LONDON , June 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Emerging markets have significantly improved their levels of real estate transparency according to the latest Global Real Estate Transparency Index ('Index')(1) from Jones Lang LaSalle, a financial and professional services firm specialising in real estate, and LaSalle Investment Management, its global real estate investment management subsidiary. The survey reveals that in 2008, eight countries moved up a full transparency tier since the last index in 2006. Dubai , Romania , Ukraine and Russia showed the biggest improvements in transparency over the last two years (see Table 1).
The Index, which provides a rigorous framework for comparing the level of real estate transparency in 82 markets around the world, shows that nearly half of the countries surveyed in 2006 demonstrated a significant improvement in their transparency score two years later. Transparency levels globally are improving as governments seek to streamline regulatory and legal hurdles to aid cross-border movement of capital and corporate facilities. Only Venezuela posted a lower transparency score this year compared with 2006, principally due to changes in government regulations and new taxation policies targeting foreign investors.
In keeping with historical results, the Australian and U.S. real estate markets remain among the most transparent in the world. With the addition of new variables relating to the quality and frequency of valuations, service charge transparency and financing transparency, Canada now ranks as the world's most transparent commercial real estate market (see Table 2).
'Many cross-border investors focus on more mature, open and transparent real estate markets such as the UK, Canada , Netherlands and Hong Kong . However, opportunistic investors will consider the emerging, less mature, less open and semi-transparent markets, but will require higher returns to compensate for the higher risks associated with lower transparency(2). Only the most opportunistic investors will consider semi-transparent markets found in Eastern Europe , Latin America and Southeast Asia . Opaque markets, such as Algeria , Belarus and Cambodia , are still very problematic, from the perspective of both investors and corporate occupiers.'
'Overall, increases in the free flow of capital, tenants, management and market information are closely coupled with the rising productivity of real estate in countries with improving transparency. This productivity can be measured by investment returns and in terms of corporations' ability to provide efficient workspaces, logistics facilities, retail environments, and business and leisure centers for travellers and domestic markets alike. While many emerging markets have made improvements to their real estate transparency, our index shows that not all governments and market participants have embraced the necessary changes.'
Table 1 Largest Transparency Score Changes 2006-2008
Largest Transparency Score Changes 2006-2008
Country Change in Score
Dubai 1.04
Romania 1.02
Ukraine 0.76
Russia Tier 1 Cities 0.57
Egypt 0.56
Saudi Arabia 0.52
Poland 0.36
Czech Republic 0.34
Panama 0.33
China Tier 1 Cities 0.33
Vietnam 0.29
Italy 0.26
Brazil 0.25
Portugal 0.25
Venezuela -0.13
Table 2 2008 Top Ten Most Transparent Countries
2008 Real Estate Transparency Index
2008 Composite 2008 Composite
2008 Composite Rank Country Score Tier
1 Canada 1.17 1
2 Australia 1.20 1
2 United States 1.20 1
4 New Zealand 1.21 1
5 United Kingdom 1.31 1
6 Netherlands 1.33 1
7 France 1.34 1
8 Sweden 1.43 1
9 Belgium 1.48 1
10 Ireland 1.52 2
The Index shows that 28 countries posted transparency scores that were within 10 basis points of their scores in 2006. Jones Lang LaSalle researchers say that consistency in transparency scores over the years is expected in real estate markets such as Australia , the UK, the U.S., Singapore and Hong Kong where a high degree of transparency already exists. However, countries such as Argentina , Greece , Indonesia , and Peru have consistently scored in the low transparency range over the last few years despite an increase in cross-border trade, finance and commerce over the same time period.
A number of countries in the 'frontier markets' have been included in the Index for the first time, with Belarus , Sudan , Algeria , Cambodia and Syria scored as 'opaque'. Other new entrants into the Index, Bahrain , Bulgaria , Estonia , Latvia , Croatia , Abu Dhabi , and Lithuania , scored in the 'semi- transparent' range, while Oman , Qatar , Morocco , Kuwait , Pakistan and Kazakhstan all scored in the 'low transparency' range.
Jones Lang LaSalle warns that a high level of transparency does not eliminate risk or guarantee a strong investment return or efficient corporate transaction. High transparency does not prevent market swings as the most transparent commercial real estate investment vehicles - listed real estate securities - can also exhibit volatility.
The 2008 Real Estate Transparency Index added several new dimensions and the addition of 26 new countries. New transaction process measurements were included for debt financing commitment terms and fees, occupier service charges, and facilities and project management services and fees. The outcome of the transaction process measures may be helpful for corporations who need to understand total occupancy and transaction costs or institutional investors seeking to analyze broad market statistics and historic performance benchmarks.
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Notes to editors
1. The Global Real Estate Transparency Index is jointly compiled by LaSalle Investment Management and Jones Lang LaSalle and covers 82 countries, territories and administrative regions on six continents. It is compiled from a transparency survey that assesses five key attributes of real estate transparency - performance measurement, market fundamentals, listed vehicles, legal and regulatory environment, and the transaction process. The scores range between one and five, with one being the highest level of transparency and five being opaque. Countries are grouped into the following broad bands: Highly Transparent (Tier 1), Transparent (Tier 2), Semi-Transparent (Tier 3), Low Transparency (Tier 4) and Opaque (Tier 5).
2. LaSalle Investment Management and Jones Lang LaSalle take a broader approach to transparency than equating 'low transparency' with 'corruption'. The presence or absence of corruption is only one component of real estate transparency. Other components include consistently applied and interpreted laws and regulations, the respect of private property rights, the access to and time series of investment performance indices and market fundamentals data, and ethical standards of professionals in the commercial real estate market.
About LaSalle Investment Management
LaSalle Investment Management, Inc., a member of the Jones Lang LaSalle group (NYSE: JLL), is a leading global real estate investment manager, with $50.4 billion of assets under management. LaSalle Investment Management is active across a range of real estate capital and operating markets including private and public, debt and equity. LaSalle Investment Management is authorised and regulated for investment business in the UK by the Financial Services Authority. For more information, visit www.lasalle.com.
About Jones Lang LaSalle
Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE: JLL) is a financial and professional services firm specialising in real estate. The firm offers integrated services delivered by expert teams worldwide to clients seeking increased value by owning, occupying or investing in real estate. With 2007 global revenue of $2.7 billion , Jones Lang LaSalle has approximately 170 offices worldwide and operates in more than 700 cities in 60 countries. The firm is an industry leader in property and corporate facility management services, with a portfolio of approximately 1.2 billion square feet worldwide. LaSalle Investment Management, the company's investment management business, is one of the world's largest and most diverse in real estate with approximately $50 billion of assets under management. For further information, please visit our Web site, www.joneslanglasalle.com.
SOURCE Jones Lang LaSalle
