The issues and challenges facing South Africa’s listed property sector’s transition to the best-of-breed international Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) structure in South Africa, will be addressed at the upcoming Real Estate Investment World Africa 2008 conference

UK-based commercial property group Liberty International on Wednesday reported a first quarter basic loss per share of 84.7 pence for the quarter ended March from earnings per share of 75.4 pence a year ago.

The treasury’s publication of a discussion paper on a proposed real estate investment trust structure for SA listed property companies and funds is good news for the sector

Drummond Garage in the Johannesburg CBD, which was recently acquired by Amdec Property Development and Property Partners, is proving popular with car-owning staff of nearby companies

Investec Property Group is being showered with praise for moving its external management of Growthpoint into the listed property fund

Close to an investment crisis - that's the effect on the property sector of the Public Investment Corp 's (PIC) R2,3bn purchase of listed fund CBS.

More South African listed property companies and funds are expected to branch out overseas in the future, following similar moves in that direction by a number of local property companies, say property market analysts.

Listed property fund managers are eagerly preparing to join the globalising trend of property that will bring more capital,greater liquidity and higher prices. But they're ignoring some bad habits that they will have to change before international investors rate them equal to Australian, American or European funds. 
Funds are devouring each other to crack the R15bn-plus market capitalisation that would attract big international investors. Their managers are debating how best to change their property unit trusts and property loan stock companies into real estate investment trusts (Reits) - the format that is understood throughout the world.

Global investors on the prowl for untapped property investment opportunities are discovering that SA is cropping up more frequently in global research as a market with serious allure.

There has recently been a fair amount of media coverage regarding the conversion of Property Unit Trusts (PUTs) to Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), but perhaps the issue could use some more clarity.