According to INREV, more real estate investors are looking to allocate capital to European value-add strategies in 2020 than to core. As a notable sidebar to that finding, opportunistic investing is more apparent than at any time since the 2008 global financial crisis for those investors with a greater risk appetite. Many European investment firms are keen to attract the increased allocations reaped by Asia Pacific investors, especially those in Singapore, South Korea and Hong Kong but also China, Taiwan, Malaysia and Japan. Key factors driving this trend to invest in Europe include economic and geopolitical stability, low interest rates, desire for diversification and yield, currency trends and reliable legal environments. Europe has been the beneficiary, but many Asian investors also have a longer and more conservative investment approach with a renewed focus on core office, logistics assets and student accommodation investments in key gateway cities in the U.K., Germany and France. Many investment management firms that traditionally focused on European value-add and opportunistic strategies are also attracting capital with longer term core and core+ fund investment strategies. This turn of events is driving firms to embrace new technology as a step toward facilitating their asset strategy and decision-making process. Collaboration between all internal and external parties involved in the asset lifecycle becomes more critical than ever to facilitate informed decision-making, due to the longer-term nature of the strategy Essential elements to promoting that collaboration include: Full insight into the deal pipeline and portfolio value obtained from relevant comparisons with MLA’s and existing leases. Availability and transparency of current operational and financial data, which comprises the foundation of a comprehensive business plan. Asset managers’ ability to improve cost control, reduce risk and keep projects on track with complete budget oversight, accurate forecasts, and management of contracts, commitments and cash flows. Technology platforms that encompass the full investment management lifecycle are already helping many firms — including those working with outsourced parties, operating partners and fund administrators — drive stronger revenues while giving them instant access and full transparency into their data. Such systems have revolutionised how asset/portfolio/fund management, development and finance teams gain insight into risk, exposures and tasks during the leasing, forecasting, budgeting and development processes. As fully integrated systems, they enable superior collaboration among internal and external teams and maximise efficiency by automating business processes. Undertaking a new investment strategy can be attractive yet unsettling. Advanced real estate asset management technology can help chart a way forward that minimises risk and maximises opportunities for success. Learn how Yardi solutions promote success for real estate asset managers in Europe and...

It’s amazing to think that  INREV presented its European RE Investment Intentions Roadshow in London, Amsterdam, Helsinki and Frankfurt so recently – in January, to be precise – before rooms full of major investment firms and investors, the vast majority of whom planned to deploy more capital to meet higher target allocations. At that point, investors faced the challenge of finding opportunities amid current market conditions whose risks included geopolitical uncertainties, yield compression, retail woes and availability of assets. Only a few weeks later, as the outbreak progressed, it’s obvious that COVID-19 will subdue transactions and new vehicle fund raising for the foreseeable future. Investors and portfolio managers will instead focus on analysing their existing portfolios in the current climate. They face an immediate need to find ways to mitigate risk, predict future performance, continue serving customers and satisfy investor queries. Questions whose answers will guide portfolio managers’ decisions include: Do you have a good understanding of your current customers, their needs and customer mix? How strong are your customer’s businesses and could they be affected by the coronavirus? Are your customer’s maintenance issues being resolved in a timely fashion? Do you know and have access to your latest tenancy schedules and which leases need attention in the next six months, bearing in mind that tenants who are well treated and attended to are less likely to renegotiate better terms? Do you have the ability to track MLAs and market rents and understand their variance from current leases? Do you understand how different scenarios could impact portfolio performance and future transactions? Are you considering how reduced valuations, liquidity and the transformation to a lender’s market will affect transactions and leverage? What is your outsourced or counterparty risk? Answering these questions requires full visibility and access into real estate assets’ operational and financial data, along with the ability to evaluate investment options and select assets most likely to maximize ROI. That’s where integrated technology platforms that offer sound processes and collaboration among all internal and external parties come in to facilitate informed decision-making They can track assets through their lifecycle, starting with identifying the opportunity with property prospecting, preliminary underwriting and asset management information. Once an asset enters the portfolio, a connected platform can continuously collect data related to facilities maintenance, energy consumption, occupancy, lease terms and other elements Integrated platforms that perform end-to-end management of the real estate investment lifecycle can help real estate investment management firms operate more effectively during periods of market instability. Such platforms enable efficient portfolio management, visibility into sector and tenant exposure and communication with more demanding investors, all of which are essential to getting those questions answered and developing strategies to handle COVID-19 disruptions. Learn about the resources that Yardi has made available to its clients, employees and communities during the COVID-19...