Unpacking corporate ownership in property markets: A typology of investors and the making of an investment value chain in Brazil

Abstract

Over the past few decades, a growing number of studies have analyzed the social, spatial, and economic consequences of the sharp rise in corporate ownership of property assets. These studies have shown that financial(ized) rationalities, preferences, and techniques increasingly shape the investment behavior of corporate landlords, with notable effects in cities and regions. Less attention has been given, however, to the heterogeneity of actors that are bundled together under the umbrella of corporate landlords, as well as to the investment strategies these different actors pursue. In this paper, we aim to fill this gap by analyzing the investment behavior of three corporate and financial investors in Brazil's commercial property markets: pension funds; listed property firms; and real estate investment trusts. Drawing on institutional and evolutionary approaches to economic geography, we build a typology of investor types in Brazil's commercial property markets which shows that the investment preferences of these actors are largely shaped by three key variables: their organizational rules and routines; their ownership structure; and differential access to financing. In addition, we show that these investment preferences translate into distinguishable patterns of property investment and influence broader property market dynamics by giving shape to an investment value chain.