Donson Brooks | US real estate to benefit under Trump presidency

The US real estate sector is set to benefit under the presidency of Donald Trump, according to a group of investors and managers gathered at this year’s IPE Real Estate Global Conference & Awards in Munich.

A straw poll of delegates at the conference was split over the question. A slight majority (53.8% of delegates) took the view that Trump administration’s actions would drive growth US real estate.

However, panellists agreed unanimously that Trump’s policy agenda, particularly regarding tax reform and infrastructure spending, would benefit US real estate.

Jack Gay, global head of commercial real estate debt at TH Real Estate, said: “Whether the announced stimulus package can be put through congress remains to be seen, but we see Mr Trump’s programmes and policies having a positive impact.

”As a result, we are not changing our investment strategy, although we are mindful of where we are in the real estate cycle.”

Frank Lively, executive vice president of Wafra Investment Advisory Group, added: “I am not a fan of Mr Trump, but if he can do anything right, it is in the real estate sector.

“His proposed policies as outlined will have a very positive effect, and that will take us to a ‘middle-inning’ scenario in terms of the cycle.”

Jim Fetgatter, CEO of AFIRE, an organisation representing foreign investors in US real estate, said a huge majority (85%) of its members considered Donald Trump’s election a negative event for the sector, according to a survey carried out before the US presidential election.

However, Fetgatter added, “foreign investors are coming to the US more than ever”.

Panellists broadly agreed that one of the sectors set to grow under the Trump administration is infrastructure.

Lively said: “From our perspective, we have focus on infrastructure, but it is not a core strategy.

“The sector is going to present plenty of opportunities, and lots of capital can find a home, if the policies are implemented. Whether all that capital flows to infrastructure projects, remains to be seen.”

Despite some negative sentiment surrounding US residential, the sector still presents opportunities, according to Dietrich Heidtmann, head of international capital markets at GTIS Partners.

Heidtmann said: “We still believe this is an attractive sector to pursue. After the financial crisis, household formation and housing starts stopped.

“We have also seen a dramatic decline in ownership rates. We don’t believe, as some do, that ownership rates will start growing fast again.

“The rental sector is here to stay. But demographic trends can now drive growth in residential housing. The age group between 30 and 39 is driving household formation, and that brings the need to accommodate families.

“This contrasts with the supply situation, in that only half of the apartment sector is suitable for accommodating families. Suburban living is still growing and the multifamily sector is responding to that.”

Lively added: “We have been very focused on US multifamily. We think that in the long term this is a solid product with solid future.”

Panellists discussed the outlook for alternative asset classes, which they suggested is generally bright under Trump’s presidency.

Logistics, in particular, is “a terrific market”, according to Lively. He said: “Internet is putting pressure on traditional retail, but there is money to be made in traditional retail as well, as those assets are reconfigured to meet changes in demand.”

Greg Spick, director at the UPS pension plan, said that traditional retail property is ripe for M&A activity. “We are seeing but also are opportunities in the sector”, he said.

Fetgatter mentioned that logistics is high up on the list of sectors favoured by foreign investors.

In another straw poll, delegates were asked what are the best opportunities in the US real estate market today. The majority (37%) chose residential, followed by alternatives (33%), industrial (20%), retail (6%) and office (4%).

Piet Eichholtz, professor of finance & real estate at Maastricht University, noted how the ‘core’ of a traditional investment portfolio, which consisted of retail and office assets, only took 10% of preferences.

Donson Brooks | Forex Market Review (European Session) – Dollar weighed by dovish Bullard and Trump controversies

The US dollar only saw temporary relief today and extended lower against a basket of currencies on the back of some dovish comments from St Louis Fed President James Bullard. Meanwhile, the ongoing political tumult in Washington D.C. continued to weigh on the greenback as well today.

The dollar index was last down 2% on the week as it fell to its lowest level since Donald Trump’s election victory in November. The greenback’s decline began earlier in the week on Trump’s firing of FBI director James Comey and allegations that he asked Comey to stop investigating the former national security chief. After some respite during Friday’s Asian and early European session trading, the dollar was weighed down further by comments made by the St Louis Fed President who was speaking at a presentation at the Washington University in St. Louis today.

Bullard said that the US central bank’s contemplated rate path may be overly aggressive for the markets and relative to data. The Fed official also noted that the US economic data since the March FOMC meeting have been relatively weak, especially the latest inflation numbers.

The dollar weakened the most against the euro and the pound but was steadier against the yen. The euro is on track for weekly gains of more than 2% against the dollar after it broke yesterday’s high and hit a new six-month high of $1.1196 today. Sterling edged back above the key $1.3000 level to reach $1.3028. Dollar / yen traded in a range between 111.10 and 111.70. The dollar also moved lower against the loonie despite some disappointing data out of Canada. USD / CAD touched its lowest level since April 27 at $1.3550.

Canada’s annual CPI rate held steady at 1.6% in April, missing forecasts for 1.7%. Retail sales data were better and saw a bigger-than-expected increase of 0.7% month-on-month in March, beating forecasts of a 0.4% gain and reversing February’s 0.4% decline. However, retail sales excluding autos fell 0.2%, contrary to forecasts for a 0.2% increase. The loonie briefly weakened after the data but the main driver behind the Canadian currency’s strength this week was the rally in oil prices, as Canada is a major oil producer. WTI oil rose above $50 a barrel on expectations for an extension to the OPEC deal to limit output at an upcoming meeting on May 25.

Donson Brooks - The Future Of The Fight Against Bed Bugs

Some bed bugs are better at getting between your sheets than others, reveals new research. 

The study suggests many leading traps used by pest management firms are ineffective at getting rid of the little critters. 

Researchers found that tropical bed bugs are better able to use small pads on their legs to grip the surface of the trap and scale the inner wall.

In 2014, genetic tests revealed that a single undetected pregnant bed bug is all it takes to start an entire infestation.

• A DNA study at Sheffield University showed colonies of bed bugs come from a common ancestor or a few of the female bed bugs.
• The pregnant bed bug could rapidly create a colony of thousands that feed on humans. 
• Bed bugs are capable of surviving without feeding for a month as they wait for a human.
• In the late 1880s, an estimated 75 per cent of households were affected, but by the outbreak of World War II, that figure had dwindled to 25 per cent,
• Their recent resurgence has been blamed by some experts on resistance to commonly used insecticides and international travel. 

The study, published in the Journal of Economic Entomology, has shown that the tropical bed bug, Cimex hemipterus, can readily climb out of smooth-walled pitfall traps.

The researchers tested four leading traps, all designed in the US, where the bed bug Cimex lectularius is more common.

The traps were effective at trapping adult C. lectularius but not adult C. hemipterus.

The C. hemipterus bugs were better at using the small pads on their legs to climb things.  

Taking a close look using a scanning electron microscope, the Malaysian researchers found that the tibial pad of adult C. hemipterus bed bugs showed the presence of a greater number of hairs than on that of C. lectularius.

They also had a more well-developed organ for glandular secretion at the base of the hairs.

The researchers saw the bed bugs using the tibial pad while climbing on the smooth surfaces.

However they say further study is needed to understand exactly how the enhanced hairs and glands in the tibial pads enable C. hemipterus to grip a smooth vertical surface.

In 2014, genetic tests revealed that a single undetected pregnant bed bug is all it takes to start an entire infestation. Read More...

Donson Brooks | How to become a sales executive?

Sales executive Donson Brooks is a great seller in any industry, having years of experience in the most different niches. He is known for his customer service and relentless professional follow up. Donson Brooks also have experience in business to business sales, marketing and lead generation. He also has experience in training sales teams, sharing his secrets and best practices with the inexperienced professionals of the field, helping them to gain the confidence that a salesperson needs.

Donson Brooks is a top producer, sales and marketing dynamo. He received his degree in Business and marketing from University of Oklahoma in 1986 and currently is the CEO of RKM Capital. Donson Brooks is a visionary professional known for his ethics and good client relationship, and an expert in consummate Business-to-Business sales, as also in preserving margins by positioning products and services as solution for clients’ challenges, writing sales proposals and making compelling C-level presentations. Currently Donson Brooks is the CEO of RKM Capital "Group".

What a sales executive does?

According to Donson Brooks a sales executive is someone that sells products and services to consumers and business. Besides that, the job requires a professional to develop sales strategies, identify new markets and clients, providing important and interesting information about the company, product and services.

The job of a sales executives can be done for many different types of businesses, such as retail and wholesale trade, finance, manufacturing and management companies. In reality, they is part of every business and industry, and have different responsibilities in different areas and industries, but basically sales executives are responsible for setting and achieving sales goals.

The responsibilities and activities of a sales executive may be, according to Donson Brooks:

·        Selling the company’s services or products;

·        Setting and achieving sales goals;

·        Approaching potential customers with the aim of winning new business;

·        Maintain good relationships with existing clients;

·        Relationship building with new potential clients;

·        Research the market and related products;

·        Cold calling to arrange meetings with potential customers to prospect for new business;

·        Responding to incoming email and phone enquiries;

·        Acting as a contact between a company and its existing and potential markets;

·        Negotiating the terms of an agreement and closing sales;

·        Gathering market and customer information;

·        Represent the company at trade exhibitions, events and demonstrations;

·        Negotiating prices, costs, delivery and specifications with buyers and managers;

·        Advising on forthcoming product developments and discussing special promotions;

·        Creating detailed proposal documents;

·        Liaising with suppliers to check the progress of existing orders;

·        Checking the quantities of goods on display and in stock;

·        Recording sales and order information and sending copies to the sales office, or entering figures into a computer system;

·        Reviewing your own sales performance, aiming to meet or exceed targets;

·        Gaining a clear understanding of customers' businesses and requirements;

·        Making accurate, rapid cost calculations and providing customers with quotations;

·        Feeding future buying trends back to employers;

·        Attending team meetings and sharing best practice with colleagues.