recession

Abu Dhabi villa prices expected to slide further

Sale prices and rentals of villas in Abu Dhabi are likely to drop as fresh supplies are entering the market and a number of people are shifting to live on the outskirts of Dubai due to its “affordable rates”, said real estate officials.

Already villa prices have dropped in various projects. “We expect this trend to continue during 2010 as more units are expected to be handed over and the number of people relocating from Abu Dhabi to ‘more affordable’ Dubai continue in the short- and medium-terms,” said Mohanad Alwadiya, Managing Director, Harbor Real Estate.

Currently, in Al Reef Villas a two-bedroom villa goes for Dh1.1 million, a three-bedroom villa for Dh1.6m, a four-bedroom villa for Dh1.7m and a five-bedroom unit for Dh2.3m.

“Villa prices in Abu Dhabi are starting to soften as more units start to flow into the market. This trend has affected the attitude of landlords and sellers and has forced them to be more flexible when it comes to price points and payment terms,” said Alwadiya.

Penthouses in Dubai more resilient than other assets

Penthouses in Dubai more resilient than other assets

Buyers of penthouses do not sell their property at low rates as their holding capacity is much better. (SUPPLIED)
of penthouses in Dubai have been relatively lower than other types of residential units as their buyers have the financial capacity to hold on to the units, realtors said.

However, owners need to offer “higher” discounts to find buyers in the secondary market since the product caters to a niche buyer segment.

Vineet Kumar, Head of Sales – Dubai, Asteco Property Management: “Buyers of penthouses do not sell their property at low rates as their holding capacity is much better since they are more financially stable.”

Mohanad Alwadiya, Managing Director, Harbor Real Estate said: “Penthouses in Dubai seem to be more resilient than other residential assets. Last year, there was an increase in the rental demand for penthouses in prime areas. This demand was mainly from high profile tenants who could take advantage of high quality units at affordable rates.

“In addition penthouses are limited in number, which has helped retain its value.”

Yolanta Farah, Associate Director, Head of Residential, Sales & Leasing, Group Seven Properties, said: “Penthouses are faring better than average units. More than regular units, penthouses are owned by end users as first or second home or guest house. These owners are not selling in current market, except in cases of higher necessity as part of property consolidation. Penthouses available on secondary market are usually not the truly special ones that a penthouse should have such as a top floor with a great view, good location and space.

“There is very little demand for any property at the moment, but there is hardly any availability of really special penthouses, either.”

Bernard Aoun, Manager – Residential Sales & Leasing, Better Homes, said if a client owns a penthouse it can be considered they may have a higher holding capacity.

“The penthouse properties have suffered just like any other real estate property in Dubai during the crisis. However, because there is limited supply they have survived better than the rest.”

According to real estate agents, penthouse prices have dropped anywhere between 25 and 50 per cent in the past one year. “The asking prices have seen a drop of 25 per cent to 30 per cent,” said Kumar.

“The selling price in secondary sales started from Dh2,000 per square foot for a penthouse in Emaar’s building in Dubai Marina. The recently released Executive Towers on Sheikh Zayed Road has a penthouse of 5,877 sq ft selling at Dh1,600 per sq ft amounting to Dh9.4 million.

Aoun said on an average, the prices of the penthouses in Dubai have come down by 50 per cent from 2008. Alwadiya said that prices of penthouses dropped by an average of 35 per cent since last year.

According to Group Seven Properties, some penthouses in Dubai’s secondary market are in the Golden Mile, with building number 4 developed by IFA going for Dh4.2m. Bayside Residence in Dubai Marina, developed by Trident at the 22nd floor; with a total area of 6,500 sq ft and a full Marina view is around Dh10m.

In South Ridge, Burj Downtown, a three-bedroom apartment of 3,003 sq ft area plus balcony with Burj views is around Dh5.9m. Indigo Tower in Jumeirah Lake Tower, a four-bedroom penthouse apartment of 3,745 sq ft area with lake views is Dh4.1m.

Real estate agents said that average return on investment (RoI) is between five and seven per cent for penthouses.

“We are looking today at between five per cent and seven per cent RoI, which in a depressed market is considered as a great return on investment,” said Aoun.

Better Homes also said average rental yields for penthouses currently are a minimum of five per cent in a case-by-case scenario.

Alwadiya said rental yields for penthouse is currently around three to five per cent compared to other residential assets.

“We believe penthouses can offer very handsome capital growth opportunities over the longer term. We estimate an average of 40 per cent in capital growth would be realistic over a six-to-seven year period and the downside risk to achieving this is considered minimal.”

Farah said while over-investment in real estate during 2008 put some people in trouble, those buying penthouses are generally educated buyers who know that buying the best in the best location is safer, regardless of market conditions.

Kumar said unlike the rest of the world, Dubai’s penthouses offer options to buyers to buy it as shell and core so buyers can finish the apartment to their liking with their personal choice.

Aoun said that it is not possible to compare Dubai and the rest of the world in terms of real estate because the emirate is still an emerging market where taste and requirements are often different.

However, Alwadiya said penthouses in Dubai are much bigger in space and offer better value for money in terms of price per square foot. “In addition, there are no property taxes in Dubai which makes owning a penthouse better,” he said.

“By international standards, the prices of penthouses in Dubai are low. Prime penthouses in Central London are being offered between Dh9,000 per sq ft and Dh10,000 per sq ft. In South Mumbai, it ranges between Dh2,700 per sq ft and Dh3,500 per sq ft and in Upper Manhattan it ranges between Dh8,500 per sq ft and Dh11,000 per sq ft.”

Farah said that in the pre-freehold times, in “old Dubai”, there were landlords who built penthouses true to their name.

Top picks

Tower: Le Reve Tower
Location: Dubai Marina
Project status: Ready
Developer: Sulaiman Al Bassam
Price: Dh18 million/Dh2,950 per square foot

Tower: The Residences
Location: Downtown Burj Khalifa Area
Project status: Ready
Developer: Emaar Properties
Price: Dh16m to Dh17m/Dh2,000 to Dh2,100 per sq ft

Tower: The Address Lake Hotel
Location: Downtown Burj Khalifa area
Project Status: Ready
Developer: Emaar Properties
Price: Dh16m/Dh3,555 per sq ft

Tower: Al Seef Tower 1
Location: Dubai Marina
Project Status: Ready
Developer: Deyaar Development
Price: Dh11m/Dh1,570 per sq ft

Tower: Bayside Residence
Location: Dubai Marina
Project Status: Ready
Developer: Trident International Holdings
Price: Dh10m/area – 6,500 square feet

Tower: Tiara Residence
Location: Palm Jumeirah
Project status: Ready
Developer: Zabeel Investments
Price: Dh9.5m

Tower: The Executive Tower
Location: Business Bay
Project status: Ready
Developer: Dubai Properties
Price: Dh7m/Dh1,000 per sq ft

Tower: Emirates Crown
Location: Dubai Marina
Project status: Ready
Developer: GGICO/Mohamed Saif Mohamed bin Shafar
Price: Dh7m/Dh850 per sq ft

Tower: Jumeirah Beach Residence, Bahar
Location: Dubai Marina
Project status: Ready
Developer: Dubai Properties
Price: Dh6.5m to Dh7.5m/Dh1,100 per sq ft to Dh1,200 per sq ft

Tower: South Ridge
Location: Burj Downtown
Project Status: Ready
Developer: Emaar
Price: Dh5.9m/area – 3,003 sq ft

Tower: Building No. 4, Golden Mile
Location: Palm Jumeirah
Project status: Ready
Developer: IFA Hotels and Resorts
Price: Dh4.2m/Dh1,000 per sq ft

Tower: Indigo Tower
Location: Jumeirah Lake Tower
Project Status: Ready
Developer: Jumeirah Properties Investment
Price: Dh4.1m/area – 3,745 sq ft

Tower: Lake Shore Tower
Location: Jumeirah Lake Tower
Project status: Ready and occupied
Developer: Al Bodor Real Estate Development
Price: Dh3m

Dubai’s properties need people

The emirate’s real estate sector can only pick up if Dubai’s population grows, says a new study. Transparency and better customer service are also essentials.

Dubai’s real estate market is facing a massive oversupply, and will need a quick growth in the emirate’s population in order to recover, according to the latest report released by property broker Harbor Real Estate.

“In 2010, oversupply will be an issue in the market. An estimated 60,000 residential units and 30 million square foot of office space are coming on stream by the end of 2011,” the report said, adding that Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Lakes Towers alone were expected to see around 10,200 new units in the next two years.
Dubai’s population declined between 5 percent and 8 percent in 2009; the city will need to see a growth in its population to increase property demand and “kick start the industry again,” the report said.

It’s also not going to be easy to attract existing investors. Demand last year was dampened by the lack of available credit and the tightening of lending rules by mortgage lenders. In 2010, investors are expected to be extremely cautious, the report said.

“Gone are the days of the easy sale to the investor. Simply put, many people have been hurt by the real estate price correction. In effect, they have developed a risk aversion, which will take some time to overcome,” it said.

One of the key things essential to increase the confidence of consumers in the market is to increase transparency, the report said. Currently, laws and regulations about disclosure are limited.

“Investors, especially those from overseas, need to feel that their rights will be protected and, in case a dispute arises, resolution will be equitable, accessible and timely,” the report said.

The timely release of economic data will also help people assess the feasibility of their intended investments.
“Buyers, particularly those with cash are the new kings. This year, real estate professionals will need to serve the customer and serve them well. The main drivers of buyer dissatisfaction have been in the areas of knowledge, consultative ability and empathy. This responsibility does not only lie with brokers but also with developers who must ensure that end-consumer needs are understood,” the report said.

Dubai’s authorities have already started taking measures to regulate the emirate’s property market. Most recently, Dubai’s Real Estate Regulatory Agency (Rera) said on Sunday that it has signed a new deal with the Ministry of Labor to officially recognize real estate brokers as a separate professional category. Labor cards and residency visas issued to brokers will now include their designation, instead of categorizing them as sales staff. The authority said that the move would help to remove bogus brokers from the market.

“This is the first step towards a complete classification of the real estate professions in Dubai,” Marwan bin Ghalita, CEO of RERA, said in a statement, adding that the move will promote “transparency and professionalism” in the property sector.

In 2009, Rera announced that property developers in Dubai will have to pay the complete land price before selling off-plan developments and will also need to inject at least 20 percent of the project’s value before beginning construction.

Late last year, the Dubai Land Department also said that it was planning to introduce a new law to protect the rights of property investors during the first quarter of 2010.

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Construction targets to be met

Dubai-A total of 32,047 residential units are expected to come online this year, providing construction targets are met, according to Colliers International. Apartments are expected to account for 77 percent of the new residential units while villas will make up the rest.

The upcoming supply is set to bring down average rents and put pressure on landlords who, besides contending with lower prices, need to cover maintenance fees through rental yields as quickly as possible.

“In certain areas the increase in supply will potentially have an impact on rent being paid,” said Elaine Jones. Chief executive of Asteco Property management.
Negotiating Power

While tenants have considerably more negotiating power than they did 18 months ago, most landlord still expect payment in three to four cheques.

“The average number of cheques is still three and this has been relatively consistent for the past six months. Of course, there are still rental contracts based on one cheque and 12 cheques, but the majority are two to four cheques,” said Jones.

“During the last quarter, we also witnessed that the distress rentals that so characterized the rental activity of the first two quarters of 2009 have all but disappeared.

“Some landlords are now sticking to their negotiating positions and are more prepared to hold on to their properties and wait for the inevitable recovery,” said Mohanad Alwadiya, managing director of Harbor Real Estate.

“There is a belief that prices have reached realistic rates and there is very little room for price negotiations. Most of the tenants now negotiate payment terms and added value elements.”

Depending on the popularity of the area, certain units lend themselves more to rent negotiation. “If there are high occupancy rate in that particular building or development then there is usually little negotiating room on the rental rate,” Jesse Downs, director of research and advisory services at Landmark Advisory, told Gulf News.

“In this case, landlords tend to prefer to negotiate with the number of cheques or with an additional one month ‘s rent at no charge. For less desirable locations, developments with lower occupancy rates, or new buildings, there is usually more room to negotiate the rental rates. Of course, negotiations depend largely on asking prices.

There is variance in pricing strategies between the different agencies. Some brokerage firms list inventory at inflated levels and bring the rents down in the negotiation stages. Others list their inventory at more realistic rates and have low bid- ask spreads.”

Relocation

A continued trend of relocation from the outer emirates such as Ajman and Sharjah to Dubai can still be seen.

“Given the decline in Dubai rents in 2009, more people who are currently working in Dubai are opting to live in Dubai. As average rents decline, we expect this trend to increase with additional relocation from areas like Sharjah,” said Downs.

The trend seen in the fourth quarter of 2009 is predicted to continue early into 2010 with only a slight change in dynamics during the second quarter, especially when there is a better outlook of recovery, the projected supply and population figures.

A further drive that will affect rental rates is population growth generated by healthy commercial activity.

“Dubai needs to ensure that as the world economy starts to recover, it has positioned itself competitively as a place to do business,” said Alwadiya.

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Dubai Realty Challenged by Oversupply, Lack of Credit: Harbor Report

DUBAI – Looming oversupply and a lack of availability of mortgage are among the top challenges to a possible recovery in Dubai’s recession-hit real estate sector, said property broker Harbor Real Estate in its latest edition of the 
Harbor Report.

“An estimated 60,000 residential units and 30million square feet of office space are coming on stream by the end of 2011,” the report said. It said research conducted by Harbor indicates that, in the next two years, some 10,200 units will be released in Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Lakes Towers alone.

“With relatively high vacancy rates in both property sectors currently, the property scene is facing some significant oversupply challenges. Any student of economics 101 knows that, in time, equilibrium between supply and demand is eventually reached. The third variable to this overly simplistic equation is price.”
The report said that the recent quarter-on-quarter five per cent spike in prices for Dubai’s residential properties meant that; “for certain investors seeking certain property types, the price is just about right.” Harbor said the price trends in the first quarter “will bear testimony as to whether this is the beginning of a sustainable recovery or a minor blip in the stabilisation process.”

The report said demand for property throughout 2009 was also hindered by a lack of credit availability, tightening of lending policies and the inability of potential consumers to comply with such policies. “In 2010, the increase in flow of credit into the market place will be gradual at best.”

In addition to not having sufficient funds on hand for lending, mortgage providers and investment financiers are still not in a position to fully and confidently assess the level of risk they can prudently assume, mainly due to uncertainty which surrounds the risk inherent in their current loan portfolios, it said.

The report also said that the last 12 months were quite challenging for anyone wanting to obtain a mortgage in Dubai. In response to the global financial turmoil, banks had tightened their credit policies, reduced lending ratios and increased interest rates. “It appears that the worst may now be behind us and lenders are once again opening up their credit policies. While obtaining a mortgage is still not simple, and may not be for a while, lenders are now more willing to consider applications.” Interest rates are also on the way down. The average rate is now approximately 7.5 per cent, down from about 8.5 per cent a few months ago, it said.

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Rent caps set to be maintained at 2009 levels

Dubai-His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Moaktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has announced that the rent increase caps for 2010 remain at the same rates as 2009.

Endorsed by the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA), the rent cap states the maximum increase in rent landlords can impose each year.
The 2010 figures have been formed following the trends shown in RERA’s latest rental index. It states that increases can only occur if the property is more than 25 per cent below the average index price.

If the rent is 26 per cent to 35 per cent less than the average rent for a similar property, the maximum increase will be equivalent to 5 per cent of the rent value of the year 2009.

Pattern

If the rent is 36 per cent to 45 per cent less than the average rent for a similar property, the maximum increase will be equivalent to 10 per cent of rent value of the year 2009.

If the rent is 46 per cent to 55 per cent less than the average rent for a similar property, the maximum increase will be equivalent to 15 per cent of rent value of the year 2009.

If the rent is less by a percentage that is more than 55 per cent of the average rent rate, a 20 per cent increase is permissible.
‘Positive move’

“I think the decision to keep the rental cap the same as 2009 is good as it keeps the market in the same condition and doesn’t have that much of an impact as of now.” Sudhir Kumar, managing director of Realtors International told Gulf News.

The decree was implemented to curb the sky-rocketing rents and to regulate relations between landlords and tenants.

“It’s a positive move because it shows that regulatory operations are taking charge. However, there should be more enforcement on the individual landlords who are still breaking the values of the caps and are not abiding to the decree. A closer eye should also be kept on the fluctuating prices with the rent cap keeping up to speed.” said Mohanad Al Wadiya, managing director of Harbor Real Estate.

Investors confident about Dubai property market

DUBAI: Real estate industry experts say that investors have started expressing confidence in the Dubai property market in the long term, though the property prices in Dubai have not been affected by the recent Dubai World debt restructuring talks.

Speaking to The Gulf Today the CEO of Leo Sterling, Laura Martorano said that despite all the negative economic indicators, Dubai will continue to thread a bright future.

At the same time the managing director of Harbor Real Estate, Mohanad Alwadiya, also confirmed that property sales enquiries have picked up.

He believes the hike in interest is a result of the debt crisis. “Since the Dubai World announcement, we have recorded a noticeable increase in the number of queries from private and institutional investors who are interested in taking advantage of the impact that the announcement may have on the overall prices of property in Dubai and in Nakheel developments in specific.”

Martorano says that investors who bought property in Dubai not later than two years ago still stand to make a profit despite the current low prices.
She however added that people who are suffering the most are those who bought properties last year on mortgage because prices were extremely high with mortgage rates high as well.

Martorano adds that those people who bought property before 2007 have not lost, even if they sell they will still make a profit. She further says that property prices in Dubai were not much affected by the recent Dubai World debt restructuring talks.

“We were closing transactions with a few owners in JBR and they are sticking to their own price and we closed it on their price,” said Martorano.
On the other hand, Alwadiya says that although the Dubai World request caused global markets to plunge and attracted criticism in the international press, the situation he says has been overblown. However, he feels the incident has affected investor confidence.

We definitely feel that the international media is blowing this news out of proportion and a major effort will be required to reverse world opinions, he adds.
“Prices in a ready market will not change much because there is competition. In a ready market, about 60 per cent of the purchases are cash purchases. Therefore, these people may not necessarily be so desperate as opposed to the 40 per cent who have mortgages and bank loans,” explains Martorano.
Industry sources however claim that property transactions in Dubai have fallen in November compared to figures posted in the previous month.

Statistics from Dubai Land Department show the number of villa sale, have increased by 24 per cent from 88 to 109 but there was a 41 per cent decline in the value from Dh290m in October to Dh170m in November.

Flat sales saw a 4.8 per cent increase in number from 1,354 to 1,420 but values took a 7.7 per cent dive from Dh1.3bn to Dh1.2bn.
Dubai’s average monthly market index in November has also seen a 6.98 per cent contraction to 2,124.98 from 2,284.42 in the past month.
October also reported other positive indicators with average monthly market index posted at 11.25 per cent hike and trade as per issued Dubai certificates of origin rose by 10 per cent in volume and nine per cent in value.

Despite all the negative economic indicators, Martorano is convinced that Dubai will continue to thread a bright future.
She says investors with the means should shop around, “It’s a great time if you are a cash buyer, because banks are anticipated to get more tight-fisted, as they will come under pressure in a bid to keep a safety net due to their exposure to Dubai World.” Martorano thinks the debt issue is unlikely to stop the market from rebounding.

Realty prices projected to stabilise in 2010

Residential real estate prices are likely to stabilise in 2010, with buyers investing for the long term, according to real estate agents.

At the same time rents in Dubai’s commercial sector have stabilised over the past three months. While office rents in the emirate had been falling since late last year, the rentals have stabilised of late, revealed Better Homes data, shared exclusively with Emirates Business.

“Prices across villas and apartments will stabilise in 2010. Moreover, buyers investing in residences in Dubai will enter on a long-term basis, indicating a less speculative interest in the emirate for next year,” said Mohanad Alwadiya, Managing Director, Harbor Real Estate.

Just ahead of the new year, Emirates Business picked 12 residential projects in Dubai that received interest from potential property owners and tenants in the past 12 months.

Some of these projects saw increased sales and rental transactions, while some projects, such as Burj Dubai by Emaar Properties and the Villa Project in Dubailand by Al Mazaya Real Estate, are gathering a lot of interest just ahead of their handover.

Analysts attributed the stabilisation of rents to an improved economic environment, which has led to a slowdown in the restructuring exercises of local companies.

“The pace at which companies were restructuring and consolidating their plans to cut down their staff and give away additional space during the first half of the year have reduced over the past few months keeping the vacancy level of the office space stable to 25 per cent in the region,” said Porush Jhunjhunwala, Manager, Commercial Leasing at Better Homes.

Residential prices to stabilise on long-term buying

Residential real estate prices are likely to stabilise in 2010, with buyers investing for the long term, according to property agents.

“Prices across villas and apartments will stabilise in 2010. Moreover, buyers investing in residences in Dubai will enter on a long-term basis, indicating a less speculative interest in the emirate,” said Mohanad Alwadiya, Managing Director of Harbor Real Estate.

However, challenges to the real estate sector continue to remain. Alwadiya said: “While mortgage financing is easing, it is still limited in availability. Banks are lending but only to people with certain fixed profiles and according to rigid criteria. For example, people working in the real estate sector find it hard to source funding because of the risk associated to their job. Also, infrastructure in many developments needs to keep pace with the progress of the development.”

Vineet Kumar, Head of Sales at Asteco, said: “The buying trend has been towards ready properties, and mortgage finance is available for most projects from leading mortgage providers. Interest rates are in the range of 6.5 per cent to 10 per cent. Occupancy levels in developments handed over are generally in excess of 70 per cent. Locations such as Dubai Marina and Downtown Burj Dubai are being preferred by young families, while larger families have a preference for large villas in locations such as Emirates Hills and Jumeirah Islands.”

Just ahead of the new year, Emirates Business picked 12 residential projects in Dubai that received interest from potential property owners and tenants in the past 12 months. Some of these projects saw increased sales and rental transactions while some projects, such as Burj Dubai by Emaar Properties and the Villa Project in Dubailand by Al Mazaya Real Estate, are gathering a lot of interest just ahead of their handover.

Other major factors noted have been population shifts from other emirates and other developments in Dubai’s Discovery Gardens and International City projects.

“The reason for this is the attractive rental prices within these developments. In fact, recently, large corporates have looked to lease multiple units for their mid-level staff in International City,” said Alwadiya.

“The Motor City development, too, has witnessed an increase in occupancy rates from end-users and tenants seeking affordable and value-for-money residential units. Influx of people from neighbouring emirates, such as Sharjah, Ajman and Abu Dhabi, has further fuelled growth in occupancy rates within the development.”

How mergers could save the property and financial sectors

Mohanad Al Wadiya, Managing Director of Harbor Real Estate Brokerage, shares his thoughts on upcoming mergers

For many players in the local market, mergers and acquisitions appear to be a logical solution to stay afloat during the global financial crisis. Opinion is divided as to whether these mergers and acquisitions will have a positive or negative impact in the short and medium terms, and it is too early at this stage to predict success or failure. Nevertheless, it seems clear that without these actions, the result would be a freeze in financing facilities and diminishing activity in the property sector, which would have an adverse effect on the overall economy.

Within the financial sector, these kinds of mergers really started as early as last year. It all began when Amlak and Tamweel announced a merger to create Emirates Development Bank in November 2008. The new bank will have access to federal funds and hopes to strengthen the UAE’s home finance sector. The merger news gained considerable media attention and created veryhigh expectations.

In terms of property development, we have seen similar mergers within the last year. Dubai World, the major property and ports conglomerate, recently consolidated its management and property operations of Leisurecorp, Dubai Maritime City, and the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, all of which it owns. The property divisions of these companies will now be run by Nakheel, another property arm of Dubai World.

There is also continued discussion of a merger between Deyaar Development and Union Properties, with news about the latter having liquidity problems and losing its long-time chief executive recently.

While these developments are important for the sector, the most significant merger in the region is currently being discussed between Dubai Holdings’ ‘Big 3’ companies and Emaar, a most popular developer in the Middle East. Dubai Properties, Tatweer, and Sama Dubai—collectively known as ‘The Big 3’—are fully-owned subsidiariesof Dubai Holding Commercial Operations, a holding company of Dubai Holding Group with total assets of Dh126bn at the end of 2008, as quotes by Emaar.

There is a growing consensus among the officials involved that allowing healthy businesses to acquire companies in jeopardy of failing could stabilise the economy by bolstering confidence in both the financial and property sectors. For some of these companies, merging with a partner that has a strong balance sheet is a pressing and essential step in preventing dissolution. Other benefits include leveraging economies of scale and having stronger negotiation positions with regard to suppliers and contractors. The mergers will allow companies to work together to achieve long-term, strategic benefits by uniting complementary businesses into a single, sufficient and more successful operation. For the property sector, these mergers will also allow consolidated companies to have better control of the overall supply introduced into the marketplace and the quality of the products and services offered. This will definitely have a positive impact on the market in the long run.

On the other hand, there are concerns that these mergers will place heavy burdens on the stronger companies
involved. These partners are not just taking over assets, but may also be inheriting large liabilities and debts. Furthermore, these mergers are likely to generate a lot of uncertainty among the investors and shareholders involved. Investors might have to accept further delays until these mergers are finalised, and will then have to evaluate the impact of the mergers on their investment.

Whatever the impact, the number of mergers involving financial and property organisations is increasing. For these new companies, the ability to provide prompt, transparent, and practical information that guide all stakeholders through the merger process and expected outcomes could make the difference between success and failure from the public’s point of view.