The plunge in the prices of listed property in the UK and Europe since the beginning of the year offers opportunities for South African listed property companies looking for offshore investments

JSE-listed property funds - managed portfolios of shopping centres, offices and industrial property - show no sign of peaking, as some analysts started warning over a year ago that they would. Their combined market capitalisation has doubled to R46-billion in five years, and should reach R50-billion this year.

Comment on property share prices.

Marriott Unit Trust Company has closed three of its unit trust funds that invest in listed property investments to new investments. Marriott says it is concerned that current yields in the listed property sector may be unrealistic and will not be sustainable within the next 12 months.

Having been previously neglected, sector starts to win confidence of large institutional investors

Having been previously neglected, sector starts to win confidence of large institutional investors

Marriott's two property funds - the equity and income funds - are the two giants of the unit trust sector which invest in the listed property sector (not to be confused with the property unit trusts in the sector that hold property portfolios). They have been delivering what they promise - "high and growing income for retired investors", says Marriott's fact sheet.