SELECTION OF ASSETS FOR A PROPERTY PORTFOLIO USING PORTFOLIO THEORY

To maintain and enhance the efficiency of a property portfolio the portfolio manager should select those property investment propositions which promise the maximum improvement of portfolio return and reduction of portfolio risk. To cope with this difficult task the portfolio manager needs appropriate decision criteria. This paper discusses some of the selection criteria evolved through the developments in capital market theory in order to assess their usefulness in property asset selection procedures. The use of the ‘reward‐to‐volatility’ criterion to select appropriate property portfolio projects is explored through a worked example. The reliability of such selection procedure depends on the availability of reliable historic record of the performance of the property market and of the property portfolio together with the portfolio manager's ability to perceive expected returns in different ‘states of the world’.