Does real estate defy gravity? An analysis of cross-border real estate investment flows

McAllister, P. and Nanda, A. (2016) Does real estate defy gravity? An analysis of cross-border real estate investment flows. Review of International Economics, 24 (5). pp. 924-948. ISSN 1467-9396 doi: 10.1111/roie.12228

Abstract/Summary

This paper investigates the scale and determinants of foreign investment flows between national real estate markets. Using data for over 100 countries over 2007–2012, the results indicate that, consistent with previous studies for trade, foreign direct and portfolio investment variables such as size and distance have significant effects on foreign real estate investment flows. Large positive size effects are consistent with a combination of scale economies and information externalities producing investment concentration across markets and in conjunction with direct and indirect transaction costs specific to real estate markets. Physical distance coefficients are relatively small compared to the studies of FDI.