Research & insights

Case: a developer with a lot of experience in the Flemish region was interested in developing housing projects in the Walloon Region.

The Job: The developer lacked sufficient knowledge of the Walloon market and asked Stadim to help.

The Stadim Approach: We prepared an overview of market developments in the towns of Wallonia and the Region in general, where we identified the main centres of development as Mons,  Charleroi, Walloon Brabant, Namur and Liège. In doing so we took a closer look at the dynamics as indicated by the volume of development, target groups, typologies, etc. We also examined upcoming segments such as coliving and short stay. In addition we investigated the current market balance regarding transaction speeds and sale prices, paying special attention  to potential future developments. Elsewhere we checked to see who the players active in the Walloon market are, specifically looking  at which property funds and investors are interested in buying and determining whether the market is dominated by private investors or by owner-occupiers. In this way the customer acquired a broad range of essential insights into the Walloon Region, thus allowing the customer to search more effectively for potential opportunities.

Case: An investor with a portfolio primarily of high-street retail premises was interested in diversifying and was looking at supermarkets.

The Job: In the hope of making a number of selected investments in Belgium and the Netherlands he approached Stadim to gain a greater understanding of the market operation and situation of supermarkets.

The Stadim Approach: Supermarkets are a very specific market segment in which the potential rent is determined by the business of the operator. For this reason the first thing to be examined is whether the business is under pressure, or has enough room over to absorb an increase in rent and what the causes are. Subsequently the various market parameters were examined such as net yields, gross yields, the vacancy rate, rent levels in the open market, etc. We did this on the basis of the expertise of our valuers, our own long-standing database and external experts in our network. We were particularly interested in regional differences, regarding both rent levels and the underlying parameters. We supplied the customer with an explanation of the divergent parameters in the various regions and in the Netherlands, indicating what this specifically meant for the customer’s plans.

Case: An investor was thinking of extending his real estate holdings by adding a number of properties in Limburg.

The Job: To make a considered investment the investor needed further information about target groups, prices, trends and the players active on the Limburg market.

The Stadim Approach: We prepared an overview of the demographic developments and social and economic trends affecting residential property in Limburg. We concentrated on local market developments, not forgetting the dynamics of the market in Hasselt (the provincial capital) and smaller centres such as Sint-Truiden. We examined what the rents, gross and net yields and sale prices were for various residential products. The scope of our inquiries took in student housing, coliving units, studios and large apartments. In this way the customer gained an understanding of those segments of most interest to him as an investor.