Good research matters, even if the results can be challenging

IT was reassuring watching the ESRI researchers standing up to their political paymasters at an Oireachtas Committee last month. By defending their belief that the “shared equity” scheme would increase house prices, the ESRI protected credibility as a fundamental of research.

There is a handful of property researchers in the private sector who are forming opinions on the commercial markets. They are often the brightest people in any firm, but are sometimes found in the shadows. To find out more, I researched the researchers.

Carlow woman Aoife Brennan is head of research at Lisney. She is a chartered surveyor, with a master’s in planning and development and other degrees. She believes that “thought leadership” based on knowledge, brings credibility to her advice and supports clients’ decision-making. Her forecast for 2021 is that the market will hold up better than expected, as there is under-supply in many sectors.

Liverpool native Hannah Dwyer is head of research at JLL. She is a chartered surveyor, with a master’s in urban regeneration and other degrees. Prior to JLL she consulted on regeneration projects in the UK. Her role focuses on interaction and the management and interpretation of “40 years of data,” to provide strategic insights. Her forecast for 2021 is for change – “change from Covid, technology, sustainability and from data-driven processes”.

Tipperary woman Kate English is chief economist and head of research at Cushman & Wakefield. She has a master’s in economics and qualifications in data analysis. The most important part of her role is producing unbiased market analysis. “We are here to present the facts; be those pretty, or not.” For 2021 she believes logistics and PRS will particularly thrive and that

“life sciences and healthcare” will be big topics.

Dubliner Joan Henry is chief economist and head of research at Knight Frank. She holds a master’s in economics and other degrees. She believes that the ability to analyse data and present it in a way that can be understood, is credible and forward-looking, is key. Her forecasts for 2021 include a new hybrid office driven by wellbeing, collaboration, innovation and sustainability. She believes activity will leverage off success in pharma, technology, media and telecoms, and being the only EU economy to grow in 2020.

Mayo’s Marie Hunt is head of research at CBRE and is a chartered surveyor, with qualifications in communications and PR. Prior to joining Gunne/CBRE 25 years ago, she worked with UK housebuilder Wimpey. She believes that researchers add most value by being “client-facing” and providing data to support transactions. Her tip for 2021 is

We are here to present the facts; be those pretty, or not

to watch life sciences.

Kerryman John Ring, head of research at Savills, is an economist with a background in investment analysis. He believes the quality of data is crucial in gaining insights and spotting trends. He sees Irish markets rebounding quickly, driven by our strong technology sector.

Dubliner Kate Ryan, head of research at BNP Paribas Real Estate holds degrees in real estate, international business and languages. She says that providing up to date data to clients and colleagues is crucial in driving decision making. She sees a strong rebound in retail and hospitality, underwritten by a €14bn increase in household savings in 2020.

Other firms generate excellent research driven by internal agency departments.

The conclusion from my interviews? Property research is in very good hands.