Mobility analysis and geomarketing techniques have become key factors in the real estate investment process.
In the process of searching and selecting areas for the acquisition of a property for real estate development, investors focus on finding those with the highest expected return on investment. This process, which until now was done using traditional financial and feasibility studies, has now become incredibly simple with mobility analytics and location intelligence based on Big Data.
This analysis enables real estate companies to make data-driven decisions on issues that define the success of a real estate business, from acquisitions, leasing, investments to marketing campaigns and operational processes.
Location analytics provides an unprecedented vision of the real estate market, analyzing real-time mobility data such as foot traffic, makes it possible to know the updated prices of economic areas and properties of interest, the development of construction processes, to optimize the real estate agents work routes, identify risk areas, etc.
Through solutions based on the analysis of satellite photos and machine learning models, it is possible to optimize the process of identifying the best land uses and analyze the areas where a construction project will be developed with a high level of detail, in order to find the optimal location and minimize investment risks.
The accelerated growth in the availability of data and the solutions and technologies being developed to take advantage of it is directly impacting all industries, and the real estate and construction industry is no exception.
In Guatemala, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources rejected the environmental instrument for a real estate project known as El Socorro, to be developed in Zone 16 of the country's capital.
Since the project's development was announced, several organizations have expressed their opposition, and even the authorities of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) were summoned to Congress to discuss the details of the project.
Last year in Costa Rica, the office market vacancy rate doubled from 7.45% in the first quarter of 2020 to 15.15% in the same period of 2021, a rise that was largely induced by the implementation of telecommuting.
In this context of health crisis that was triggered by the spread of Covid-19 several companies changed their work dynamics, with migration to telecommuting being one of the most important changes.
Last February, the construction of an office building in Zone 14 of Guatemala City began, which will be called Park Avenue and will have 7,396 square meters of construction.
The new building, which will have seven levels and will offer profitable spaces of between 880 and 990 square meters for local and multinational companies, will be part of the Parque Las Americas Shopping Center.
The construction of a 23,500-square-meter shopping center that will house 135 stores and will be located in Ciudad Quesada, in the province of Alajuela, has been announced.
The new property is called Plaza Comercial El Encuentro San Carlos and will be built by Desarrolladora Inmobiliaria Bambu in alliance with Nacascolo Holdings. The shopping center will begin construction in April 2021 and will open to the public in November 2022.
During the first weeks of the year, interest in apartment rentals increased in Honduras, Panama, Dominican Republic and Guatemala, a situation that contrasts with Costa Rica and El Salvador, markets in which interactions in the digital environment decreased.
Through a system that monitors in real time the changes in the interests and preferences of consumers in Central American countries, developed by CentralAmericaData, it is possible to project demand trends in the short and long term, for different products, services, sectors and markets operating in the region.
As of January 1, 2021, owners of homes whose construction value exceeds the equivalent of $217,000 will have to pay the tax known as the "luxury home" tax.
The modification of the minimum amount was communicated through the executive decree that was published on December 22 in the newspaper La Gaceta. With these changes, between 2019 and 2020 the minimum value of the properties that are subject to this tax was increased from $213,751 to $217,015.
From January to June 2020, 57 environmental impact studies were presented for the construction of commercial buildings in Central American countries, and most of them are concentrated in Costa Rica and El Salvador.
The interactive platform "Construction in Central America", of the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData, includes an updated list of public and private construction projects that present environmental impact studies (EIS) to the respective institutions in each country.
Foreigners who invest a minimum of $300,000 in real estate in Panama may apply for the Permanent Residence Program for Economic Reasons for Qualified Investors.
In order to stimulate economic reactivation by attracting high net worth investors to boost different sectors of the economy such as real estate and construction, the government created a new program.
The commitment to long term rentals instead of vacation rentals, preference for larger residences and innovation in the marketing tools of the projects under development are some of the changes expected in the coming months, which could set a new pattern in the sector.
The health crisis caused by the spread of covid-19 ended up changing consumer habits in all Central American markets.
Because of the new commercial reality that has emerged in an accelerated manner and with the boom of telecommuting, potential buyers are more inclined to buy an individual home, which offers more privacy, than an apartment.
With the spread of covid-19, strict home quarantines were decreed in Central American countries. This scenario encouraged the implementation of telecommuting and forced companies to adapt to new forms of operation.
After an abrupt drop reported in March and April in consumer interactions associated with vacation properties, since the beginning of May in all markets of the region interest in this topic has rebounded.
Through a system that monitors changes in consumer interests and preferences in Central American countries in real time, developed by CentralAmericaData, it is possible to project short and long term demand trends for the different products, sectors and markets that operate in the region.
In February, March and April 2020, interest in property valuation and inspection services fell in all the region's real estate markets, but from May onwards there was a considerable upturn in Internet interactions associated with the subject.
A system developed by CentralAmericaData that monitors changes in consumer interests and preferences in Central American countries in real time makes it possible to project short- and long-term demand trends for the various products, sectors and markets operating in the region.