Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa September/ October 2019 | Page 7

EDITORIAL VIEW JOHANN RUPERT REImag celebrates 12th anniversary of insider intelligence & edutainment EMAIL [email protected] INTERVIEWS tv REItv developments, a sector that is growing. Wise investors know that following market demands can always give higher returns. Global residential property trends (including SA) see younger, first-time buyers opting for smaller homes in more medium- density developments. They want to access to a wide range of amenities and services available 24/7. The emergence of the micro-unit, normally 20 - 30% smaller than a conventional sized studio apartment is a big trend. First-time investors focus more on well-located properties (mostly sectional title) closer to their place of work, avoiding congestion. The upliftment and regeneration of the inner city of Johannesburg and Cape Town include some of the best property investment opportunities that have been available for many decades. Besides the pricing and tax, which is needed to uplift and regenerate the urban environment, it rewards private sector- led residential and commercial developers to refurbish buildings within this zone. Local government is committed to promoting wide-ranging economic development and job creation. Now really is the time to kick-start your new real estate investment journey with abundant new opportunities. We look forward to serving you for another 12 years. Successful investing NEALE PETERSEN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF “ SIR JOHN TEMPLETON “ T his month at REImag we celebrate 12 years of servicing the real estate industry. We have produced over 150 publications, reached over 750,000 investors with our magazine and our digital platform, hosted more than 500 property events, plus educated and facilitated thousands of people to invest in real estate. Real estate is still one of the most underrated and best-performing asset classes around. That does sound biased coming from us, but if you invest wisely following the key principles of success that statement always holds true. The world’s wealthiest individuals and investors have acquired massive wealth through sound real estate investment. Our goal is to turn both ‘newbie’ and seasoned buyers into successful real estate investors. We do this through our multiple print, digital and live channel platforms with our broad knowledge base and engagement with some of the best strategic partners on the planet. At a time when most people are saying it is not a good time to invest in property, we are saying the opposite. Many high- net-worth investors are moving to offshore havens because of political uncertainty and a lack of confidence in our country’s future. According to the latest FNB Property Barometer stats, more than 12% of people selling their homes are doing so to emigrate which is currently at a 3-year high. Some investors have written off SA, which I really think is a big mistake. In fact, we have seen this movie before. It really is the best time to invest when the market is at maximum pessimism and low business confidence. The rand is extremely volatile and weak at the moment so to move money offshore is not necessarily a good move right now. The grass is not necessarily greener on the other side. Many world economies are also in a fragile situation and the UK, US and Australia all are heading into recession while Europe is also in a tight spot. Currently, while there are a number of categories of real estate struggling on one side such as retail, office and middle to upper- end residential properties, there are also those categories that are performing really well despite the slowdown and negative sentiment. According to Land Institute stats the logistics and storage sectors (industrial sector) lead the way, while residential property which includes affordable accommodation, entry-level sectional title, inner-city apartments and student accommodation are big opportunities for investors. This is followed by retirement People are always asking me where is the outlook good, but that’s the wrong question, The right question is: Where is the outlook most miserable?” FaceBook LIVE REAL ESTATE RADIO PodCasts SA Real Estate Investor Magazine SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 5