Learning or Partnering? An Investigation of Foreign Real Estate Investment Strategies

This study examines international real estate investors’ strategy choices and the implications for the commercial real estate (CRE) market. The empirical work adopts a network framework to quantify the market connections and influences of the investors, with a two-stage endogenous binary model employed to address foreign investors’ incentives to choose strategic partnerships and strengthen the bargaining power in the host market. We first show network patterns and dynamics, and then we also highlight the impact of network formation on pricing. The findings from selected CRE markets in England indicate that investors with broker representation, foreign investors, and those working with external management partners achieve pricing premia in property purchases. The local experience accumulated from past transactions strengthens bargaining power. Compared to London and non-London markets, it also looks at how the institutional environment might affect the prices of goods and services in both places.