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While the property market remains buoyant, too many investors base their decisions on gut feel, which could lead to missed opportunities.

Soft power and gut instinct is driving an estimated US$250bn per year in overseas real estate investment, showing that feeling rather than data analysis determines many investment decisions.

In the years leading up to the financial crisis, investors from developed economies poured money into emerging economies looking for big returns from in the world's fastest growing markets. But now investment is increasingly flowing from 'East' to 'West' as emerging markets slow, boosting the growth prospects of real estate and construction (REC) businesses in Europe and North America.

Blog A year of risk and reward

Real estate and construction is probably not the first sector that comes to mind when you think about environmental sustainability. The construction process consumes large amounts of natural resources and energy, and can create significant waste. While the progress of development continues to add to our quality of life, the built environment is responsible for approximately two-fifths of global energy use and a third of carbon emissions. This means that, from design to demolition, the buildings in which we live, work and play have a huge impact on the environment.

Grant Thornton looks at the potential impact of IFRS 15 'Revenue from Contracts with Customers' for revenue recognition in the construction industry.

The real estate and construction sector continues to make steady progress as it recovers from a financial crisis in which investors, developers and homeowners were disproportionately hit.

I am currently at MIPIM, the annual gathering of property professionals from around the world, and can report that the mood is much improved from this time last year. Developers, property companies, investors and homeowners suffered disproportionately during the financial crisis.

Developers, property companies, investors and homeowners suffered disproportionately during the financial crisis. But now, finally, expectations for profitability, jobs and orders are all on the rise.

The presence of fraud and corruption in construction can take many forms; from falsely representing the number of hours a contractor works, through to collusion when bidding for contracts or paying bribes to secure a contract. These inevitably increase costs and, in the case of bribes, inflate the contract price.

Business optimism in markets such as China, the UK and the US has risen markedly over recent months according to the Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR)[1]. And the most interesting aspect for me is the contribution of the real estate and construction sector to the brightening economic outlook.

Fraud is endemic in the construction industry. So much so that in many parts of the world it is seen merely as a ‘cost of doing business’. But this does not have to be the case. In a report released this week, ‘Time for a new direction – Fighting fraud in Construction’, we recommend a number of concrete steps companies can take to avoid becoming victims of fraud.

Reviewing the Q2 International Business Report (IBR[1]) results, I was pleased to see some good news for construction & real estate companies: Profitability expectations around the world are up. However, my optimism is tempered somewhat by recent news from China and it will be interesting to see how businesses react in Q3.