Asset classes and characteristics - Real estate and infrastr...

Learning Outcomes

This article explains the characteristics and roles of real estate and infrastructure as investment asset classes, including:

• the core features of real estate and infrastructure, such as tangibility, cash-flow profiles, economic life, and inflation sensitivity;
• how these real assets differ from equities, fixed-income securities, and commodities in terms of risk, return, and liquidity;
• the main access routes—direct/private holdings, listed vehicles, and pooled structures—and their implications for minimum capital, pricing, and liquidity;
• valuation approaches for each asset type, including appraisal-based methods, market-price observation, discounted cash flow techniques, and the impact of appraisal lag;
• key risk drivers for real estate—market, location, tenant, development, debt, and liquidity—and for infrastructure—regulatory, contractual, construction, and usage risks;
• typical real estate investment strategies (core, value-add, opportunistic), their expected risk–return profiles, and how gearing is commonly employed;
• the classification of infrastructure into economic versus social and brownfield versus greenfield projects, and the resulting differences in cash-flow stability;
• the roles of real estate and infrastructure in portfolio construction, focusing on diversification benefits, liability matching, and inflation-linked return objectives tested in the exam.

CFA Level 1 Syllabus

For the CFA Level 1 exam, you are expected to understand the investment characteristics, risks, and roles of real estate and infrastructure within a broader asset allocation, with a focus on the following syllabus points:

• Distinguish real estate and infrastructure from equity, fixed income, and commodities in terms of risk, return, and liquidity.
• Explain how real estate and infrastructure are classified and accessed (listed vs. private, direct vs. indirect).
• Identify the key risks, cash flow patterns, and methods of valuation commonly used with real estate and infrastructure assets.
• Compare the core, value-add, and opportunistic strategies in real estate.
• Describe the unique features of infrastructure investments, such as regulatory/regime risk and contract structures.

Test Your Knowledge

Attempt these questions before reading this article. If you find some difficult or cannot remember the answers, remember to look more closely at that area during your revision.

1. Which real asset class typically demonstrates higher sensitivity to local regulation and government policy: real estate or infrastructure?
2. True or False? Listed real estate investment trusts (REITs) are generally more liquid and frequently priced than direct property investments.
3. Give two major risks unique to infrastructure assets compared to traditional equities.
4. How does inflation generally impact the valuations of real estate and infrastructure?

Introduction

Real estate and infrastructure are two major real asset classes that play key roles in institutional and individual investor portfolios. Their physical, cash-generating characteristics distinguish them from traditional asset classes such as equities or bonds and even from other alternatives. Both asset classes may be accessed through listed securities (such as REITs or infrastructure shares) or through private market investments, each route having distinct features. Understanding their investment characteristics, risk-return profiles, and methods of classification is essential for CFA Level 1.

Key Term: real asset
An asset with tangible, physical value, often generating income through use or service provision, in contrast to financial securities.

Key Term: infrastructure asset
A long-lived asset that provides essential public or economic services, such as transport, utilities, or communications, and is often heavily regulated.

Real Estate: Characteristics and Investment Approaches

Real estate includes land and structures intended to generate income or hold value, with investment approaches classified as either private/direct or public/listed.

Major Types of Real Estate Investments

• Residential: Houses, apartments, single-family rentals.
• Commercial: Offices, retail centers, multi-family blocks, industrial properties.
• Listed Real Estate (REITs, public vehicles): Traded on exchanges, offers daily liquidity.

Private/direct property investments involve purchasing and managing tangible assets, often requiring specialist knowledge and large capital outlay.

Key Term: real estate investment trust (REIT)
A publicly traded company that owns, operates, or finances income-producing real estate, providing investors with liquidity and diversification.

Risk and Return Profile

• Return Drivers: Rental income and property value appreciation.
• Key Risks: Market risk, location risk, tenant default, development/construction risk, liquidity risk (especially for private/direct holdings), and gearing risk.
• Inflation Sensitivity: Real estate often exhibits a positive link to inflation; rental contracts may have periodic adjustments.
• Valuation: Appraisal-based for private assets, market price for listed real estate. Private property pricing adjusts slowly, creating “appraisal lag.”

Worked Example 1.1

Scenario: An investor is considering two real estate options: (A) Purchasing a warehouse outright, or (B) buying shares in a listed REIT specializing in warehouses. Compare the liquidity, pricing, and minimum capital required.

Answer:
Option A (direct investment) is illiquid (takes time to buy/sell), priced infrequently by appraisal, and requires high minimum capital. Option B (REIT) is exchange-traded (high liquidity), priced throughout market hours, and accessible with small amounts.

Core, Value-Add, and Opportunistic Strategies

• Core: Low-risk, income focus, high occupancy, typically central locations.
• Value-Add: Moderate risk, some development/repositioning, higher potential return.
• Opportunistic: High risk, development or distressed assets, mostly potential for capital gains, typically higher gearing used.

Infrastructure: Unique Asset Features

Infrastructure includes assets that are essential for economic or social activity and often feature monopoly-like market positions due to high barriers to entry.

Types of Infrastructure

• Economic: Roads, bridges, airports, utilities.
• Social: Hospitals, schools, prisons, public facilities.

May be further classified as:

• Brownfield: Existing, operational assets, typically with stable cash flows (e.g., toll bridge).
• Greenfield: New, development-stage projects, with construction and completion risk.

Investment Vehicles

• Direct/private: Large, often through private equity or consortia.
• Listed infrastructure: Company shares traded on stock markets, offering daily pricing.

Infrastructure Risks and Return Profile

• Return Drivers: Usage fees (tolls, utility rates), long-term contracts, sometimes government payments.
• Key Risks: Policy and regulatory risk, contract risk, construction risk (for greenfield), traffic/usage volumes, and gearing.
• Revenue Features: Contracts often linked to inflation, providing inflation hedge.
• Liquidity: Like real estate, direct investments are illiquid, listed infrastructure is tradable.

Worked Example 1.2

Scenario: A pension fund invests in a regulated water utility with returns forecast to average inflation +2% over a 10-year concession. What are the main risks?

Answer:
The main risks are regulatory change (risks to allowed returns, price controls), operational risk, counterparty risk (users’ ability/willingness to pay), political intervention, and inflation overrun (if actual inflation exceeds adjustment terms).

Key Term: regulatory risk
The risk that changes in laws, rules, or government policy negatively impact an investment, particularly relevant for heavily regulated infrastructure assets.

Comparison: Real Estate vs. Infrastructure

Worked Example 1.3

Scenario: An investor expects rapid inflation over several years. Which asset—private real estate or brownfield infrastructure—typically offers more direct inflation protection, and why?

Answer:
Brownfield infrastructure with inflation-linked contracts provides more direct inflation protection, as cash flows adjust upwards with inflation by contract. Private real estate may protect against moderate inflation if rents adjust, but not always as efficiently.

Exam Warning

A common exam error is to ignore the illiquidity of private property and infrastructure or to assume listed assets behave identically to the actual real assets. Listed assets can show equity-like volatility, especially in stressed markets.

Summary

• Real estate and infrastructure are real assets with income and inflation-protection characteristics.
• Direct/private investments are illiquid and valued infrequently; listed vehicles provide more liquidity and daily pricing but behave differently in volatile markets.
• Main risks: real estate—market, tenant, gearing, development; infrastructure—regulatory/policy, contract, usage, construction.
• Diversification benefits stem from low correlation with equities and bonds; inflation linkage is a key attraction.

Key Point Checklist

This article has covered the following key knowledge points:

• Distinguish real estate and infrastructure from traditional asset classes by risk, return, and liquidity.
• Describe the main investment styles: direct/private vs. listed.
• Recognize how inflation and regulation affect returns and risks for each asset type.
• Identify valuation approaches, risks, and the key sources of return for each.
• Recognize diversification and inflation-linkage benefits in a portfolio context.

Key Terms and Concepts

• real asset
• infrastructure asset
• real estate investment trust (REIT)
• regulatory risk