Real Estate Consulting Firms

Recommended reading! From London. While urban planners strive to create inclusive environments for all citizens, truly inclusive cities require acknowledging that our spaces do not serve everyone equally. Cities historically designed primarily by and for men need deliberate recalibration to address the needs of women and other overlooked groups. This requires policymakers and designers to specifically examine how urban environments function for diverse populations with different lived experiences. The 2024 Handbook: Gender-Informed Urban Design & Planning LLDC (London Legacy Development Corporation) and Arup have released a usefull handbook addressing a critical gap in urban planning: gender-informed design approaches. The publication features beautiful illustrations by Shanice Abbey. Key findings: • Urban environments, traditionally viewed as gender-neutral, often contain embedded biases that compound gender inequalities • Over half of UK girls aged 13-18 report unwanted sexual comments in public spaces • Women's movement patterns are significantly impacted by caregiving responsibilities • Research identified specific "hotspot" areas perceived as unsafe within the LLDC boundary Practical recommendations for implementation: • For local authorities: Establish gender-informed corporate strategies, implement gender budgeting, adopt targeted planning policies, and utilize planning obligations • For developers: Embed gender-informed principles throughout project lifecycle, conduct participatory engagement, and prepare Gender-Informed Design Statements • Deploy specific design interventions including strategic lighting, carefully placed public realm furniture, and thoughtful land use planning This handbook offers evidence-based insights and practical tools for integrating gender-informed principles into existing planning frameworks, emphasizing intersectionality and meaningful community involvement. The guidance extends beyond theoretical concepts, suggesting concrete design solutions such as layered lighting for human scale, social seating configurations, and interim uses for vacant sites. A valuable resource for all urban professionals committed to creating truly inclusive cities. #UrbanPlanning #GenderEquality #InclusiveDesign #PublicSpace #UrbanSafety #SpatialPlanning #DesignInnovation #CommunityEngagement

Many in the industry believe that cutting expenses at every turn is the best way to improve efficiency. The common approach? - Hiring the cheapest vendors to save money - Addressing only immediate issues instead of long-term planning - Viewing upkeep as just another unavoidable expense But the reality is quite different. This mindset often leads to: - Poor service quality and frequent delays - Higher long-term costs due to constant repairs and inefficiencies - Increased resident complaints and lower retention rates The most successful operators take a different approach: - Build strong vendor partnerships based on quality and reliability - Implement proactive strategies to prevent costly emergencies - Recognize maintenance as a profit-driving function, not just a budget line item A well-structured plan is not just about keeping things running—it’s a key driver of revenue, efficiency, and asset value. Are your current practices setting you up for long-term success or creating bigger challenges down the road? Let’s connect to discuss strategies that enhance efficiency, improve resident satisfaction, and maximize asset performance. #RealEstateInvesting #FacilitiesManagement #PropertyOperations #MultifamilyLeadership #AssetOptimization

In commercial real estate, selecting the right location goes far beyond simply identifying a space that meets your immediate operational needs. It is essential to deeply understand your business model, customer base, growth trajectory, and operational requirements before beginning the site selection process. A well-defined set of site selection criteria ensures you’re not just choosing a space you can work in, but a location that actively supports and enhances your business's long-term success. The right space should align with your brand, accommodate projected growth, optimize logistics and access, attract your target demographic, and contribute to overall business efficiency. Failing to establish and adhere to these criteria can result in costly relocations, underperformance, or missed opportunities. In short, site selection is not just a real estate decision—it’s a strategic business decision that can significantly impact your profitability and scalability.

Excited to publish my latest article on data center real estate strategy today. This week, I'm diving into: - Why real estate decisions can make or break data center investments - How the competition for viable sites is reshaping market dynamics - The critical balance between established and emerging markets - Strategic approaches that accelerate speed-to-market Real estate is no longer a secondary consideration in data center development. It's becoming the core driver of competitive advantage in an increasingly constrained market. With power infrastructure emerging as the new limiting factor, the impact on returns can be significant if operators overlook strategic site selection. Here's what's at stake: Let's say you're developing a data center in a prime market. You secure an affordable location but discover power delivery will take 3-5 years. By the time you solve infrastructure issues, you've missed critical deployment windows and watched competitors capture your target customers. Alternatively, you choose a location with existing power capacity, established fiber routes, and streamlined permitting. You're operational months or even years faster, with predictable costs and strong customer demand. Over a decade, that decision could translate to tens or even hundreds of millions in additional revenue. The evidence is clear. When strategic real estate decisions align with power availability and regulatory predictability, operators can achieve faster deployment, better economics, and stronger market positioning. What's your real estate strategy? Read the full article to learn about tactical approaches that can accelerate your time-to-market in today's competitive landscape. #datacenters

Real Estate Debt Performs, While REITs Stall: As shown in the table below, publicly listed REITs are essentially flat year-to-date, with a total return of just 0.4%. Counter to what most investors assume, Data Centers have been the worst-performing REIT sector, down 12.9% YTD. This underperformance is exemplified by Equinix—the sector’s largest company—falling 19.5% as cap rates have risen, while data center vacancy rates have doubled from below 3% to approximately 6%. In contrast, Marathon Asset Management’s top real estate pick—senior housing—has been a clear standout, rallying 12.6% in 2025. A noteworthy comparison is the divergence between real estate equity and debt performance. Credit managers continue to extract property-level cash flows while benefiting from substantial downside protection. By assembling baskets of investment-grade (BBB-rated) CMBS, leading managers are generating annual IRRs north of 15%. Marathon sees compelling value in purchasing “money-good” securities trading at steep discounts to par. Similarly, specialized Commercial Real Estate Debt platforms are originating high-quality loans at attractive spreads, with ample downside cushion driven by conservatively underwritten LTVs on well-located assets sponsored by top-tier operators. The lending environment remains highly attractive, offering opportunities to provide flexible capital to support owners, operators, and financial sponsors.

𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲—𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀. The real estate market is awash with numbers, reports, and charts. But here’s the key difference: 📊 Analytics tell you what happened. 🔍 Insights tell you what to do next. For example: 📊 Analytics → “The average price per sq. ft in Dubai Marina is up 5% this year.” 🔍 Insight → “Luxury waterfront units are facing a supply crunch, driving up resale demand. Time to buy before yields compress.” 📊 Analytics → “Transaction volumes are at record highs.” 🔍 Insight → “Off-plan sales dominate, but resale liquidity is weak—meaning if you buy now, your exit options may be limited.” Most rookie investors chase headlines. The pros? They see beyond the noise. At pX, we translate analytics into actionable insights—helping investors see what others don’t and act before the market moves. Real estate isn’t about knowing the numbers. It’s about knowing what they mean—and acting fast.

"Increasing Property Value Without Major Capital Investment—Is It Possible?" Years ago, an owner asked me how to increase property value without any major upgrades. The building was in top shape, but there was still untapped potential. Instead of focusing on the obvious, we shifted our attention to the operations. Here’s what we did: 1.     Vendor Bidding: Why stick with the same vendors for years without rebidding? Familiarity is great, but costs can creep up. We started annual rebidding, leading to substantial savings. 2.     Peak Performance: Bringing in external experts to evaluate systems like HVAC allowed us to optimize processes. The savings? More than enough to justify the expense. 3.     Tenant Success: A thriving tenant is a paying tenant. We didn’t just collect rent—we helped our tenants succeed. Whether it was marketing support or operational flexibility, we focused on their success, leading to a 100% renewal rate. By honing in on operations, we reduced expenses by 12% and ensured our tenants renewed their leases. But I know there’s more out there. What other strategies have you used to add value to a property without breaking the bank? Let’s hear your thoughts.

From my experience, a common mistake real estate investors make is not doing enough research before jumping straight into a deal; sometimes, they simply forget to ask ALL of the right questions. Here’s my framework to make sure you have all the bases covered. I’m happy to share my editable deal analysis checklist – shoot me an email at lilian@accentir.com. - 1. Market - Supply: Current inventory and new developments entering the market. - Demand: Drivers of demand, such as population growth and business activity. - Context: External factors like adjacent markets, news, or events influencing the market. 2. Financials - Initial Investment: Development costs, acquisition costs, and capital expenditures. - Operations: Projected revenue (rental income and other streams) and operating expenses. - Financing: Debt structure, equity contributions, and cost of capital. 3. Strategy & Risk Management - Execution Plan: Timeline, milestones, and key actions to achieve the business plan. - Risk Analysis: Identification and mitigation of potential risks (e.g., leasing risks, market shifts). - Exit Strategy: Long-term goals and options for exiting the investment, such as refinancing or selling.

Approaching engagement projects with First Nations communities requires deep consideration. Cultural respect isn't a token gesture; it is vital for building trust and enduring relationships. Organisations and project teams must prioritise long-term relationship building, recognising that trust is cultivated over time and requires unwavering commitment. Remember, transparency and authenticity are non-negotiables in our work, ensuring that actions align with an organisation’s values and commitments and there is accountability to the communities we serve. By actively listening and learning from First Nations communities, any collaboration will be rooted in mutual respect and understanding. [Image description: Five key points that must be considered when engaging First Nations communities.]

Some long overdue learnings from Social Impact in the Regions, Day 2: Service delivery vs community development: “Service delivery is a welfare mindset. It’s looking for what’s wrong, what’s missing, what we can do for them. Community development is a strengths-based mindset. It’s about seeing the whole person and what their interests and passionas are, as well as their challenges and what we can do with them.” - Can Yasmut Supporters, not saviours: “Community = common + unity. It’s about connecting communities together. It’s not about people coming in and saving our community. We don’t need saviours, we need supporters” - Jo-Anne Kelly On your purpose: “Ask yourself: if you had no funding at all, who would you be? Sometimes people have forgotten their cause at the core of things, because of managerial pressures.” It is worth exploring if you still know who you are. - Can Yasmut On talking to government about what your community needs: 1. When you come with an ask, bring the data and evidence and know that a collective voice is much more powerful than a collection of individual voices. 2. Have a plan. Be strategic. 3. Voice is not just a spashy headline in the media. Voice is conversations behind closed doors too. 4. Be clear about who you want to talk to and why. 5. There is power in having allies - people that will back you in. 6. Make sure your local members of parliament are on board. 7. Align your ask with government priorities. 8. Be prepared to (a) compromise, (b) think differently and (c) pivot if you have to. 9. Know the simple things - like budget decision timelines. Budgets are already set a couple of months before they are announced so get in early. 10. Be consistent. 11. Again, do it as a collective. There is strength in unity. - Fiona Nash, Former Senator So many pearls of wisdom and incredible humans in the one place! Thank you Kerry Grace, Chad Renando and team.