Real estate represents a significant portion of most people's wealth, and this is especially true for many homeowners. Private real estate began to thrive in Ethiopia during the late 1990s and early 2000s when Real Estate Companies built homes around the outskirts of Addis Ababa. Real Estates delivered a large number of modern villas and condominium apartments.

Demographics

Demographics are the data that describes the composition of a population, such as age, race, gender, income, migration patterns, and population growth. These statistics are an often overlooked but significant factor that affects how real estate is priced and what types of properties are in demand. Major shifts in the demographics of a nation can have a large impact on real estate trends for several decades.

Interest Rates

Interest rates also have a major impact on the real estate markets. If you're considering buying a home with a mortgage it is beneficial to research interest rates using a mortgage calculator. Changes in interest rates can greatly influence a person's ability to purchase a residential property. That is because the lower interest rates go, the lower the cost to obtain a mortgage to buy a home will be, which creates a higher demand for real estate, which again pushes prices up.

The Economy

Another key factor that affects the value of real estate is the overall health of the economy. This is generally measured by economic indicators such as the GDP, employment data, manufacturing activity, the prices of goods, etc. Broadly speaking, when the economy is sluggish, so is real estate. However, the cyclicality of the economy can have varying effects on different types of real estate. For example, if an REIT has a larger percentage of its investments in hotels, they would typically be more affected by an economic downturn than an REIT that had invested in office buildings. Hotels are a form of property that is very sensitive to economic activity due to the type of lease structure inherent in the business.

Renting a hotel room can be thought of as a form of short-term lease that can be easily avoided by hotel customers should the economy be doing poorly. On the other hand, office tenants generally have longer-term leases that can't be changed in the middle of an economic downturn. Thus, although you should be aware of the part of the cycle the economy is in, you should also be cognizant of the real estate property's sensitivity to the economic cycle.

Government Policies/Subsidies

Legislation is also another factor that can have a sizable impact on property demand and prices. Tax credits, deductions and subsidies are some of the ways the government can temporarily boost demand for real estate for as long as they are in place. Being aware of current government incentives can help you determine changes in supply and demand and identify potentially false trends.

What's the Best Investment?

The size and scale of the real estate market make it an attractive and lucrative market for many investors. Investors can invest directly in physical real estate or choose to invest indirectly through managed funds. Investing directly in real estate involves purchasing the residential or commercial property to use as an income-producing property or for resale at a future time. Due to the higher liquidity available in the market, the lower transaction costs and lower capital requirements, average investors prefer to indirectly invest in real estate.

The Bottom Line

This article introduced some of the higher-level factors that play a significant role in moving the real estate market, but there are also more complex parts that come in to play. And although some of these aforementioned factors suggest a clear-cut relationship between the factor and the market, in practice, the results can be very different. However, understanding the key factors that drive the real estate market is essential to performing a comprehensive evaluation of a potential investment.