AbstractTitel: The optimal salary system in the real estate industry Authors: Emma Bjo?rkman och Tere?se Emanuelsson Widstro?m Tutor: Tommy BergquistProblems background: The challenges companies face is to recruit, retain and motivate empolyees to work in a way that promotes the company. Skilled staff are difficult to recruit, more difficult to maintain and expensive for companies to lose but undeniably the most important key to success. How should the optimal salary system be composed to attract operators in a competitive market such as real estate industry, with a predominance of commission based salary?Purpose: To examine how the salary system is linked to motivation and goals in the real estate industry.

Background: Within real estate companies assets according to IFRS/ IAS 40 should be valued at fair value, to compare with previous valuation criteria according to which real estate should valued at cost. Two models can be used within IAS 40, these are value at cost and fair value. When valued at cost the real estate value in the balance sheet should be specified at cost. The method chosen by the company should be used for all real estate within the company except for the premises used by the company. Purpose: The purpose of the study is to analyse and evaluate how real estate companies experienced the problems that arose when converting to IAS 40, and to analyse the effects on the companies key ratios as a result of the change of accounting method.

The aim of our master thesis is to study the way valuation of real estate is conducted by real estate companies. Furthermore we want to identify the factors that affect the relevance and reliability of the valuation. The reason for this is the introduction of IFRS, in 2005, and the application of the IAS 40 rules stating that real estate are to be recognized at fair value on the balance sheet. To do this we have performed a case study on 10 Swedish real estate compa-nies listed on the Stockholm stock exchange, OMX, Large Cap and Mid Cap list to see how the share value has performed in relation to the reported net asset value since 2005 and how they value their collection of properties. We also studied the assumptions made by real estate company analysts.

The situation that one can discern on the Swedish real estate market is that while there are several offices vacant, the need for apartments is high ? the vacancy rate for apartments is non-existent. According to the rebuilding of Skatteskrapan one will realise that the project requires a lot of money, even though it promotes the residential situation. The real estate owner experiences a risk in rebuilding real estates ? whether it will generate good yield or not.

The situation that one can discern on the Swedish real estate market is that while there are several offices vacant, the need for apartments is high ? the vacancy rate for apartments is non-existent. According to the rebuilding of Skatteskrapan one will realise that the project requires a lot of money, even though it promotes the residential situation. The real estate owner experiences a risk in rebuilding real estates ? whether it will generate good yield or not.

Can landscape architecture be seen as an economical asset rather than as a cost? Can well designed outdoor environments affect real estate values? This study investigates the economical value of landscape architecture and its influence on real estate prices. Research results on the relation between landscape architecture and real estate values are here compiled together with a survey made among players on the Swedish real estate market of their attitudes towards the problem. This study shows that the players on the Swedish real estate market often are unaware of the economical effects of landscape architecture pointed out in the compiled research. The study also shows that to use this information in actual projects several steps need to be taken: better knowledge of the problem, more and better compilations of research results, effective channels to spread the compiled information, proper employment and implementation of the knowledge. Extended knowledge of the relation between landscape architecture and real estate values will result in new ways of making money on outdoor environments. This would in turn have consequences for how the real estate business treat outdoor environments and how landscape architects work. The study is divided into four main questions: 1: Is there a relation between good landscape architecture and real estate prices? 2: What is the view of the players on the real estate market in this matter? 3: Is there more knowledge, research and practical models at hand? 4: What future steps can be taken to broaden the knowledge and apply it to real situations?.

The aim of this thesis is to get an idea of how service companies set their prices. The method used was a case study approach, which was conducted at three real estate companies. The study showed that when setting their prices, the main aspect is their own costs. However, we have found that several other aspects play a big role when setting prices on services in real estate business such as individual customer behaviour and market competition. We have also found that the real estate companies charge very similar prices.

   Did the mass media report in a different way about the real estate tax before the Swedish national election 2006 than they did after the election? If there were differences, what could be the cause?This study aims to answer these questions by using a quantitative analysis of articles about the real estate tax published in the Dagens Nyheter (DN), the biggest morning daily. The summer before the election, the ?Alliance?, (the non-socialist coalition, launched an election promise to abolish the real estate tax. Instead they planned to introduce a low community charge.The Alliance won the election and formed a government to implement their election promise. The analysis was made on all the published articles in DN that covered the real estate tax issue. In total there were 43 such articles. These where all published between the launch of the campaign promise until the electionday and a month before the proposal was launched 19/9 2007, until the proposal was implemented in 2008. The study results in three interesting conclusions.

Every year a number of tenant-owner flat deals are concluded and the availability of real estate agents on the market is today very widespread. It has become increasingly difficult for estate agents to distinguish themselves in a way that makes the estate agent the customer?s choice. Estate agents must have a good understanding of what is important to the customer. An apartment deal is, for most people, an important event in their life.

In the year 2002 the European Union decided on a new directive according to the energy use in buildings. The outcome of this direction is a proposition from the Swedish government on the outlines of a new law in the field of energy use in buildings. The date that the law will be applied is the first of October 2006. In the future al real estate owners must be able to show an energystatement over the real estate. This project contains cooperation with HFAB a local real estate company where two buildings are analyzed according to their energystatement.

The commercial real estate market makes up a large part of Sweden's property portfolio, as well as other open, free markets in the real estate market it is regulated by supply and demand. There are several factors that affect the supply and demand in the commercial real estate market, for instance the price, type of real estate and the condition of the real estate. In order to achieve success in the commercial real estate market it requires that real estate agents have a certain expertise and flexibility in their thinking to adapt commercial real estates to supply and demand. Active investors on the commercial real estate market are for instance private real estate agents, their knowledge and experience will help increase the value of commercial real estate in the long run. In order to provide the market flexibility in its real estate portfolio, vacancy is a factor that can be used.

The development for Skanska Commercial Development (SCD) during the last years has been positive on all markets and Skanska therefore plans on expanding their activity. Central and Eastern Europe has had a considerable economic development, what is assessed to continue during the next following years. Bucharest is one possible alternative in the CEE for a new establishment by SCD. However, the investigation before an entry is a process with many factors that need to be taken into consideration. There are today no models on how and what a developer as SCD should evaluate in terms of opportunities and risks on a possible new market.

With this essay we want to describe the transformation process that the real estate owner has to go through to sell the current rented flats to tenant. We also want to provide an understanding how the valuation is performed in the transformation process and highlight the issues that affects the price in the valuations. In the essay we would like to see if the valuation and the transformation process differ in a public real estate company compared to a private real estate company. Based on this we have asked us the following question to answer: -Is there any differences in how real estate?s are valued in the transformation process between public real estate companies and private real estate companies? We have used a qualitative approach to keep our main question.

Municipal Real Estate Companies runs by a political boarder who makes decisions in large investments. In some cases the municipal counter have to take the decisions about big and expensive investments. A successful investment needs to be built on solid ground.Media has lately focused on energy topics as a part of the environmental discussion and the real estate companies tries to use the new technology that the market has provided. Energy investments in new buildings are not longer a small part of the energy saving program. Long-term investment demands needs large knowledge and awareness about the energy topics that have recently grown in the municipal real estate companies.

With this essay we want to describe the transformation process that the real estate owner has to go through to sell the current rented flats to tenant. We also want to provide an understanding how the valuation is performed in the transformation process and highlight the issues that affects the price in the valuations. In the essay we would like to see if the valuation and the transformation process differ in a public real estate company compared to a private real estate company. Based on this we have asked us the following question to answer: -Is there any differences in how real estate?s are valued in the transformation process between public real estate companies and private real estate companies? We have used a qualitative approach to keep our main question.