International real estate investors have been urged to make key decisions surrounding property purchases quickly if they want to receive maximum investment returns from the current cycle. This is according to Andrew Thornton, chief executive officer of Internos Real Investors, who believes that the sector is ready to rebound.
As such, in an interview with Overseas Property Professional, Mr Thornton explained that buyers must start making spending decisions immediately.
"In our view, backed up by a 40-year analysis of real estate cycles, investors should clearly have allocated more than average levels to real estate during 2009-10 and, if they haven’t already done so, through 2011," Mr Thornton said.
He noted that key markets, countries and regions to be looking at include Germany, France, Scandinavia, Poland and Central London, which passed their troughs in 2010. In addition, regions approaching or just past bottom of the cycle, like some major Spanish cities, may offer further opportunities.
Jones Lang LaSalle recently reported that USD 90 billion has already been spent in quarter one of 2011. The consultancy forecast that there will be a further USD 290-310 billion in direct commercial real estate investment transactions for the remainder of this year.