The Biggest Issue Facing Housing The New Year

Based on what is forecasted, we know that interest rates are projected to remain low and that appreciation is expected to continue as we move into 2020.  Additionally, the upcoming election will provoke many unique perspectives on the health of the US housing market. The challenge will be understanding what is actually happening and how you can best position yourself if you are thinking of buying or selling your home.

Spotlight

SHVO

For over a decade, SHVO has envisioned, planned and developed more than $15 Billion of prime real estate spanning over 80 million square feet. SHVO projects set new standards for architectural and design innovation, energizing and engaging their surrounding communities.

OTHER ARTICLES
Real Estate Technology, Asset Management

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE INVESTING GUIDELINES

Article | June 15, 2023

Real estate is always an attractive avenue for keen investors. The prospects of property appreciation and their potential returns keep luring people every now and then.Investment in residential property in India is always on the boom. However, the commercial real estate investing trend is also witnessing a rise. This is because commercial properties for medical care centres, hotels and shopping malls present bright investment opportunities. They provide huge returns on investment in short time. This is because of the high profits involved.

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Real Estate Technology

3 Ways to Simplify Leasing Out Your Commercial Property

Article | July 21, 2022

You have a commercial property and you need to lease it as soon as possible. In an ideal world, you would find a client as soon as your property is vacant. But we do not live in an ideal world. As a property owner or manager, you need to list your property, get the right contacts, and find a buyer who is ready to occupy immediately at a price that's efficient to you. It can be a tedious journey. That’s where a broker comes in. Filling your vacant properties is essential but navigating a labyrinth of procedures shouldn't keep you occupied, which is whyleveraging a brokernetwork is so important. Here are three ways you can connect with brokers to make the most of their services. Updating Your Inventory List If you've tried handing a PDF of your current available listings, you might want to reconsider your approach for better chances of success. Brokers must be aware of the properties you have available if you want them to consider yours. The issue with online CRE listings is that many of them are outdated. This may cause a broker to think they’ve found an ideal property for their client, only to discover it’s already leased out. This doesn’t make a good impression. In addition, static listings are not search-friendly. To cut to the chase, deploy a search-ready, updated portfolio. Simplifying things for brokers will keep them coming back and contribute towards building a positive association with them. Sharing an Inventory List Right to Their Inbox Simplifying property search isn’t all. What are you doing to make a broker’s life much easier? You don’t need to spend a ton on proptech to reach out to brokers on time. Set up a commercial real estate email list that directly emails your updated listings to the brokers, providing them with timely alerts on when a new property is on the market or reminding them that an existing listing is still available. Providing Easy Access to the Property Information Regular emails about your updated property portfolio is bound to keep brokers engaged and informed. Going a step further, you can create a mobile-friendly property information page for each of your CRE properties to ensure that brokers have all the information they need at their fingertips. This avoids any bottlenecks caused by having the wrong information or no information at all about the specifications of your properties. A Final Word of Advice One of the most effective things commercial property owners can do to guarantee their properties are continuously leased is to engage with brokers, keep them updated, and simplify ways for them to interact with your property.

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Real Estate Technology, Asset Management

What Property Investors Need to Know About Sustainable And Impact Investing

Article | May 30, 2023

There’s no escaping the importance of sustainability in any investment sector. Globally, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing is worth $30 trillion in assets under management each year, around a quarter of all professionally-managed assets. It is more relevant than ever as the ‘high impact, low probability’ shock imposed by Covid-19 has strengthened the case for prioritising people and planet alongside profits, and illustrated the power of collective action to tackle global problems. Many investors are unaware how significant this trend will be. If you are an investor, you need to consider why sustainability will be important, what sustainable property investing actually means, and what the major issues and opportunities are, as these will affect your risks and returns. Why is sustainability so important for investors? The UK’s legally-binding commitment to achieve net carbon zero by 2050 means that sustainability is no longer a ‘nice to have’. Our legal obligation is showing up in the form of new rules, regulations and best practices affecting all sectors that contribute to emissions. 40 per cent of UK emissions come from households, which makes the chance of more regulations and policies around the environmental performance of property more likely than not. These regulations will not only affect your ability to operate in a way that is compliant, but fundamentally change the value, performance and risk associated with your investments.

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Real Estate Technology

3 Proptech Trends That Are Making Waves in the Real Estate Industry

Article | July 6, 2022

Proptech, or property technology, comprises digital solutions that help facilitate buying, selling and leasing of commercial real estate. It is also called CREtech or REtech for commercial real estate technology, respectively. It usually refers to the digital tools and software used in real estate. With digitalization growing at an exponential rate across the real estate sector, proptech is evolving, here are three topmost trends in proptech that real estate solution providers must keenly follow. 1 3D House Tours Both prospective buyers and real estate agents love this technology. 3D house tours simulate a real house tour and can be viewed either on virtual reality (VR) headsets or one’s computer screen. They simplify initial interactions by enabling users to confirm their interest in a property, saving both time and visits for buyers and agents. They also allow agents to better market their properties and schedule multiple visits from the comfort of their offices. The ensuing process ensures that agents are able to provide realistic walkthroughs of their properties and eliminate friction from the get-go, making the showing as painless as possible. 2 Automated Service Desks Exceptional customer service is the name of the game in real estate and agents are expected to provide their clients with white glove service wherever possible. Conversational AI is one way that many real estate solution providers are achieving this. With round-the-clock contact channels to assist clients with the information they need, agents and brokers are better equipped to deal with queries and reduce their response time. The automation of menial tasks also ensures that they don’t have to be everywhere all the time. 3 Digital Transaction Management Real estate comes with its share of sky-high paperwork. With digital transaction management, agents can now reduce the significant amount of legwork that goes into managing paperwork. It also helps in signing documents digitally, which means physical presence isn’t needed to execute agreements and registration processes, making the process smoother and faster. Real estate clients with multiple properties will no longer need to be inundated with massive amounts of paperwork and travel. For the Record Digitalization is transforming industries at lightning speed and real estate is a frontrunner in adopting new technologies. The impact that proptech has on RE is visibly vital. The above trends are revolutionizing the real estate technology landscape. Keep an eye out to see how these trends change the way people buy and sell property.

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Spotlight

SHVO

For over a decade, SHVO has envisioned, planned and developed more than $15 Billion of prime real estate spanning over 80 million square feet. SHVO projects set new standards for architectural and design innovation, energizing and engaging their surrounding communities.

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Real Estate Advice

Zillow unveils a new look for property pages, their biggest redesign in 5 years

PR Newswire | October 25, 2023

Zillow is launching a big update to the look and feel of for-sale property listings on its website, improving home shoppers' experience with a more intuitive and simplified layout. The enhanced design of for-sale property listings on Zillow.com offers a wider, single-scroll format, making it easier for home shoppers to find key information, such as square footage, the Zestimate feature, lot size and home type. The new layout also introduces a media section at the top of the page that better showcases photos and 3D tours. By clicking on a photo, the media section expands, providing a full-page, magazine-style layout for seamless navigation through the rest of the home's photography. "The new design delivers a fun and efficient way to browse homes on the Zillow website, making it easier for home shoppers to navigate and process information," said Jenny Arden, chief design officer at Zillow. "We introduced a wider layout for images, larger fonts for the most important facts and a clearer articulation of what makes the home special to help our users quickly understand if the home is right for them." Zillow's app updates: Navigate with ease and simplify financing with the Home Loans tab In addition to the redesign on the Zillow website, for-sale property listings on the Zillow app (iOS) are also receiving an update. This new look minimizes excessive scrolling by allowing users to more easily find the information that matters the most to them, whether that's home facts and features, a cost calculator or the Zestimate history. When viewing a for-sale listing on the app, users will see a new look that presents the home details categorized into sections such as "What's Special,"' "Market Value," "Monthly Cost" and "Neighborhood." Users can click into particular sections of interest to find more details. This new look will be available before the end of the year on the Zillow iOS app. Zillow is also introducing a new "Home Loans" tab on the Zillow app to help shoppers become buyers. Users can now easily figure out their budget, connect with a lender, get prequalified with Zillow Home Loans℠, and track their loan status — all in one place. "Financing is a critical part of the home-buying process, and 60% of buyers say setting their budget is their first step when buying a home. With this update, we're helping the millions of people browsing the Zillow app better understand what they can afford within their budget and see a clear path toward getting the mortgage they need," said Matt Daimler, senior vice president of product at Zillow. "We're already seeing an impact: Customers are saying it's easier than ever to access and use our financing tools and get prequalified with Zillow Home Loans."

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Real Estate Technology

Barings and Foulger Pratt Close Acquisition of $50+ Million Build-to-Rent Community in Raleigh, NC

Business Wire | October 19, 2023

Barings, one of the world’s largest diversified real estate investment managers, today announced its joint venture with Foulger Pratt to acquire a 172-unit build-to-rent (BTR) community in the Raleigh, N.C. metropolitan area. The $50+ million acquisition marks Barings’ entrance into the BTR market and builds on the firm’s $12.5+ billion* U.S. real estate equity platform. The transaction brings Foulger Pratt’s BTR portfolio to 700 homes and approximately $250 million in investment across North Carolina and Maryland. “We believe build-to-rent is one of the fastest growing segments of the housing market given demographic trends, evolving consumer preferences, and a national housing shortage,” said Joe Gorin, Barings’ Head of U.S. Real Estate Equity. “We are excited to partner with the well-established team at Foulger Pratt on our first BTR acquisition and look forward to deploying more capital into attractively priced assets as we scale our capabilities in this segment.” “Foulger Pratt is excited to continue its investment in the Carolinas through the delivery of quality rental housing in partnership with Barings – one of the world’s leading investment managers,” said Cameron Pratt, Chief Executive Officer of Foulger Pratt. The community will consist of 89 townhomes and 83 single-family detached units situated on 39 acres in Wendell, N.C. – just east of Raleigh. The initial deliveries of homes are expected to be available for lease in H1 2024. “We anticipate strong job, population, and household growth in this emerging submarket and believe this property will be well-positioned to offer an affordable rent alternative, a high quality of life, as well as easy access to key employment centers and top-tier universities,” said Kevin Miller, Barings’ Head of Real Estate Acquisitions, Eastern U.S. Barings has been investing in U.S. real estate equity for nearly 30 years and today has $35.5 billion* in U.S. real estate AUM across equity and debt, with nearly 130 dedicated real estate investment professionals across six U.S. offices managing more than 550 assets.

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Real Estate Technology

JPAR Meets Consumer Demand for Floor Plans in Real Estate Listings with CubiCasa Partnership

PR Newswire | October 17, 2023

JPAR, a leading name in real estate, is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with CubiCasa, a pioneer in floor plan technology. The partnership marks one of CubiCasa's first partnerships with a residential real estate brand. The companies have joined in executing a vision to bring a floor plan to every listing. In a survey by the National Association of REALTORS®, it was revealed that 67% of home buyers consider floor plans "very useful" in their property search, yet this essential feature is often overlooked in listings. Following photos and listing data, a floor plan is the most coveted data asset for consumers. "We want every interaction with one of our agents and listings to be a quality experience for consumers. This partnership empowers our sales professionals to meet the demands of modern buyers by providing them with the information they need to make some of the largest decisions in their lives," said Daniel Butbul, VP of Operations at JPAR's Affiliated Network. "Our goal is to have floor plans available on 90% of JPAR listings by the end of 2024," added Butbul. Effective immediately, agents may now register for a JPAR-sponsored CubiCasa account, accessible through the JPAR® OneStop HUB. "It's incredibly exciting to work with JPAR® on this project. They share our vision of a better real estate search experience powered by floor plans being attached to every listing, and our technology is the world's single-easiest and most-scalable solution to creating floor plans," according to Jeff Allen, President, CubiCasa. The CubiCasa app streamlines the process of creating floor plans for listings, requiring just 5-10 minutes to scan the property using almost any mobile device. Agents can then upload the scan on-site or at their convenience. CubiCasa's advanced AI technology transforms the scan into a professional-grade floor plan, which is delivered within 6-24 hours, available with and without measurements. About JPAR - Real Estate JPAR – Real Estate is a full-service real estate brand and franchise platform offering a highly competitive transaction fee-based model and agent-centric culture. The JPAR® platform provides agents seven (7) days-per-week support, a comprehensive tech stack, marketing, lead generation, training, and mentoring. JPAR® affiliated owners benefit from compliance review, 1-on-1 consulting, recruiting support, and a peer network of influential industry leaders. The company boasts more than 4,000 agents operating in 65 offices across 27 states, Washington, D.C. and closes over $8B annually in sales volume. About CubiCasa Headquartered in Oulu, Finland, CubiCasa is the global market leader in mobile indoor scanning and is known for its fast and easy-to-use floor plan app on the App Store and Google Play Store. CubiCasa's technology is used in 160 different countries and has helped create over 1 million floor plans to date. CubiCasa provides technology for the real estate, appraisal, and mortgage industries and is on a mission to digitize real estate.

Read More

Real Estate Advice

Zillow unveils a new look for property pages, their biggest redesign in 5 years

PR Newswire | October 25, 2023

Zillow is launching a big update to the look and feel of for-sale property listings on its website, improving home shoppers' experience with a more intuitive and simplified layout. The enhanced design of for-sale property listings on Zillow.com offers a wider, single-scroll format, making it easier for home shoppers to find key information, such as square footage, the Zestimate feature, lot size and home type. The new layout also introduces a media section at the top of the page that better showcases photos and 3D tours. By clicking on a photo, the media section expands, providing a full-page, magazine-style layout for seamless navigation through the rest of the home's photography. "The new design delivers a fun and efficient way to browse homes on the Zillow website, making it easier for home shoppers to navigate and process information," said Jenny Arden, chief design officer at Zillow. "We introduced a wider layout for images, larger fonts for the most important facts and a clearer articulation of what makes the home special to help our users quickly understand if the home is right for them." Zillow's app updates: Navigate with ease and simplify financing with the Home Loans tab In addition to the redesign on the Zillow website, for-sale property listings on the Zillow app (iOS) are also receiving an update. This new look minimizes excessive scrolling by allowing users to more easily find the information that matters the most to them, whether that's home facts and features, a cost calculator or the Zestimate history. When viewing a for-sale listing on the app, users will see a new look that presents the home details categorized into sections such as "What's Special,"' "Market Value," "Monthly Cost" and "Neighborhood." Users can click into particular sections of interest to find more details. This new look will be available before the end of the year on the Zillow iOS app. Zillow is also introducing a new "Home Loans" tab on the Zillow app to help shoppers become buyers. Users can now easily figure out their budget, connect with a lender, get prequalified with Zillow Home Loans℠, and track their loan status — all in one place. "Financing is a critical part of the home-buying process, and 60% of buyers say setting their budget is their first step when buying a home. With this update, we're helping the millions of people browsing the Zillow app better understand what they can afford within their budget and see a clear path toward getting the mortgage they need," said Matt Daimler, senior vice president of product at Zillow. "We're already seeing an impact: Customers are saying it's easier than ever to access and use our financing tools and get prequalified with Zillow Home Loans."

Read More

Real Estate Technology

Barings and Foulger Pratt Close Acquisition of $50+ Million Build-to-Rent Community in Raleigh, NC

Business Wire | October 19, 2023

Barings, one of the world’s largest diversified real estate investment managers, today announced its joint venture with Foulger Pratt to acquire a 172-unit build-to-rent (BTR) community in the Raleigh, N.C. metropolitan area. The $50+ million acquisition marks Barings’ entrance into the BTR market and builds on the firm’s $12.5+ billion* U.S. real estate equity platform. The transaction brings Foulger Pratt’s BTR portfolio to 700 homes and approximately $250 million in investment across North Carolina and Maryland. “We believe build-to-rent is one of the fastest growing segments of the housing market given demographic trends, evolving consumer preferences, and a national housing shortage,” said Joe Gorin, Barings’ Head of U.S. Real Estate Equity. “We are excited to partner with the well-established team at Foulger Pratt on our first BTR acquisition and look forward to deploying more capital into attractively priced assets as we scale our capabilities in this segment.” “Foulger Pratt is excited to continue its investment in the Carolinas through the delivery of quality rental housing in partnership with Barings – one of the world’s leading investment managers,” said Cameron Pratt, Chief Executive Officer of Foulger Pratt. The community will consist of 89 townhomes and 83 single-family detached units situated on 39 acres in Wendell, N.C. – just east of Raleigh. The initial deliveries of homes are expected to be available for lease in H1 2024. “We anticipate strong job, population, and household growth in this emerging submarket and believe this property will be well-positioned to offer an affordable rent alternative, a high quality of life, as well as easy access to key employment centers and top-tier universities,” said Kevin Miller, Barings’ Head of Real Estate Acquisitions, Eastern U.S. Barings has been investing in U.S. real estate equity for nearly 30 years and today has $35.5 billion* in U.S. real estate AUM across equity and debt, with nearly 130 dedicated real estate investment professionals across six U.S. offices managing more than 550 assets.

Read More

Real Estate Technology

JPAR Meets Consumer Demand for Floor Plans in Real Estate Listings with CubiCasa Partnership

PR Newswire | October 17, 2023

JPAR, a leading name in real estate, is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with CubiCasa, a pioneer in floor plan technology. The partnership marks one of CubiCasa's first partnerships with a residential real estate brand. The companies have joined in executing a vision to bring a floor plan to every listing. In a survey by the National Association of REALTORS®, it was revealed that 67% of home buyers consider floor plans "very useful" in their property search, yet this essential feature is often overlooked in listings. Following photos and listing data, a floor plan is the most coveted data asset for consumers. "We want every interaction with one of our agents and listings to be a quality experience for consumers. This partnership empowers our sales professionals to meet the demands of modern buyers by providing them with the information they need to make some of the largest decisions in their lives," said Daniel Butbul, VP of Operations at JPAR's Affiliated Network. "Our goal is to have floor plans available on 90% of JPAR listings by the end of 2024," added Butbul. Effective immediately, agents may now register for a JPAR-sponsored CubiCasa account, accessible through the JPAR® OneStop HUB. "It's incredibly exciting to work with JPAR® on this project. They share our vision of a better real estate search experience powered by floor plans being attached to every listing, and our technology is the world's single-easiest and most-scalable solution to creating floor plans," according to Jeff Allen, President, CubiCasa. The CubiCasa app streamlines the process of creating floor plans for listings, requiring just 5-10 minutes to scan the property using almost any mobile device. Agents can then upload the scan on-site or at their convenience. CubiCasa's advanced AI technology transforms the scan into a professional-grade floor plan, which is delivered within 6-24 hours, available with and without measurements. About JPAR - Real Estate JPAR – Real Estate is a full-service real estate brand and franchise platform offering a highly competitive transaction fee-based model and agent-centric culture. The JPAR® platform provides agents seven (7) days-per-week support, a comprehensive tech stack, marketing, lead generation, training, and mentoring. JPAR® affiliated owners benefit from compliance review, 1-on-1 consulting, recruiting support, and a peer network of influential industry leaders. The company boasts more than 4,000 agents operating in 65 offices across 27 states, Washington, D.C. and closes over $8B annually in sales volume. About CubiCasa Headquartered in Oulu, Finland, CubiCasa is the global market leader in mobile indoor scanning and is known for its fast and easy-to-use floor plan app on the App Store and Google Play Store. CubiCasa's technology is used in 160 different countries and has helped create over 1 million floor plans to date. CubiCasa provides technology for the real estate, appraisal, and mortgage industries and is on a mission to digitize real estate.

Read More

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