At the start of the year, Will Robson, global head of real estate solutions research at MSCI, suggested that 2020 may prove to be a watershed year in terms of the way investors consider real estate as an asset class.
With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, he was right, but for entirely different reasons.
The crisis has dramatically highlighted how real estate is inextricably linked to other financial markets, the broader economy and society around it.
Examining the social impact of real estate investment has therefore become more important than ever before.
It is natural for investors to look for markets that have rental growth potential, as that is going to boost returns. But in many cities around the world, such as London, Paris, and San Francisco, affordable housing has become a major issue.
As many key workers and even people with median incomes are struggling to live in these mega-cities, governments and local authorities have turned to residenti
