Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University. / Vita. Bibliography: p. 127-133.

The major objective of the present study is to analyze the real estate brokerage industry in British Columbia with respect to its organization, structure, and conduct. The industry has been criticized for overly high real estate commission rates, an excessively large sales force which contributes to high turnover, heavy competition leading to unethical practices and low wages for some salesmen. These allegations led to a provincial inquiry that was to examine many of the problems faced by the industry. The federal government created further controversy with the enactment of the new Combines Investigation Act. The Act prohibited the setting of minimum or fixed commission rates that had been a traditional practice of the real estate industry. In view of the public concern over issues relating to real estate, the present study proposes to examine the basic structure and performance of the industry so that one may have a clearer understanding of the problems that it faces. The study utilizes two approaches to investigate the current situation of the industry. On the one hand it encompasses a statistical survey of real estate agents and salesmen in British Columbia, and on the other it uses primary and secondary sources to analyze the conduct of the industry. The statistics concerning the real estate industry is derived mainly from three surveys conducted during the summer of 1975. The real estate brokerage industry in British Columbia has reached a period when many changes are needed to revitalize its operations. Since the industry has always been a self-regulatory system, these changes would be most effective if they are initiated from within. Until now, the industry has not made any serious attempts to instigate new policies which will improve the relation of agents and salesmen, to curb the size of the sales force by using responsible hiring practices, or to encourage more comprehensive brokerage services by endorsing a. flexible commission rate system. Many of the criticisms mentioned above can be corrected by concerted effort of industry leaders. The recommendations made by the present study are directed toward the brokerage industry and deals with many of the aforementioned issues. The writer believes that reforms must be instigated soon, before lack of public confidence in the industry necessitates government intervention. / Business, Sauder School of / Graduate

No description available.

published_or_final_version / Real Estate and Construction / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Real Estate and Construction / Master / Master of Science in Real Estate and Construction

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

Real estate is said to be the largest or second largest asset in a firm’s financial books – comparable to human resources, but is often been treated as a reactive and secondary utility. Real estate can be a significant factor of production and a strategic resource and due to its effect on an organisation’s profitability there is a growing need for a more critical site selection decision-making. Purpose – This is an exploratory study of the Sandton office market in order to ascertain which factors are most highly considered when making an office (site) selection decision. The purpose of this study is to assist in determining the direction further research into the South African corporate real estate market should take by gathering preliminary information about the preferences of Sandton corporate real estate occupiers. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire was developed and distributed electronically through the Survey Monkey website. Findings – The results show that the location factor, in terms of a specific site, is not as highly rated amongst the respondents, as one would expect. The respondents to the questionnaire indicate that the landlord and/or property manager is the most important consideration – whether it is their reputation or their relationship with tenants’ is yet to be determined. Security, a reliable power supply and competitive building levies are amongst some of the most important office attributes for the respondent companies. Originality/value – Sandton’s corporate real estate stock amounts to approximately 168 million square feet, which is comparable in size to Madrid’s total office stock, and greater than cities such as Brussels, Moscow and Milan. Moreover, more than 500 companies in South Africa own corporate real estate, including international companies (Jones Lang LaSalle, 2012) – a large proportion of which is situated in Sandton. These numbers make Sandton a significant player in the international corporate real estate arena.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 203-211).