BCO Madrid 2013 Coming in May

Coming up in May, the 2013 BCO Annual Conference in Madrid offers a varied plenary and seminar program featuring world class industry professionals discussing special issues facing Spain and Europe in the coming months.

Slated to take place from May 15th through 17th at the Hotel Hotel Meliá Castilla, Madrid, the British  Council for Offices has put together a program to  allow delegates to learn more about Spain's challenges and how local developers banks, and office occupiers are coping. Of course a big part of the conference will be presenting Madrid and opportunities there.

The focus of this year's event is actually on seeing and understanding Madrid as the locals do. Madrid life revolves around a combination of work, parties and relaxation, and so the BCO conference will simulate this in securing great venues like the historic Casino de Madrid, for delegates to visit.

Key components of BCO 2013:

1. Carbon Neutral - This year the BCO has partnered with The CarbonNeutral Company to certify the Annual Conference as a CarbonNeutral event. This means that emissions associated with the conference have been reduced to net zero through the purchase of carbon credits.
2. Brave New World ' Chairman Neil Thompson, Great Portland Estates; Lord Norman Lamont, Former Chancellor of the Exchequer; Lord Paul Myners, Former Financial Services Minister in HM Treasury and former Chairman of Land Securities; and Sir Stuart Hampson, Chairman of The Crown Estate and former Chairman of John Lewis. These distinguished decision makers discuss the financial situation and what's next.
3. Transport and Offices ' Crisis, Delusion or the British Way? - Chairman Richard Kauntze, British Council for Offices
   Speakers: Lord Adonis, former Secretary of State for Transport; Dame Helen Alexander CBE, Chairman of United Business Media, and of the Port of London Authority; Professor David Begg, Director of the campaign for High Speed Rail ' these leaders discuss transportation as it relates to the future of Britain and growth
4. Various Madrid Excursions ' golf outings, special challenges, and an introduction to the Madrid way of doing business and pleasure are a big part of this year's conference. Expect events such as a three day cycling challenge from Bilbao to Madrid Sponsored by EC Harris, Brookfield Multiplex, Dome Consultants, Hilson Moran, ISG andJones Lang LaSalle

For delegate fees and more information readers should look here, or contact:

SAS Event Management on 01722 339811 or email bco@sasevents.co.uk

Five Ways to Stop Small Real Estate Site Suffering

We are living in a world where online and mobile content is more valuable than that which we see on the television or hear on the radio. Yet there are many small real estate companies that haven't seemed to grasp the concept 'digital', or even of the 21st century. As smart phones become more prevalent, it's fair to ask the question; 'why haven't these small companies realized the importance of creating a stronger digital presence?'

Here are some basic concepts real estate agents not yet involved in digital marketing and sales, may have missed in the shuffle. Make no mistake, in a very short while, if you're not mobile and digital, you're just simply 'not' at all where the property business is concerned.
One ' Listings - Although you may get a few results by using a listing agent, you could host the property listing yourself and remove the middle man. There are many ways you can make sure that your listings are easily found on the Internet. Keep your website active with content and your real estate business could see visitors from other states looking to buy into your properties.

Two ' SEO is No Joke - Search engine optimization is a very important aspect of keeping visitors coming to your website. Just because you attended a seminar about the importance of SEO in 2002, it doesn't mean you are an expert and know what you're doing. Methods for search have changed dramatically since then and keeping your website with current strategies will mean the difference between having quality renters in your properties or sending them to other locales.

Three ' Constant Content Activity - It's not simply enough to build the website and forget about it. Although you may have an influx of visitors for a short time, the traffic will begin to decline with the less activity you conduct on your site. Search engines are looking for regular and fresh content, not websites that pop-up overnight and never see another new posting for months.

Four ' Vigilance of Property Availability - Listing what properties you have on your website can give people an idea of what you have available. Constantly updating that information could help someone locate what they're looking for within your site. You should treat your website as an important extension of your business. It needs to be cultivated and developed just like your brick-and-mortar location for continued success.

Five ' Ideas - If you are having writer's block about what kind of content to write, then you need to think a little deeper. Real estate and property management have great possibilities for relevant content. You could write content based on home repair, greener living, ways to save money within the home, and far more. You could even include areas around your location that are great for tourist attractions which could generate a whole different level of interest in your real estate business.

Sites like Google and Bing are slowly making the phone books produced by Yellow Pages obsolete. As phone numbers and services are readily available on millions of smart phones all over the country, how often do these users even look at the 3-inch stack of recycled paper sitting on their porches? Creating an online presence is more than giving your customers a website to look at. It is a method to conduct business on a whole new level and could possibly increase your real estate company's portfolio.

Don't be one of those old fashion folk and believe that the Internet is 'just a fad.' Embrace the technology and increase your efficiency.

About the author: Ken Myers is the founder of  http://www.longhornleads.com/ & has learned over the years the importance of focusing on what the customer is looking for and literally serving it to them. He doesn't try to create a need, instead he tries to satisfy the existing demand for information on products and services.

Photo credit: Digital ' courtesy © violetkaipa ' Fotolia.com

Henderson Global Investors Announces New UK Industrial Fund

Henderson Global Investors (HGI) has announced the launch of an Industrial Income Fund in partnership Centurion Properties. According to the announcement they hope to raise £100 million from investors during the first three quarters of 2013.

Andy Schofield, Director of Research, at Henderson Property, offered this about the new fund:

'The industrial sector of the UK property market has typically attracted investors looking for sustainable income. The events of the last few years mean that many of the players that usually dominate the sector are hamstrung by a combination of legacy issues and the scarcity of bank debt. In short, there are very few viable buyers.'

Schofield goes on to suggest the opportunity that exists within this sector, and leveraging a disconnect investors have had with UK industrial  a niche he says will soon become Britain's most attractive investment market.

Meanwhile, Julian Rooth, CEO at Centurion Properties, had this to say about the news fund:

'This Fund represents an opportunity for investors to gain access to diversified multi-let industrial assets with sustainable high income streams. In the current low growth/low interest rate environment, investor attention is turning, and will continue to turn, towards income as the primary generator of total return. Over time, demand for assets that generate sustainable income will increase. The Henderson UK Industrial Income Fund will exploit this market trend.'

In other recent movement from HGI, the firm's German contingent announced plans to acquire as many as eight new properties in the German warehouse segment in the short term. Retail, office, and warehouse potential in France, management moves in Sweden retail space management, and even a US residential fund (PDF) highlight HGI news in other markets.

For more information we suggest interested readers connect with HGI at:

Henderson Global Investors    

HARP 2.0 Helping More Homeowners To Refinance

The foreclosure crisis played havoc with real estate markets across the nation, yet some markets were clearly worse hit than others. Now, those areas that suffered the most are leading the nation in refinancings as homeowners look to reduced their monthly mortgage payments and hold onto their homes.

© Piotr Marcinski

Thanks to an expansion of the government's Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) last year, thousands more underwater homeowners have been able to secure new deals with their banks, allowing them to keep on top of their home loans, reports Bloomberg.

Nevada is a prime example. The state saw home values plummet by more than 50% since the start of the recession, and now leads the country with the highest percentage of mortgage holders signing up for HARP. Nevada saw 68% of all its refinancings made under HARP, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). Meanwhile, 58% of refinancers in Florida also used HARP.

In total, last year saw more than 1.1 million refinances made under HARP nationwide, twice as much as we saw in 2011.

'The biggest hurdle the housing market has to overcome to stay on its upward trajectory is keeping the foreclosure inventory down,' states economist Diane Swonk of Mesirow Financial.

'HARP refis are keeping people in their homes, especially in the states where property is severely underwater.'

The HARP program was first rolled out in 2009, but its first incarnation saw thousands of homeowners excluded as anyone more than 25% underwater was barred. However, this restriction was removed at the beginning of last year when a revamped 'HARP 2.0' was introduced. In addition, HARP 2.0 allows homeowners to approach any lender for refinancing, not just their existing one.

According to the FHFA, the impact of these changes is fairly significant, with over 25% of new refinancers qualifying after failing to meet the requirements of the original HARP program.

Deloitte Names Sheila Smith Head of Corporate Restructuring Americas

Yesterday Deloitte named Sheila T. Smith as the restructuring services leader for the Americas region. Smith, currently the co-leader of Deloitte FAS Corporate Restructuring Group in the U.S., now has expanded responsibilities, according to their press.

Smith, who was the first ever New York Institute of Credit (NYIC) Executive Woman of the Year, has received any number of industry awards for her management skills. About yesterday's announcement, Smith had this to offer:

'Our clients realize that huge cross-border opportunities exist in South America, but those opportunities can also present distinct and unexpected challenges. We help our clients navigate those challenges to first avoid and then correct the critical issues they face.  Our global depth and breadth of technical and industry experience allow us to bring the right resource to bear on a troubled company situation, tailored to the specific marketplace nuances, legal and regulatory frameworks where the company resides.'

A Boston resident, Smith earned her bachelor's and her master's degrees from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She also holds an MBA from Boston University. Readers interested in more information on the Deloitte news can read the original release here.

The Home of the Future ' It's Now

'Building Green', this has been the building battle cry in trends for some time now. Since 2009 there has been an average annual increase in so called 'green building' of over 30%. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) home benefits the owner by fairly substantial tax deductions, and the obvious long term benefits include reduced heating expenditures and the resultant collective gain of communities, the nation, and the world.

The infographic below created by blu Homes reveals what once was termed 'the home of the future' existing right now in the form of super efficient housing. Take a look.

U.S. Home Price Appreciation by State [Infographic]

Did you ever wonder if buying a home in the last 10 years made any sense at all, as an investment I mean? With prices having gone from all time highs, to absolute rock bottom lows, has anyone made out where appreciation is concerned?

As suggested by the infographic courtesy 29doors and TurboMetrics below, it all depends on where you actually bought your home or investment. Some will weep over these metrics, and others can take solace.