ABSTRACT
An essential element of property investment is the availability of reliable information about the performance of each asset, whether held singly or in a portfolio. Stocks and shares trade on a daily basis and details of transactions including price movements are available on the next trading day. As a result, and based on the evidence, investors can decide whether to hold, buy or sell. By contrast, details of real estate transactions are not readily available and even with details of recent sales and lettings, much more information needs to be collected. Even then, it is open to interpretation and may be nuanced. It is unlikely that two valuers would produce precisely the same opinion of value; even were they to do so, the components would tend to vary. Transactions produce a wealth of detail which has then to be analysed. It is therefore vital to the owner, trustee or fund manager that all available market intelligence and formal interpretation is harvested, interpreted and stored for future use. Finally, the fragility of much information should be noted and respected.
