The past, present and future of the non-traded NAV REIT structure

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2/3) ◽  
pp. 103-109
Author(s):  
David H. Roberts ◽  
Ettore A. Santucci ◽  
Mark Schonberger ◽  
Peter W. Lavigne

Purpose Over 15 years ago Goodwin created the first open-ended, non-traded real estate investment trust (REIT) with regular sales and redemptions at net asset value (“NAV REIT”). While NAV REITs are now well established, there is still room for improvement. Design/methodology/approach We traced the evolution of the NAV REIT’s innovative, investor-friendly features – transparent valuation to strike NAV, liquidity via redemption at NAV per share, indefinite life, lower/simpler selling and management fees, share classes with different upfront loads and trailing distribution fees. Findings To improve the liquidity feature of NAV REITs, share classes could be used to lower the drag on performance and match available liquid assets with expected redemption requests. The goal: balance inflows and outflows, optimize portfolio construction, and better safeguard liquidity. Practical implications One need not look far for the dark side of liquidity in open-ended real estate funds. The UK experience with regulated property funds is a painful object lesson. There is a better way: while traditional non-traded REITs were designed and marketed for investment by retail investors, NAV REITs appeal to a diverse range of investors, and share classes could be enhanced to offer both a menu of selling loads and a menu of liquidity and dividend-rate options to produce a smooth curve blending cost and time. Originality/value Innovation in structuring real estate investment vehicles has broadened choices for all and the NAV REIT is flexible, scalable, open-ended and cost-efficient. Fund sponsors, fund managers, financial advisors, investors and even regulators could find food for thought in our analysis.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cath Jackson ◽  
Allison Orr

Purpose The importance of real estate’s sustainability rating has increased significantly. Studies undertaken in 2007 and 2016 show that, at acquisition, the rating rose from 7th to 3rd most important attribute. This shift in priorities parallels the RICS embracing the 10 principles of the UN Global Compact (RICS, 2015). However, while sustainability value premia appear common in some international markets, the picture is mixed and drivers and mechanisms lack empirical investigation. The literature reveals potential barriers to investors fulfilling both sustainability and financial objectives. The purpose of this study is explore these potential barriers. Design/methodology/approach Focus groups with real estate fund managers, sustainability managers and acquisitions surveyors are undertaken to explore the adoption and implementation of environmental sustainability policies. This reveals a series of barriers to implementation and these are then explored in greater depth through a series of interviews with fund managers. This layered, qualitative approach is designed to provide detailed knowledge of practical and conceptual sustainability issues within the UK real estate market. Findings Key drivers underpinning the adoption of sustainability policies are revealed and barriers to implementation are found to relate to data on investment performance, valuation methodologies and prohibitive capex. Further, the heterogeneous, opaque and slow-moving nature of the market is prohibitive and intervention is encouraged to overcome the lack of financial viability that hinders improvements. Originality/value Research is dominated by highly aggregated quantitative data on sustainability within commercial real estate markets. The qualitative approach used here adds new insights and value to the understanding of the embeddedness of sustainability in real estate investment decision-making.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
James Giannarelli ◽  
Piyush Tiwari

PurposeThis paper examines the extent of the short-run relationship between Australian real estate investment trusts (A-REITs) and direct real estate returns on both a commercial property sector and a prime and secondary grade basis, i.e. a subsector basis.Design/methodology/approachTwo-step methodology is used. First, we identify the dynamic interdependencies between A-REITs and each commercial property subsector to determine whether the returns of A-REITs lead each subsector or vice versa. Second, short-run deviations between these asset returns are estimated by measuring their individual response behaviours to changes in key economic and financial market factors that are expected to influence these returns.FindingsResults suggest that each subsector shares a unique relationship to A-REITs, given each prime and secondary grade commercial property return series varies in behaviour. Some property subsector returns can be predicted by movements in A-REIT returns, whereas returns for others move independent to changes in A-REITs. Similarly, some subsectors commove with A-REITs in response to changes in certain market factors, whereas others diverge. As such, these findings have practical significance to fund managers and portfolio selection, as each commercial subsector embodies its own exposure to A-REITs and vulnerabilities to market forces. Subsectors that commove with A-REITs in response to certain market forces may be used as substitutes in a portfolio. Alternatively, subsectors that diverge from A-REITs in response to market forces may offer diversification benefits when combined.Practical implicationsThese findings extend beyond existing research to offer critical decision-making guidance at the acquisition level, as fund managers may more closely consider the impact that prime or secondary grade properties within a given commercial sector may have on a portfolio that consists of public and private Australian real estate. Ultimately, a more informed acquisition may be carried out as consideration of a property's asset grade allows for a deeper insight into the property's risk profile and its anticipated short-run impact on a portfolio.Originality/valueThis paper extends previous studies that focus mostly on aggregate or sector-level returns by measuring REIT and real estate dynamics at the subsector level, allowing for practical significance at not only the portfolio level but crucially at the acquisition level, a pivotal decision-making stage for fund managers. This is also the first paper to study REIT and real estate causality and response patterns to changes in market factors at the Australian sector level.


2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 494-516 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Lee ◽  
Giacomo Morri

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the performance of UK property funds using the dual sources of active management, Active Share and tracking error, to distinguish between the types of active management styles used by funds. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use data on 38 UK real estate funds and classify them into five active management categories using the dual sources of active management, Active Share and tracking error. Then, the authors compare their return performance against Active Share, tracking error, fund size and leverage. Therefore the paper is able to answer two of the fundamental questions of investment: does active management add value and what form of active management, stock selection or factor risk, is better at adding value to the fund? Findings – There are three main conclusions. First, the approach of Cremers and Petajisto (2009) and Petajisto (2010) is able to classify real estate funds in the UK on their management activity into categories that makes intuitive sense and seem stable over time. Second, balanced funds show relatively low Active Shares and particularly low tracking errors, due to the benefits of property-type diversification. In contrast, specialists funds display higher Active Shares and both low and high tracking errors depending on their stock-picking approach; diversified or concentrated. Third, an analysis over different time periods confirmed that funds in the sample essentially remained in the same categories within the sample period, even during markedly different market return periods. This implies that investors need to constantly monitor changes in the market and switch between fund management styles, if at all possible. Research limitations/implications – The analysis was only based on 38 funds with complete data over the sample period and the relationship between fees and active management was not examined, even though ultimately investors are concerned with returns after management fee. It would be instructive therefore if the number of funds and time period was expanded to see if the results are robust and to see whether management fees outweigh the benefits of active manager. Practical implications – The findings should enable investors to make a more informed investment decisions in the future. Originality/value – To the best of the author’s knowledge this is the first paper to apply the dual sources of active management, Active Share and tracking error, in the UK real estate market.


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arvydas Jadevicius ◽  
Stephen Lee

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine whether Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) returns on the different days of the week differ from each other. Design/methodology/approach It uses European Public Real Estate Association (EPRA)/National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT) UK index daily closing values (GBP) and its two sub-indices FTSE EPRA/NAREIT UK REITs and non-REITs as dependent variables. It employs Kruskal-Wallis tests and dummy-variable regression to test the hypothesis. Findings The overall findings provide evidence that return anomalies exist in the UK REITs. Practical implications Thought significant, the absolute returns differences are modest for investors to gain superior returns in UK REITs. However, by recognising the day-of-the-week effect, investors can buy/sell UK REITs more effectively. Originality/value This research brings updated evidence of the contested calendar anomalies issues in REITs.


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 509-527
Author(s):  
Kim Hin David Ho ◽  
Kwame Addae-Dapaah ◽  
Fang Rui Lina Peck

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the common stock price reaction and the changes to the risk exposure of the cross-listing for real estate investment trusts (REITs). Design/methodology/approach The paper adopts the event study methodology to assess the abnormal returns (ARs). Pre- and post-cross-listing changes in the risk exposure for the domestic and foreign markets are examined, via a modified two-factor international asset pricing model. A comparison is made for two broad cross-listings, namely, the depositary receipts and the dual ordinary listings, to examine the impacts from institutional differences. Findings Cross-listed REITs generally experience positive and significant ARs throughout the event window, implying significant superior returns associated with the cross-listing for REITs. On systematic risks, REITs exhibit significant decline in their domestic market β coefficients after the cross-listing. However, the foreign market β coefficients do not yield conclusive evidence when compared across the sample. Research limitations/implications Results are consistent with prudential asset allocation for potential diversification gains from the cross-listing, as the reduction from the domestic market beta is more significant than changes in the foreign market beta. Practical implications The results and findings should incentivise REIT managers to explore viable cross-listing. Social implications Such cross-listing for REITs should enhance risk diversification. Originality/value This is a pioneer study on cross-listing of REITs. It provides a basis for investment decision making, and could provoke further research and discussion.


Author(s):  
Vasileios A. Mantogiannis ◽  
Fotios A. Katsigiannis

Investment decisions in private real-estate demand the consideration of several qualitative and quantitative criteria, as well as the different or even conflicting interests of the participating stakeholders. Meanwhile, certain indicators are subject to severe uncertainty, which will eventually alter the expected outcome of the investment decision. Even though multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) techniques have been extensively used in real-estate investment appraisals, there is limited evidence from the private rented sector, which constitutes a large part of the existing real estate assets. The existing approaches are not designed to capture the inherent variability of the decision environment, and they do not always achieve a consensus among the participating actors. In this work, through a rigorous literature review, we were able to identify a comprehensive list of assessment criteria, which were further validated through an iterative Delphi-based consensus-making process. The selected criteria were then used to construct an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) model evaluating four real world, real estate investment alternatives from the UK private rented market. The volatility of the financial performance indicators was grasped through several Monte Carlo simulation runs. We tested the described solution approach with preference data obtained by seven senior real estate decision-makers. Our computational results suggest that financial performance is the main group of selection criteria. However, the sensitivity of the outcome indicates that location and property characteristics may greatly affect real estate investment decisions.


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 619-637 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Scofield ◽  
Steven Devaney

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand what affects the liquidity of individual commercial real estate assets over the course of the economic cycle by exploring a range of variables and a number of time periods to identify key determinants of sale probability. Design/methodology/approach Analyzing 12,000 UK commercial real estate transactions (2003 to 2013) the authors use an innovative sampling technique akin to a perpetual inventory approach to generate a sample of held assets for each 12 month interval. Next, the authors use probit models to test how market, owner and property factors affect sale probability in different market environments. Findings The types of properties that are most likely to sell changes between strong and weak markets. Office and retail assets were more likely to sell than industrial both overall and in better market conditions, but were less likely to sell than industrial properties during the downturn from mid-2007 to mid-2009. Assets located in the City of London more likely to sell in both strong and weak markets. The behavior of different groups of owners changed over time, and this indicates that the type of owner might have implications for the liquidity of individual assets over and above their physical and locational attributes. Practical implications Variation in sale probability over time and across assets has implications for real estate investment management both in terms of asset selection and the ability to rebalance portfolios over the course of the cycle. Results also suggest that sample selection may be an issue for commercial real estate price indices around the globe and imply that indices based on a limited group of owners/sellers might be susceptible to further biases when tracking market performance through time. Originality/value The study differs from the existing literature on sale probability as the authors analyzed samples of transactions drawn from all investor types, a significant advantage over studies based on data restricted to samples of domestic institutional investors. As well, information on country of origin for buyers and sellers allows us to explore the influence of foreign ownership on the probability of sale. Finally, the authors not only analyze all transactions together, but the authors also look at transactions in five distinct periods that correspond with different phases of the UK commercial real estate cycle. This paper considers the UK real estate market, but it is likely that many of the findings hold for other major commercial real estate markets.


2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 163-180
Author(s):  
Felix Lorenz

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the literature on seasoned equity offerings (SEOs) by examining the underpricing of European real estate corporations and identifying determinants explaining the phenomenon of setting the offer price at a discount at SEOs. Design/methodology/approach With a sample of 470 SEOs of European real estate investment trusts (REITs) and real estate operating companies (REOCs) from 2004 to 2018, multivariate regression models are applied to test for theories on the pricing of SEOs. This paper furthermore tests for differences in underpricing for REITs and REOCs as well as specialized and diversified property companies. Findings Significant underpricing of 3.06 percent is found, with REITs (1.90 percent) being statistically less underpriced than REOCs (5.08 percent). The findings support the market timing theory by showing that managers trying to time the equity market gain from lower underpricing. Furthermore, underwritten offerings are more underpriced to reduce the risk of the arranging bank, but top-tier underwriters are able to reduce offer price discounts by being more successful in attracting investors. The results cannot support the value uncertainty hypothesis, but they are in line with placement cost stories. In addition, specialized property companies are subject to lower underpricing. Practical implications An optimal issuance strategy taking into account timing, relative offer size and the choice of the underwriter can minimize the amount of “money left on the table” and therefore contribute to the lower cost of raising capital. Originality/value This is the first study to investigate SEO underpricing for European real estate corporations, pricing differences of REITs and REOCs in seasoned offerings and the effect of market timing on the pricing of SEOs.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Graeme Newell

PurposeThe Asian real estate markets have grown considerably in recent years and have taken on increased investment importance, particularly with significant developments in the emerging markets in Asia. This paper assesses the opportunities for more research on the Asian real estate markets, by highlighting the significance of Asia real estate, the drivers behind this growth and the unique opportunities this presents for high-quality real estate research, by both local researchers and their international colleagues. Strategies for delivering this research agenda are also identified.Design/methodology/approachThis research is based on a thorough understanding of the Asian real estate markets, based on my own research agenda, personal interactions, insights and extensive discussions with real estate leaders in the Asian markets. This is supported by a clear understanding of the real estate research opportunities in the Asian markets and the strategies needed to deliver this research agenda in an effective manner.FindingsA range of real estate research areas are identified to increase the level of Asian real estate research. This sees research opportunities around key areas such as market dynamics, real estate investment vehicles, alternate real estate sectors, infrastructure and sustainability. Strategies for expanding this level of research for both local and international real estate researchers are also identified.Practical implicationsWith the Asian real estate markets taking on more importance with many international real estate investors, it is important to see more high-quality research into these dynamic real estate markets. This research will see a fuller understanding of these Asian real estate markets to enable more informed real estate investment decision-making.Originality/valueThe need for more high-quality research into the Asian real estate markets is clearly presented, with enabling strategies to achieve this agenda identified. This will see expanded research opportunities to critically research these unique real estate markets and produce high-quality research publications.


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