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  • Buy2Greece.com – More than 40% meetings professionals depends on laptops and mobiles to capture content

    Emphasizing the growing role that technology plays in the meetings world, key findings of new research carried out for IMEX America by Meeting Professionals International (MPI) show that more than 40 percent of the MPI Research Panel members surveyed use laptops or mobile devices to capture content realtime.

    Of that group 10.5 percent of these professionals always use them for note taking and 31.6 percent use them sometimes. Handwritten notes continue to be the choice of the majority (57.1 percent) while just 0.8 percent record their observations.

    Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group observed: “In an era when capturing live content on laptops, tablets and smartphones is intrinsic to our working lives, it is interesting to quantify the extent to which they are being used in conferences and meetings at present. With millennials “keyboarding” virtually everything from an early age, usage is only likely to increase in the near future.”

    In this same research conducted in May, IMEX America also asked MPI members what the ideal length of a traditional conference presentation by a single speaker should be, excluding Q&A. 43.6 percent thought 30 minutes, 40.6 percent chose 20 minutes, 15 percent said it should be 15 minutes and only 0.8 percent selected 10 minutes.

    Carina Bauer commented: “When I entered the industry 14 years ago, the usual conference speech was 45 to 60 minutes. This snapshot study shows that over 80 percent of attendees favour a 20 to 30 minute speech and I would not be surprised if this trend continues to reduce with the advance of TED-style programming and the desire for people to spend time exchanging ideas with their peers, as much as hearing from talking heads. MPI’s recent World Education Congress (WEC) in Atlantic City showcased this trend well by having a great range of formats and lengths for sessions. One size fits all no longer works for the average conference attendee.”

  • Buy2Greece.com – Tourists rushing for foreign currency stock-up before EU referendum

    The latest reports from Post Office found that the UK vacationers are rushing to get foreign currency ahead of the EU referendum.

    On a comparison with the same time of the last year, the Post Office has seen surge of sales of currency up to 74%.

    The holidaymakers are rushing to get cash and lock it before the vote which, according to the industry experts can wipe more than 20 per cent of the value of the pound.

    Post Office Travel Money, which accounts for one in four foreign exchange transactions in the UK, has found that branch sales of foreign currency were up 48.8 per cent on last year. At the same time, the online purchases of currency were as high as 381 per cent.

    Ahead of the May Bank Holiday, sales started to ascend and remained consistent.

    The Post Office assured it is handsomely funded and is not worried about a shortage of foreign cash.

    According to a pre-paid currency card, FairFX, there has been a 300% rise in the holidaymakers exchanging money expecting a good rate but the businesses were holding back.

    A money transfer website, Transferwise has decided to suspend all pound transfers before the vote given the volatility of the currency.

    Predictions about the value of the pound following the referendum have been a major debate all over. According to some industry experts, the pound could fall to parity with the euro, where £1 equals €1. On the other hand, some specialists think if Britain votes to stay in the EU, pound might spike to its highest level this year.

  • www.Buy2Greece.com – AccorHotels eyes global growth with deals

    AccorHotels COO John Ozinga spoke about the France-based company’s strategy and development plans and gave the rationale for some of the company’s recent deals.

    One of AccorHotels’ strategic focuses is to concentrate on its midscale brands, including Mercure. The property shown here is the Mercure Brignoles Golf de Barbaroux, just north of Toulon in southern France. (Photo: AccorHotels)

    PARIS—John Ozinga, COO of AccorHotels’ ownership and investment division HotelInvest, said his company is eyeing global growth as its parent company wraps up a wave of major mergers-and-acquisitions activity.

    AccorHotels, based in Paris, has 15 brands and an overall room count of 511,517. At press time, its market capitalization was €8.6 billion ($9.6 billion).

    The company is aggressively growing its lodging footprint with the April buy of alternative accommodations provider Onefinestay and the pending $2.8-billion acquisition of FRHI Holdings Limited, which includes luxury brands Fairmont, Raffles and Swissôtel. When the FRHI merger is finally completed, it will add 115 hotels and 43,000 keys to AccorHotels’ platform.

    In October 2014, AccorHotels acquired a 35% stake of design-led boutique chain Mama Shelter.

    Having a large international footprint allows issues in one region to be offset with growth in others, Ozinga said.

    In a world of constantly changing economics, Ozinga said AccorHotels sees the need to constantly tweak its offerings.

    “Our goal has been to restructure our portfolio and step out of leases, which we can do by different means, by the sale and franchise-back of properties or by renegotiating leases on individual or portfolio bases,” Ozinga said.

    Ozinga said AccorHotels completed 48 sale-and-franchise-back deals in 2014 and the number of transactions nearly doubled in 2015.

    AccorHotels has bought several portfolios in recent years, which Ozinga said is the preferred approach over acquiring individual properties.

    “We are focused on Europe, depending on where opportunities are, and restructuring our portfolio,” he said. “The advantage of doing it this way, of buying portfolios, is it allows us to accelerate the overall process. We did a lot of lease backs for a number of years, but we’ve always opened hotels, too.”

    AccorHotels has a firm grasp of which parts of its portfolio need to be restructured, Ozinga said, which allows capital expenditure to be allocated far more strategically. He called this “a virtuous circle that improves operating margins.”

    Ozinga said the company will likely do more selling than buying in 2016. In January, the company announced its intent to sell 85 European hotels for an asset value of €504 million ($565.5 million).

    Pipeline outlook and China prospects
    Projects in the United Kingdom and London are high on AccorHotels’ priorities, Ozinga said. The company has five hotels in the pipeline, including the 313-room Novotel London Canary Wharf and the 196-room Ibis Canning Town, London. Both properties are scheduled to open in 2017.

    “We have a very accepted brand family in the U.K., which allowed us to secure projects in very sought-after locations such as Canary Wharf,” Ozinga said.

    China is AccorHotels’ largest focus, Ozinga said, which was evident in January when the company struck a deal to obtain a 10.8% stake in Chinese hotel firm Huazhu Hotels Group.

    “We have that stake now, and in return we have a massive franchisee in China that will open 350 to 400 hotels over the next five years, together with our combined loyalty programs,” Ozinga said. “It’s definitely a win-win situation.”

    Ozinga said he was not worried either about industry cycles or real estate values.

    “Economies are different in different countries,” Ozinga said. “Since the year started, we have announced big transactions and executed what we promised to do. We’ll continue to do that.”

  • www.Buy2Greece.com – 10 tips to better success with Chinese buyers

    Chinese investors – both commercial and residential – spent close to $30 billion on property abroad last year.1

    What’s more, Colliers International predicts Chinese outbound real estate investment to increase by 50% this year, a healthy growth that is sure to be much welcomed around the world.

    Clearly, Chinese property investments overseas are not tapering off anytime soon, so how are you addressing this market? We share 10 nifty tips to start you off on the right foot with your Chinese buyers.

    #1 Respond quickly

    Whenever you receive leads, try your best to call or email them right away. The early bird catches the worm, and it couldn’t be more true than with Chinese buyers as well. The sooner you respond, the higher your chances are in securing Chinese buyers.

    This might prove difficult for those of you in different time zones than China, which is an issue that everyone must find a way to overcome if you’re targeting Chinese buyers in China. Some people try a time shift and work part Asia hours, while others might have someone on the ground for them to respond to interested buyers more quickly.

    #2 Use their Chinese name

    If you’re planning to email or call your Chinese buyer, it might help to use their Chinese name – it’ll help establish a more familiar connection with them. This is often displayed in the email sent from us at Juwai.com and often, it will only be their surname, which means you’d only be able to address them as “Mrs. Li” or “Mr. Chang”. Alternatively, you could also copy/paste their name in Chinese into your email.

    Extra tip: To up the ante, hire a Mandarin speaker even if he or she is a college intern – that is one surefire way to smoothen the initial process.

    #3 Make your intentions clear

    When reaching out to your Chinese buyer, clearly state where you obtained their information from, such as telling them that you obtained their information from their listing enquiry on Juwai.com. This way, they won’t be confused as to why someone from another country or someone speaking in another language is contacting them. It will also add credibility to know that you are contacting them through Juwai.com – a network that they are familiar with and will remember using.

    #4 Use WeChat social media app

    80% of China’s high net worth individuals (HNWIs) are active WeChat users, so asking your Chinese buyer to add you on WeChat is essential. This is the method in which they communicate with the most, which means it’ll be your best route to effectively communicate with them. It’s the first way that Chinese connect online nowadays, so it’s a good way to gauge your potential success. After all, if they’re comfortable enough to accept you on WeChat, then they may be more receptive to your pitch as well.

    Extra tip: In the chat features, there is also a button that allows you to translate Chinese text into English, which can help ease the language barrier a bit.

    #5 Persistence is key

    Have pluck – follow up continuously and regularly. Within the Chinese market, consumers are constantly fed information for products and services everywhere they go, so it requires stamina and tenacity to get your message across and in front of them. Whenever possible, small talk can be good as well to build your guanxi (a.k.a your relationship and credibility) with Chinese buyers a bit.

    #6 Focus on their needs

    Provide useful information relevant to the key motivations driving Chinese property investment abroad – education offerings, existing Chinese community, investment opportunities and yields, and emigration or visa updates. Every bit of information you provide them that might be useful is information that may spur action in them. Local university is accepting student applications? Let your Chinese buyers who have expressed interest in sending their children overseas know.

    #7 Personalise your service

    Add a personal touch by inviting them to visit you, and if you’re really dedicated, offer to host them by showing them around so they become more acquainted with your city and country. This is a personal touch that they will really appreciate, and it’s an opportunity to build an immense amount of guanxi, trust, and goodwill with your Chinese buyer.

    Extra tip: It’s also a good idea to introduce them to your local offices and agents as well to show you are legitimate.

    #8 Connect them with locals

    Introduce your Chinese buyers to the local Chinese whom you know to breed a certain sense of familiarity. At the same time, don’t forget to connect them with useful contacts that can offer services they need, such as financial advisors or interior designers.

    #9 Visit China

    Likewise, to help you better understand Chinese and their culture, we recommend you take a trip to China to observe firsthand their environment and the market. At the same time, it will provide you the opportunity to invite them for a personal meet-up while you are in their city.

    #10 Think long-term

    Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Success with Chinese buyers cannot be rushed, and working with Chinese buyers – most who are foreign property investors unfamiliar with your city and country – would naturally require longer time frame and patience. So continue to work your leads by providing them useful updates, and soon you will reap the fruits of your diligence in due time.

     

     

    Sources: 1. Colliers International

  • www.Buy2Greece.com – Top 10 most-viewed cities by Chinese buyers

    United States (US)

    Chinese are charting an all-time high in terms of property investments in the US – CNBC reported the Asia Society and Rosen Consulting Group’s latest study charting and forecasting Chinese investment in the US revealed Chinese investors spent $8.5 billion on commercial property in 2015 alone.

    Combined with the $28.6 billion in US residential property as reported by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), that makes a combined $37.1 billion spent by Chinese investors on US residential and commercial real estate in 2015.1

    The study also predicts that by 2025, Chinese residential investments could potentially hit $50 billion, while Chinese commercial purchase could peak at $20 billion.1

    This suggests that Chinese overseas property investment is largely unaffected by the economic slowdown back home.

    Where are Chinese buying in the US, though? Unsurprisingly, Los Angeles and New York City (NYC) both retained their ranks as the #1 and #2 most-viewed US cities. New US cities appearing in the top ten in Q1 2016 include Las Vegas (#5), Beverly Hills (#9), and San Diego (#10).

     

  • www.Buy2Greece.com – France’s decline pushes owners to foreign markets

    PARIS—French hotel owners are increasingly looking to expand their global footprints as their home country persists through a depressed economy and as Paris hotel demand sits below levels seen before the November terrorist attacks.

    France and Europe’s largest hotel company—Paris-based AccorHotels—remains on the hunt to acquire global properties. However, John Ozinga, COO of AccorHotels’ HotelInvest ownership and investment division, said the company will focus on selling rather than buying in 2016. It’s a different strategy from 2014, when AccorHotels bought portfolios of properties in Germany, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom and an 11-hotel portfolio from AXA Investment Managers in Switzerland. (Also, in December 2015, AccorHotels inked a deal to purchase FRHI Holdings.)

    “We remain focused on all of Europe, and it depends on where the opportunities are. … The advantages of doing portfolios are that they allow us to accelerate the process and create value for the group,” Ozinga said. “Add to that (capital expenditure) and it is a virtuous circle that improves operating margins.

    “From a real-estate point of view, we are not worried. Economies are different in different countries (in Europe), and a wide footprint allows us to have the correct exposure and demand base.”

    Philippe Doizelet, managing partner of business consultancy Horwath HTL, said decreasing exposure in France makes sense for French owners, mostly because the French real-estate market has changed fundamentally due to pressures on the economy.

    Doizelet said that for a long time revenue per available room in France was heavily correlated to gross domestic product at current values.

    “It was an obvious correlation, but since the global financial crisis, France experienced a drop in RevPAR that never recovered to that level. The market is influenced by external factors rather than internal ones,” he said. “Inside France, the market is very contrasted. Now the external market is the catalyst for RevPAR. Overall, the French market is upside down.”

    According to STR, parent company of Hotel News Now, the Paris hotel market has seen mostly negative performance from November 2015 to April 2016 in year-over-year figures.

    Occupancy has declined over the previous year during each of the six months, according to the data. In December 2015, Paris’ occupancy dropped 19.5% to 59.7%. In April 2016, occupancy fell 15.1% to 67.3%.

    RevPAR saw similar declines, as the metric decreased by an average of 12.4% during the six-month period, including a drop of 22.3% to €136.76 ($155.82) in April. Average daily rate saw growth in November and December but decreased during each of the first four months in 2016. The largest decline in the six-month period happened in April, when ADR fell 8.4% to €203.30 ($231.63).

    The right opportunities still exist
    Recent accounting practice changes in France have altered the landscape, Doizelet said. He said in the 2000s AccorHotels had recurrent deals with French bank Societe Generale, but at some point this was challenged by accounting practices, as it was all debt.

    “In 2004, AccorHotels did its first deal with Foncière des Régions, for 104 hotels, deals based on 100% variable leases, so that there was no predefined type of debt or financial commitment and part of the revenue was pre-empted,” Doizelet said.

    Doizelet said he saw Foncière des Régions’ strategy over recent years adapt to lessen its exposure both in France and with AccorHotels.

    Although French ownership companies are considering acquisitions and transactions outside of France, there are still deals to be made within the country.

    In January, AccorHotels announced a €504-million ($574 million) deal to spin off 85 properties—61 of which are in France—in a new joint venture with Paris-based Eurazeo, which owns 70% of the portfolio. Of the 85 hotels, AccorHotels owned 28, while 57 were owned by Paris-based Foncière des Régions and AXA.

    In May, Foncière des Régions acquired two portfolios via subsidiary FDM Management worth €936 million ($1.07 billion). The transaction included nine German properties that will be managed by Event Hotels and an additional nine, mostly independent properties in France and Belgium that will be managed by FDM.

    Dominique Ozanne, CEO of hotels and hospitality management at FDM Management, said Foncière des Régions will operate a portfolio worth €19 billion ($21.7 billion) after these acquisitions, which he said was “a fantastic growth story considering the business was created in 2001 with a €100-million ($114-million) total portfolio.”

    Regarding real estate
    On the real-estate side of the ownership-operations equation, values remain strong in France and have picked up in 2016.

    “Values are higher as there is confidence in the hotel market, and there are lots of players trying to get in,” Doizelet said.

    Ozanne said that hotel ownership remains among the four strategic pillars of the company, the others beings French and Italian office and German residential ownership.

    “To address hotel operators’ needs, we have two main ways to invest: buying rental properties via FDM, one of our vehicles; and buying hotels, which combines the real-estate and operations businesses and which is for another, FDM Management,” he said. “Both these vehicles focus on Europe … and both have different equity partners, alongside the Foncière des Régions group.”

    Ozanne said Europe could continue to improve, and the continent’s hotels will rebound.

    “On the real-estate investment side, we are not at the bottom of the cycle due to low interest rates and the returns that the real-estate asset class can deliver,” Ozanne said. “These two points are why we have to focus on quality and operating excellence. Foncière des Régions has ambitions to grow its four strategic pillars. It is listed and a long-term player. Demand remains from hotel customers, and supply needs to adapt to new clients’ needs, so we think that there is a strong case to continue to grow our hotel business.”

    Doizelet said that with both AccorHotels and Foncière des Régions at the helm of French ownership initiatives, the outlook is good for French hotel owners, even if the domestic economics of the country might occasionally shake domestic hotel performance. He added it is prudent for hotel owners to spread risk across both geographies and hotel flags.

    “It is wise to diversify, and it is a wise way in which to control the market, to have it owned by owners, not operators,” Doizelet said. “It is a clever way of protecting assets.”

  • www.Buy2Greece.com – Study: 282m households to travel globally by 2025

    Visa released the results of a new study that forecasts a significant increase in international travel by households globally over the next decade.

    SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jun. 9, 2016– Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) today released the results of a new study that forecasts a significant increase in international travel by households globally over the next decade. The study estimates that roughly 282 million households will plan at least one international trip per year by 2025, up nearly 35 percent from 2015.

    The study looked at current travel patterns of Visa-branded cardholders across the globe combined with industry estimates and forecasts for travel. Among those households most likely to travel internationally, Visa’s study estimates that spending will reach an average of $5,3051 per household, per year, by 2025. The study also identified key drivers expected to impact global travel over the next decade, including a growing middle class globally, greater Internet connectivity, improved transportation infrastructure across many countries, and an aging global population with more time for leisure travel.

    “Traveling internationally will become more common and attainable in the future thanks to changing demographics, combined with technology advances that make traveling abroad easier and less expensive,” said Wayne Best, Chief Economist, Visa Inc. “What will emerge is an expanding “traveling class” that will spend a growing portion of their household income on cross-border travel. Tomorrow’s traveling class will likely be older and hail from emerging markets — looking very different from today’s typical international traveler.”

    The study, which was conducted with Oxford Economics, analyzed projected spend by country and region. The chart below shows the top 10 countries based on estimated spend on global travel in 2025.

    Travel spend amongst HH’s earning $20K+ annually ranked by projected 2025 spend. Figures are in USD billions (constant 2015 prices).

    Rank

    Country

    2015

    2025

    Percent Increase
    1 China $137.0 $255.4 86%
    2 United States of America $101.0 $134.1 33%
    3 Germany $74.4 $97.6 31%
    4 United Kingdom $61.3 $96.9 58%
    5 Russian Federation $22.6 $49.1 118%
    6 Hong Kong, China $26.7 $47.4 78%
    7 Singapore $22.5 $44.9 99%
    8 France $37.4 $43.9 17%
    9 Brazil $18.3 $37.8 106%
    10 South Korea $21.1 $34.3 63%

    Highlights of the global report include:

    • The Rise of a New Global Traveling Class: Growing income levels around the world are creating a new “traveling class”. The study uncovered that worldwide, households that make at least $20,000 per year account for more than 90 percent of spending on international travel today. By 2025 it is estimated that nearly half of all global households (945 million) will be within this income range, spurring greater international travel and spending, particularly by households from emerging markets such as China,Russia, and Brazil.
    • Global Aging: By 2025, travelers aged 65+ will more than double their international travel to an estimated 180 million trips, accounting for one-in-eight international trips globally. The study estimates that older travelers will be able to afford longer trips that provide greater comfort at higher prices. Trends such as “medical tourism,” whereby aging populations undertake international travel for medical purposes, will also take hold in the future.
    • Increasing Connectivity: The combined forces of globalization and technology are expanding access. Construction of more than 340 new airports is expected over the next decade, creating new routes and destinations that will make international travel easier and more convenient. At the same time, awareness of travel options is spreading with the rapid uptake in Internet access and the number of mobile devices around the world. Digital connectivity is not only fostering greater spontaneity in travel, but also spurring a broader array of personalized travel and tourism options as well.

    An executive summary along with country and region-specific data can be found onwww.visa.com/travelinsights.

  • www.Buy2Greece.com – Why hotels will always win the business traveler

    A hotel is a well-oiled machine that has anticipated the needs of business travelers for many years. It’ll be difficult for the sharing economy to steal that business.

    In Wednesday’s issue of Hotel News Now’s Tech Impact Report, we ran an infographic that spells out whether consumers trust the sharing economy, particularly the lodging sector. The data was pulled from a recent Hooyu survey in which a majority of the respondents said they are uncertain about or have no trust in sharing-economy lodging offerings without knowing their host or guest.

    The results of this survey got me thinking. One of the biggest consumers of travel is the coveted business traveler. I wonder how many of these respondents are avid business travelers? In case you haven’t heard,business travel is changing. But there’s one thing that remains the same: Business travelers still need reliability.

    Last July, Airbnb announced a global expansion of its business travel program with the launch of a new product site that would make it easier for companies to book corporate travel. I remember the day this announcement was made because the office was abuzz with opinions. In our daily standup meeting, we thought of ways we could cover this from a hotel angle. What does it mean for hoteliers? Will business travelers start choosing Airbnb over hotels? Will Airbnb be able to offer the same reliability that hotels do?

    The answer we came up with was to take the wait-and-see approach. It’s been almost a year since Airbnb made the announcement that it was going to up the ante with its business travel program, and I have to say I’m quite underwhelmed. Personally, I haven’t heard much about the program during the last year. It was almost like hoteliers were nervous for about a month, but the program has been slow to take off.

    This week, the home-sharing company announced at its 2016 OpenAir conference in San Francisco that it was launching third-party bookings as a way to simplify business travel. Major companies often rely on a corporate travel agent when it comes to handling travel reservations, so this new feature will better accommodate that type of process.

    While this new update could push Airbnb’s business travel program forward, the site will never match the reliability that hotels provide. There are three things, in my opinion, that will keep hotels at the forefront of the business traveler’s mind: loyalty points; Wi-Fi reliability; and access to necessary amenities such as a restaurants, communal lobbies, gyms and valet/concierge.

    Loyalty love
    Ask any business traveler and they’ll tell you that they live and die by their loyalty points (and not just hotel loyalty—airline loyalty, too). While it’s not always the case for millennials and Gen Xers, the baby boomer generation definitely sees loyalty as a staple of its business travel experience.

    This is something that the sharing economy cannot match. At least not yet. Most business travelers I talk to (and their backgrounds run the gamut) accrue those loyalty points so that they can later take trips with their families, or perhaps capitalize on a “bleisure” trip.

    Wi-Fi rules
    Countless surveys have come out over the years that put Wi-Fi at the top of travelers’ wish lists. As a millennial business traveler, I can say that nothing pains me more than getting to a place where the Wi-Fi connection is close to AOL dial-up speeds from my high school days. Granted, I used to sit and wait four hours for one song to download on Napster, but now I no longer have the patience.

    I’m pretty sure the rest of the business-traveling world agrees with me. While a large portion of Airbnbs in urban locations advertise free Wi-Fi, they don’t have the expectation that a massive 500-plus room hotel does. Sure, I can read reviews from past Airbnb guests, but how do I know that they used the Wi-Fi in the same capacity that I did? There’s just a lot of uncertainty with connections. And a lot more room for error. With hotels that host large conferences, especially, you’ll never have to worry about that.

    Well, for the most part. I know we’ve all had our run-ins with the front-desk staff when the Wi-Fi wasn’t working in our rooms. But we’ll save that for a later blog.

    Amenities matter
    This is something that Airbnb is getting better at playing up, especially with the introduction of new host tools. But the fact of the matter is a hotel is a well-oiled machine. Hotels have been in the business of hospitality for decades, and owners and operators do all that they can to anticipate a guest’s needs.

    Over the years, those anticipations have evolved the hotel into something much more than a place to just rest your head. Like I mentioned above, many business travelers have a certain lifestyle to maintain while on the road. Some business travelers spend half their working life sleeping at hotels, so to have necessary amenities such as gyms, restaurants and business centers is detrimental to providing them the comforts that they have at home. Some Airbnb hosts have gone above and beyond to provide the amenities a business traveler might need, but it’s not a large percentage.

    I’m not sure that sharing-economy sites such as Airbnb and HomeAway will ever capture the business traveler’s loyalty. There will always be a market for it, and as more millennials and Generation Z members enter the business-travel world, that market could grow. But will it ever be as large as the hotel industry’s share of business travel? I’d be willing to bet not.

    Every time I’ve contemplated Airbnb (or booked an Airbnb) it’s been for leisure purposes. Can you say the same? Let me know if you’d book an Airbnb for business travel in the comments section below.

    As always, you can email me or find me on Twitter @HNN_Samantha.

  • www.Buy2Greece.com – China’s aggressive hunt for overseas property as yuan goes down

    With so much money flying into overseas real estate markets, it begs the question: Who are these Chinese investors and why are they so eager to get their funds off the mainland?

    Chinese buyers are setting records in overseas property purchases across the globe. According to Juwai, a leading international broker specialising in Chinese investors, they spent an eye-watering USD 52 billion on foreign property in 2015, up from USD 10 billion just three years ago. Knight Frank’s USD 30 billion estimate is certainly more conservative but one thing is for sure: the spending spree has been epic.

    Between 2010 and 2015, Chinese buyers ploughed more than USD 98.1 billion into U.S. residential real estate and another USD 17.1 billion into commercial property, half of which was spent in 2015 – further increases are expected this year. The main benefactors, however, are a handful of cities and the country’s investor visa programme (EB-5).

    EB-5: America’s institutions stress-test China’s favourite investor visa

    A 70% share of these investments flowed hard and fast into New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco and the EB-5 programme has generated USD 11 billion from Chinese over the last 25 years. In other words, this nation is responsible for 70% of all funds to ever enter the scheme as well as the creation of 200,000 American jobs. Furthermore, the total investment volume for American commercial property could top USD 58 billion by 2020 according to the Asia Group. Chinese investors are clearly too eager to get their funds off the mainland with very good reason.

    Some basic economics

    Some structural economic changes, both good and bad, are forcing capital out of China. Analysts believe these are long-term changes, meaning that the money flood will continue. China’s economy has significantly slowed after years of stable double-digit growth. In 2015, it only grew by 6.9%, which is the lowest growth rate of the last 25 years. In fact, the economy expanded by just 1.1% in Q1 2016 year-on-year according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics.

    Specifically, it is the yuan (RMB) devaluation that has distinguished itself as one of the biggest drivers behind the current capital outflow. During the period from August 2015 to May 2016, the national currency lost nearly 5% against the dollar and the future is still far from secure, so affluent Chinese are still actively seeking out foreign economies as safe havens for their capital.

    Volatility on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) reflects the economic turmoil and the instability is encouraging stakeholders to find more reliable assets elsewhere.

    These macroeconomic events are worsened by the country’s high rates of air pollution and other environmental problems as well as the constant threat of political repercussions from the government. For high net worth individuals (HNWIs) in China, countries like America, the UK and Australia are also attractive because of their renowned education systems and high living standards.

    New regulations on capital outflow

    Throughout China’s recent history, strict rules have regulated foreign investments but in November 2014, the government significantly loosened financial restrictions to stimulate its sluggish economy. In particular, they made it easier for citizens to buy assets abroad.  The legislative easing applied to both individual and institutional investors, like insurance companies, in order to encourage better integration of the national financial system into the global one. By doing so, the yuan started to be used more around the world, which in turn, stimulated overseas real estate purchases.

    Since 2012, insurance companies are permitted to have up to 15% of their assets tied up abroad, while individuals have a right to move out USD 50,000 overseas annually. However, the rules have been largely ignored and the system is notoriously “leaky” with money exiting the mainland into places like Hong Kong and Macau. In response, Chinese officials recently announced that they will step up vigilance over illegal capital outflows into insurance products in Hong Kong.

    Mega-rich in the Middle Kingdom

    China has the biggest population on Earth (1.38 billion) and has been enjoying a couple of very successful decades. So, naturally, it became home to one of the largest populations of HNWIs in the world. The latter are defined as individuals with over USD 1 million in financial assets.

    According to a Hurun Research Institute report, in 2015 China had the biggest population of billionaires, beating the U.S. The country now is home to 568 billionaires compared to 535 in America. Even though this Beijing-based research clashes with Forbes findings (only 335 Chinese billionaires in 2016), the trend is clear: the Middle Kingdom’s ultra-rich population has risen sharply over recent years, growing by as much as 80% since 2013.

    Real estate is by far the biggest producer of billionaires in the Middle Kingdom (20.6%), followed by manufacturing (16.5%) and technology (12%), meaning that these investors have a good and often professional understanding of the market.

    China also had just less than 1.1 million people with assets exceeding RMB 10 million (about USD 1.5 million) in 2013. By 2016, their population had grown to over 1.2 million. The millionaires fall into four categories: private business owners, professional stock market investors, real estate investors and highly paid top managers.

    What are their investment aims?

    According to Juwai.com, there are four drivers behind their eagerness to own property abroad: investment and education, followed by lifestyle (including environmental concerns) and emigration. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) in the U.S. echoes these findings. As many as 30% of China’s millionaires prefer sending their children abroad to get educated so as to have better opportunities when they are adults. Furthermore, a Goldman Sachs report also highlights the crackdown on corruption as one of the strong drivers of capital outflow and emigration.

    Top five countries for Chinese investments are all English speaking

    The situation is also encouraged by local laws: the Chinese state has full rights to land leased to individuals or businesses, with the maximal term of 70 years. By doing so, investors have no guarantees that they can hold onto the land after the leasehold expires. Unlike China, developed countries hand over land for keeps and provide attractive returns on capital invested compared to low yields on the Chinese market, which is oversupplied in all real estate segments.

    What next for Chinese investors?

    Chinese citizens are likely to stay the largest and fastest-growing group of international property buyers. The report published by Asia Society and Rosen Consulting Group forecasts overseas real estate investments to reach USD 218 billion between 2015 and 2020. However, as countries modify investment visa schemes (the EB-5 is under fire in the U.S.) and popular property markets heat up, buying patterns will likely evolve. As per a recent Cushman & Wakefield report: “Reflecting their desire to grow holdings we see investment spreading to a broader range of geographies and assets as well as increased development.”

    Some interesting facts 

    More than half of Chinese millionaires’ money and 66% of billionaires’ is invested in property.

    China’s rich and mega-rich are 38 to 40 years old on average, health-conscious and obsessed with protecting their assets.

  • www.Buy2Greece.com – Domain and Facebook Launch Advertising Solution

    Australian real estate website Domain’ has partnered with Facebook to deliver real estate agents with  ‘Social Boost’ a product to sell properties faster using increased reach, exposure and interest.

    The new offering is a targeted social advertising solution that gives agents access to Domain’s unique search insights and Facebook’s highly engaged audience of 14 million in Australia.

    Domain says Social Boost will amplify agents’ exposure through a more targeted social media campaign, improved lead generation, more engaging ad display and the ability to generate unique word of mouth interactions through social sharing.

    Social Boost will showcase an agent listing as a Domain sponsored post on Facebook, the company explains.

    Facebook Australia Head of eCommerce Melinda Petrunoff says Domain’s Social Boost is taking real estate marketing to a whole new level.

    “Domain’s search insights and Facebook’s ability to target real people means that estate agents can now promote the right properties to prospective buyers among the 14 million Australians on Facebook,” Petrunoff says.

    “Social Boost provides a unique level of targeting property advertising, promoting the relevant properties to the right potential buyers.”

    Morton Real Estate is one of the first groups in Australia to use Social Boost and has already achieved strong results.

    Marketing Manager Sarah Fowl says having Social Boost on the company’s listing has really helped increase exposure, resulting in more inbound enquiries to the property.

    “Social Boost is a fantastic product that we are excited to pitch to our vendors moving forward,” Fowl says.

    Domain’s Social Boost is currently available to agents in NSW, QLD metro, VIC metro, WA metro and will be rolled out to the rest of Australia later this year.