The scale of the changes underway in the macro environment, from a slowdown in China, to Brexit, to the shock result of the recent US presidential election, to the risk of other possible shock results in upcoming elections and referendums across Europe has meant that investors are struggling to decide where they should look for value and how best to assemble their property portfolios.

Historically, real estate has been used as an inflation hedge and for diversification in listed stock and bond portfolios. In the current climate of low inflation and ultra-low bond yields, property is primarily sought after to provide income and diversification.

Obvious attractions

As bonds provide low income across the developed world, the bond-like income streams from real estate remain attractive to investors across Europe. However, in order to achieve that income stream investors are increasingly having to buy into developments in order to get access t