September 2021

Formula One and real estate — a winning team?

There are several potential multiplier effects of hosting a Formula One race on real estate. The most obvious one is the effect F1 races and similar events bring on hotel, serviced apartments and short-term let occupancy rates, and therefore valuations. Some have referred to the way in which any F1 event is a platform for local hotels and conference facilities […]
16 June 2021

How significant will ESG prove to be for real estate in the Gulf?

The rise of ESG From its beginnings with the UN Report ‘Who Cares Wins’ back in 2005,[1] ESG has emerged as one of the most important trends in international investment.[2] With more than a quarter of the world’s investments now deployed through funds and corporation that embrace it – Bloomberg thinks it will reach a third by 2025[3] – investment […]
16 May 2021

How useful are International Valuation Standards (IVS) for Gulf real estate markets?

The International Valuation Standards (IVS) are now the basis for valuation standards in well over a hundred countries worldwide, including every major real estate market. The Gulf has been no exception in moving decisively towards the adoption of international valuation standards. But why is IVS important and how does it benefit real estate markets? Find out more in our latest […]
13 April 2021

How Valuable are Home Survey Reports?

A growing trend Real estate forms the most important component of most individual asset portfolios. In Dubai the value of residential real estate alone is equivalent to half the entire Stock Market capitalisation.[1][2] It is therefore unsurprising that a growing number of purchasers are now choosing RICS Home Surveys in order to gain assurance over their new investment. The scheme […]
11 April 2021

How do real estate markets recover from crises?

We should no longer ask how real estate markets recover from political or macroeconomic crises. Rather, we should ask how the dynamics of real estate markets themselves operate to create, manage and transfer wealth, frequently at a national or even regional level. Read more from our chief economist in his latest article.
23 March 2021

Rent-to-own: Best practices and the way forward

Worldwide there is evidence that if properly managed, rent-to-own can be a successful way to improve market liquidity, encourage home ownership and contribute to affordable housing in particular, which is the main real estate challenge facing governments in the Gulf. Read more in our latest opinion article.
11 October 2020

Retire in the UAE – 2020 Update

How does the UAE, and Dubai particularly, compare to countries such as Australia and Portugal for the purpose of retirement? Find out in this 2020 update on retiring in the UAE.
20 September 2020

Time to Deliver: Geography, home delivery and value

Working from home and increased home deliveries are set to alter developers’ future choices of project locations. Read more in our latest opinion article.
3 June 2020

Yields and Recovery: Four major questions

What determines yields? Real estate yields are usually defined as net income receivable over transaction price paid. Both terms are subject to varying definitions, whilst yields themselves apply to initial investments on exit or over a given lifetime. A standard yield model uses three independent variables: the risk-free rate, the expected rent, and the risk premium[1], all of which assume […]
6 May 2020

Property Price Indexes for the UAE

Why build a price index? Real estate market participants want to know what is happening to key market indicators. Amongst these indicators, prices are the most important. Construction, investment, sales and portfolio forecasts and decisions all rest on which way prices have moved, and by how much. The recent history of a real estate market’s performance is a collection of […]
26 March 2020

Will Covid-19 have the same effect on real estate markets as previous pandemics?

Famous pandemics of history Plagues have marked human history, from the Black Death in the 14th century to the Great Plague in London in the 17th century and the successive waves that affected Islamic cities such as Baghdad and Alexandria in the 19th century. In more recent times, the most famous was the 1918–19 Spanish flu pandemic which infected 500 […]
25 February 2020

Mortgages vs Payment Plans – What is the better pick?

Buy with a mortgage In most parts of the world, developers have insufficient size and financial ability to provide financial support to residential real estate purchasers. Instead, banks and other financial institutions provide mortgages for those unable, or unwilling, to make purchases in cash. In the UAE, mortgages are limited to a loan-to-value ratio of 80% (for citizens), and 75% […]

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