The home office changes our requirements
The topic has been on the agenda for years and some employees have long wished to be able to work more and regularly from home. A survey has shown that this desire is present in 30 to 35% of people who have a job that can be done from home. The lockdown ended the discussion for a short time and the home office wish became the home office test. How does that feel? Am I still working at full capacity? Can I still switch off in the evening when the laptop and documents are permanently on my kitchen table? Is it going well with the children at home or is it getting tight? Will I miss my colleagues? Not only the employees, but also many employers consider the test as successful and expect, according to the same survey, that in the future 25 to 30% of the work performance will be done in the home office. In the future, people will spend less on the way to work and the 

Forced purchases in a market with few objects
The inquiries clearly show that the desire for a new home is great, currently even greater than it already is. And the market has not been able to satisfy it sufficiently for a long time, especially in the regions far around the cities of Zurich, Bern, Basel, Zug, Lucerne, Chur, Lausanne and Geneva. There are below-average few properties available here, and above all very few with a purchase price of less than one million. And the numbers of building permits issued are deceptive: About 50% are replacement buildings and only 50% are really new properties. In addition, interest rates seem to remain at a low level for even longer, making a purchase potentially affordable for many. According to Wüst Partner, prices have accordingly risen by a whopping 5.1% on average between the 3rd quarter of 2019 and the 3rd quarter of 2020. In conurbations such as Zurich, we are seeing even higher price surges of around 10% compared to the previous year. The issue of significantly fewer newcomers from abroad should be disregarded, as the number of people moving away is also at a low level. What we are definitely noticing is that marketing times have shortened considerably. Those who have their financing together decide quickly. Because the timing is still good 

The second home market in the mountains remains robust
On 11 March 2012, the Swiss electorate approved the second home initiative. The initiative stipulates that no new units may be approved in municipalities where the proportion of second homes exceeds 20%. However, the law allows exceptions to increase the number of second homes. For example, apartments used for tourism are permitted, and it is possible to include second homes in the expansion or construction of hotels. In the same way, real estate recognized as worthy of protection can be converted. Overall, the new legal framework has led to the fact that hardly any new buildings have been constructed. The result: In the meantime, the resulting shortage of supply with corresponding price pressure is clearly noticeable, especially in the case of condominiums. The low interest rates, the general economic situation, the level of prosperity, the need for diversification of investments and material assets and recently the changed travel behavior due to COVID-19 remain equally important factors for a continued high interest in attractive objects. 

Investment properties continue to live up to their name
The trend among investors to invest in tangible assets continues. Despite higher vacancy rates throughout Switzerland, it is important to carefully examine where and in what one currently wants to invest. Because real housing abundance or shortage prevails particularly in four cantons, everywhere else the market is intact and one can still obtain good net yields. What is clearly evident, however, is that new construction is competing with old buildings, partly because of the CO2 taxes. Therefore, a wave of renovation of investment properties can be expected in favor of the environment and returns. Interesting for investors is the current yield spread, i.e. the difference between the risk-free investment of the Federal bond, which is currently at -0.75%, and the yield of a real estate investment involving an investment risk, for example for an apartment building. Studies have shown that the spread, and thus the additional premium for holding an apartment building despite falling interest rates, is the same as in 2010, when the Federal bond still had a yield of 2%. Of course, the spread depends on the location and condition of the property: in the city of Zurich it is currently around 2% or the net yield can sometimes be as low as 1.5%, and in less attractive locations an investor can also expect a spread of 3.0 to 4.5%, i.e. a net yield of around 3.25 to 4.0%. 

A view of the other continent
Not only Switzerland remains a safe haven for investors. Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, one of the largest brokerage networks in the world, has conducted a global study on the development of real estate prices around the Corona crisis. The Northern Hemisphere and Australia were the winners, while the losers were primarily the Asian cities and regions that are heavily dependent on tourism. In New York, prices have fallen significantly, and the epidemic has hit particularly hard here. And this is in stark contrast to the rest of the USA: in 83% of the regions surveyed, prices have increased in value during the crisis. 

Even if no one can predict the future, the realization remains that with the now better-learned ability to deal with the crisis, confidence has also increased in actively shaping one's life and leaving as little room as possible for uncertainty and fear. The purchase of a property is such a step, because it ties the money to a secure value and increases the quality of life in the long run and day by day due to the gained living quality. One feels immediately a little bit safer in its at home, which fits the current life.

In any case, we are eager to see where the road will take us. And above all, we are here to walk it together with you.