EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENTS OF REAL ESTATE MARKET Objective: To discuss: Outer market elements that impinge upon a particular property development. Their importance to real estate market research. Expected results: Understand the external environments of real estate market; Can explain the main elements of these environments; Can appreciate the influence of these elements on real estate market research. Definition A milieu in which the factors and forces that are external to the management functions of a firm impinge upon the company’s ability to develop and maintain successful business. Socio-cultural environment, technological environment, economic/competitive environment and, political and legal environment affecting business (STEP) Real Estate Market Environment Immediate Outer Environment Market research & marketing consulting firms Financial intermediaries Customers Competitors General public Immediate Outer Environment Market research & marketing consulting firms * Market study * Feasibility study * Marketing Financial intermediaries * Loan margin * Borrowing cost * Lending policies Immediate Outer Environment Customers * Which target (individual, group, institution)? * Type (e.g. first-time, non first-time)? * Needs, wants, choices, preferences? * Affordability? * Behavioural aspects? * Cultural aspects? Immediate Outer Environment Competitors * Who are they? * What are producing? * How, how much, and where? * What are they offering? * What are their marketing strategies, especially with respect to the 4P’s? Identify gaps in opportunities, secure a certain market position, fill the gaps, and, subsequently, capture the market share. Immediate Outer Environment General public * Who are they? * What are their roles and functions? * How do these roles and functions affect company’s business or project? Outer Environment Demographic Market/Economic Cultural Political Outer Environment Population * size * quality * distribution * growth prediction Supply and demand Outer Environment People’s affordability * income * property price * credit facilities * interest rate * amount of saving Lack of affordability → discourages DD Property Price, Consumer Income, and Buyers’ Affordability Outer Environment Culture: psycho-sociological and/or sociopsychological Psycho-sociology… * Consumer behaviour (e.g. preferences) * Norms and values * Belief Socio-psychology… * Lifestyle * Perception Outer Environment Political * Government policies * Government regulations Have “ripple” effects Tend to raise developer’s costs Importance to Market Research Researching STEP fundamentals Market forecast Continuous flow of information Summary Market environment: a milieu in which factors and forces that are external to the management functions of a firm impinge upon the company’s ability to develop and maintain successful business. Immediate market environment: various groups of customers and the general public. Outer environment: demographic, economic environment; cultural environment; and the political environment (STEP) Significant implications to market research: Researching the STEP fundamentals Market forecasting Continuous information Thank you!