Demand in Irish Property Market Set to Continue in 2017

This article was first published in the February/March 2017 edition of CARA Magazine.

Ireland is one of the most in-demand locations for commercial property investment, with sales exceeding €4 billion last year. While property prices have risen, Ireland is fundamentally seen as a market that represents good value with a stable outlook – a trend exemplified by the shift in the profile of buyers in the market, with international institutional investors increasingly competing with their Irish counterparts for prime product.

Institutional investors take a long-term view and look for sustainable returns in a low volatility environment. Ireland now presents a compelling case to the international investor particularly following the Brexit vote in June 2016. The staple attractions remain that Ireland is committed to the Euro; represents a gateway for foreign companies to the European market; and has a growing population of highly educated and motivated young people.

Duff & Phelps Ireland’s Real Estate Advisory Group, has been highly active in the market and we are currently managing assets with values in excess of €400 million. Some of our higher profile work in the past 12 months includes completing the sale of Elm Park, a residential and office development in South Dublin, and advising on the disposal of a prime property investment portfolio off Grafton Street in the heart of Dublin city. Our multidisciplinary team has also been engaged in Commercial Real Estate (CRE) backed refinance work on buildings and sites in excess of €50 million over the past 12 months.

Our real estate team in Dublin is comprised of chartered surveyors from advisory, development and agency backgrounds with in-depth property asset management experience. Reinforced by the integrated resources of Duff & Phelps, we can provide a total “turn-key” solution to real-estate strategy, portfolio acquisition, development, direct management and disposal including:

• Investment: Advisory, Due Diligence and Bid Management
• Development: Property Strategy, Development Appraisal and Development Management
• Property Asset Management: Strategic Advisory, Remediation, Restructuring, Management, and Disposal
• Estate Management: Strategic Planning Advisory; Operational and Developmental
• CRE Loan: Independent Monitoring Surveyor Services
• Valuation: Red Book Valuations and Development Appraisals
• Real Estate Fairness Opinions