Real estate: investment in an asset with substance
WTS at EXPO REAL 2011Munich, 4 October 2011 – Especially in times of financial and debt crises real estate is considered to be a solid and attractive form of capital investment. The WTS tax consultancy firm will be present at EXPO REAL 2011 from 4 to 6 October 2011 to present current trends and the latest developments in relation to real estate taxes.
"Real value beats monetary value" – the threat of inflation is causing many to take refuge in property assets", explains Bernhard Brock, partner and head of Real Estate Taxes at WTS. The German real estate market is currently dominated by excess demand for residential property, with purchase prices correspondingly high. In contrast, the vacancy rate for office buildings, which remains at a high level, is leading to redevelopment and revitalisation. "Converting commercial property into residential buildings could improve the challenging situation in relation to residential space, while at the same time significantly reducing vacancy levels for commercial real estate. Revitalisation is nevertheless superior to the status of a redevelopment measure in urban planning."
Transaction taxes have gained considerable importance due to the drastic rise in tax rates in this area and so have become the focus of attention in consultancy work. The increase in property transfer tax, falling rental yields and energy policy issues further impact upon the real estate market. The question of whether this is a temporary trend or something more permanent is an issue that WTS tackles at EXPO REAL 2011.
"Investment decisions are nowadays also taken on the basis of ecological criteria. The crucial factor in this respect is often the yield-oriented re-sale value of the property. That is why energy-saving strategies and sustainability play a major role", says Bernhard Brock.
Through its presence at the EXPO REAL 2011 real estate trade show, WTS is showcasing its capability in the area of real estate taxes. One of the key areas is the in-depth tax analysis for real estate investments in order to optimise the earnings situation efficiently along the entire value chain. WTS advises on the whole life cycle of a property, in particular transactions and holdings in every conceivable legal form.
Information on EXPO REAL
EXPO REAL, International Trade Fair for Commercial Property and Investment, has been held in Munich in October of every year since 1998. The largest B2B trade fair for commercial real estate in Europe focuses on networking, market orientation and valuable business contacts. Across the 64,000 square metre site, 1,645 exhibitors present their real estate product portfolios. EXPO REAL participants cover the entire spectrum of the real estate industry: project developers and managers, investors and financiers, consultants and agents, architects and planners, corporate real estate managers and expansion managers as well as representatives from economic regions and cities. The event is accompanied by an extensive conference programme: across five forums, 400 speakers discuss current trends and innovations in the real estate, investment and financial markets.
