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Many corporate and public real estate managers are challenged to prove their added value to both the organisation and the individual business units or departments. Value can be added by product and by process. This paper elaborates on ways to improve the corporate real estate portfolio management process in order to align the real estate portfolio to the different needs of the organisation and thus add value to the organisation by delivering a better product. To manage the real estate portfolio as a group instead of individual properties, the long‐term portfolio strategy should be translated into short‐term guidelines and clear performance measures in order to analyse alternatives and the performance of the individual properties. These measures should be related to what the stakeholders consider to be the added value of corporate real estate. The examples in this paper will show how a corporate real estate manager can create a clear framework for making real estate decisions on a day‐to‐day basis.

Purpose – This paper intends to respond the question that comes up to CRE managers when they consider the outsourcing technique for their CRE management and portfolio. The question, if it is possible to capture in the outsourcing contract sufficient flexibility to meet the changing needs of the business and add value, addresses the existing debate on flexibility arguing the suitability of the outsourcing structures for corporates portfolio. Design/methodology/approach – The paper undertakes a methodological analysis, considering the main outsourcing deals in the UK and continental Europe and discussing the main theories on management outsourcing. Theories of flexibility of CRE portfolios are considered and the main characteristics of the new REPs discussed. Findings – The paper finds that it is possible to capture in the outsourcing contract sufficient flexibility to meet the changing needs of the business and add value because a contract can capture all the flexibility desired and iit would add value as the properties would be used efficiently. Two outsourcing contracts in the UK are explained in two case studies, which support this. Originality/value – The paper suggests methods to outsource CRE portfolios and obtain adequate flexibility to add value to shareholders.

The corporate real estate provider community is freely using the term business process outsourcing, or ‘BPO’ to differentiate its value propositions. Yet most buyers and sellers have yet to articulate clearly the concept as it pertains to corporate real estate ‐ the value proposition, economic structure, focus and impediments to adoption. This paper defines BPO as it relates to corporate real estate and suggests conditions that must be in place for its adoption.

A great number of German companies are suffering an acute financial crisis. Financial optimisation of the substantial property holdings owned by German companies offers an opportunity to reduce costs and to free up capital. However, the demands on property for operational purposes create difficulties when optimisation is carried out exclusively for financial objectives. In this paper it will be shown, by means of an empirical investigation of real estate directors and financial managers of the leading German undertakings, that companies are failing to take the decisive step towards optimisation. The reason for this lies in inadequate internal preparations, manifested in the lack of a linkage between real estate strategy and corporate strategy. Property rights‐oriented analyses of real estate assets create new scope to refinance existing holdings, without sacrificing the important requirements of the units occupying them. This paper discusses the essential steps to a solution and explains the potentials that can be enhanced by a structured financial optimisation of property holdings.

Seeks to explore recent studies in corporate real estate and to provide a comparative analysis of industrial corporations in Ireland and those in the non‐industrial sector with respect to their corporate real estate management objectives.

The empirical investigation reports on a study undertaken in Ireland and compares results from companies in the industrial sector with companies in the non‐industrial sector. The methodology is based on a behavioural questionnaire targeted at the top 150 companies operating in Ireland and classified on the basis of number of employees.

The findings indicate that significant differences are apparent between companies in the industrial sector and companies not in the industrial sector in the use of real estate assets. In particular companies in the industrial/manufacturing sectors have weakly developed corporate real estate strategies.

The main limitations derive from a relatively small sample size, a function of targeting the survey at senior executives. There are implications for companies in the under‐utilisation of real estate assets and the effects of this on corporate balance‐sheets requires further investigation.

Highlights that companies in Ireland, notably those in the industrial sector, have some significant way to go in utilising their corporate real estate assets more effectively.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss three corporate real estate (CRE) perspectives (business, financial and capital market) as well as some potential issues, supported by key research studies and evidence drawn from listed retail companies in the USA, and European and Asian countries; as real estate has always been recognized as a key value driver in the retail industry.

A significant amount of capital is locked‐up in CRE by business firms, and so this paper analyzes the role of CRE from a combination of three perspectives: business, financial and capital market. These three CRE perspectives are discussed and some important issues reviewed, supported by key research studies and evidence drawn from listed retail companies in the USA and in European and Asian countries.

Arising from the review and perspectives offered in this paper, it is evident that performance measures are required to assess how CRE are being used and perceived by management and investors from the business, financial and capital market perspectives. This combined approach helps position the strategic role of the CRE in the context of “whole firm” that reflects the integration of trading and real estate activities.

With an effective CREAM system endorsed by top management, the CRE' s potential contribution and incremental performance can be factored into the financial plans of the “property‐rich” retail firms and appropriately reflected in corporate valuation.

This paper offers combined business, financial and capital market perspectives to assess the role of CRE in listed retail firms. Evidence and important issues in relation to the three perspectives are reviewed and evaluated.

This paper aims to discuss whether alignment between corporate real estate strategy and corporate strategy exists for non-property companies listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange and what effects alignment has on the firms’ financial performance.

The study was both qualitative and quantitative in nature, with a specific focus on non-property firms listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange. The qualitative part of the study involved the analysis of the firms’ annual reports to determine the presence and use of corporate real estate strategies and their alignment to corporate strategy and the extraction of financial indicator data. The quantitative portion of the study involved the use of multivariate analysis, to distinguish and quantify the relationship, if any, between corporate real estate strategy and the identified financial performance indicators. The independent variables were the CRE strategies employed and the dependent variable was the share price. The methods used in this study have been applied before in European and Asian studies; this assisted in ensuring that validity and reliability was achieved.

The study finds that the most used strategy by firms (47%) is that which facilitates production, operation and service delivery. The Consumer Goods, Healthcare and Telecommunications sectors appear to demonstrate the highest level of alignment. Return on Shareholder Funds has a strong significant positive correlation with share price. Flexibility as a corporate real estate strategy also has a significant positive coefficient, which indicates a positive relationship with share price.

Although consistent with results of studies conducted in Europe and Asia, the results of this research may not be applicable to privately held non-listed firms, state-owned enterprises, non-profits and educational institutions. This study also ignores the dynamic external environment in which firms operate and the necessity of firms adjusting their corporate real estate strategy to their changing business strategy.

These results suggest that the incorporation of corporate real estate strategy in the firms’ corporate strategy formulation has the potential to enhance shareholder value for South African firms. Real estate developers, landlords and owner occupiers would benefit from better understanding the strategic requirements of corporations to ensure that the solutions they provide increase the likelihood of maximizing shareholder return.

The role of corporate real estate strategy in the firms’ corporate strategy formulation has the ability to enhance shareholder value. This research adds to the scant literature on corporate real estate management in South Africa.

Although often regarded as mere bricks and mortar, real estate often plays an important role in supporting corporate growth and even survival. Parallel to the rapid growth and evolution of (multinational) corporations, real estate portfolios expanded. In order to manage these portfolios, corporations established special staff and supporting departments in order to take care of these assets. Based on the results of case studies, this paper provides an analysis. In addition to a mere historical overview the outcomes of the study also provide lessons for corporations currently facing a similar path of growth. This article builds on a previous contribution and presents an in‐depth analysis of the evolution of (corporate) real estate departments related to changes in the corporate setting. In addition to a mere historical overview the outcomes of this contribution provide lessons as well for today’s managers facing similar paths of growth.

Corporate activity in Ireland has experienced a significant growth as the economy has benefited from extensive inward investment. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the role of real estate in corporate decision making within Ireland. Corporate real estate issues are initially discussed as the contextual anchoring for a survey of corporate occupiers within both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Findings indicate a high level of professional and practical experience in relation to real estate but this has not been fully exploited by companies in developing a proactive corporate strategy. Real estate plays a largely traditional role within organisations although it appears that differences exist between indigenous and externally parented companies. Comparisons are drawn with other similar surveys at an international level.

Traditionally performance of real estate portfolios is either measured by internal rates of return or to costs per square meter (or per FTE). An increasing number of corporations have during the last couple of years been focusing on introducing performance metrics based on shareholder value. Although the popularity of value based management changed the corporate metrics the contribution of real estate is still measured by cost reductions or capital minimisation. It is seldom that corporations proactively benefit from other, non‐financial, effects resulting out of professional real estate management. The objective of this paper is to highlight the value of managing corporate real estate and its contribution to the performance of a corporation both in a financial and non‐financial manner.