Second biennial report on global corporate real estate (CRE) trends, which provides powerful insights into the current condition and future direction of CRE. More than 600 CRE executives from 39 countries contributed to this report through surveys and interviews.

The total value of retail in 2012 was R7.7 billion a decrease of 14% when compared to R8,9 billion transactional value in 2011.

In contrast to office and retail there was an increase of 17% in the value of transactional activity, totalling just over R1.4 billion.

Office buildings are the most traded assets by volume having registered 56 transactions in 2012 from 28 in 2011.

The value of commercial property transactions for 2012 totalled R16,7 billion, down 5% from R17,7 billion transactional value for 2011.

The leasing activity in Budapest was mainly dominated by lease renewals and subdued development activity throughout 2012.

Sandton is the largest commercial real estate node in the decentralised area in Johannesburg.

A two tier market exists in Cape Town where demand for quality buildings and prime location is prevalent reflected in competitive rentals and low vacancies. On the other hand secondary buildings and secondary nodes are struggling with high vacancies and suppressed gross rentals.

Investors are increasingly putting in more capital into commercial real estate, particularly in the Asia Pacific region and direct investments in this segment are likely to more than double to USD 1 trillion by 2030, says a Jones Lang LaSalle report.

Across most of Asia Pacific, expansion demand in the Tier I office markets remained subdued in 3Q12 on the back of corporate caution and slower economic growth.