NEW YORK, NEW YORK and TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Nov. 5, 2014) - Altus Group Limited ("Altus Group") (TSX:AIF), in collaboration with the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries ("NCREIF"), announced the development of a new data platform to better analyze historical and real-time commercial real estate information collected exclusively by both organizations - long-time industry leaders. The first application will be an attribution product tailored to the asset and investment management industry in the Unites States.
The attribution analysis application is expected to substantially improve the real estate investment industry's examination and reporting of complex data. The web-based program will synthesize historical and real-time information - a first for real estate portfolio management - giving portfolio managers and investors the ability to benchmark against indices, the industry and relevant portfolios. Release is scheduled for the first half of 2015.
Technology within the real estate investment industry has lagged in comparison to other asset classes with respect to the availability of transparent investment data, and the ability to combine and analyze data to benchmark against competitors. This platform gives a comprehensive and holistic understanding of the investment environment.
"This platform is a game changer for the real estate investment community. It is the first tool in the private real estate industry to scrutinize performance and valuation data in an interactive, easy-to-use format," said Robert Ruggles, President of Research, Valuation & Advisory, U.S. at Altus Group. "With NCREIF's extensive data and Altus Group's proven success in data and interactive software, real estate professionals will have better insights in making investment decisions and managing their portfolios."
Increasing transparency, this platform will offer robust data integration while being a cost-effective data solution. Its analytics are dynamic and engaging, offering access to industry, fund, and property information to give users a better understanding of portfolio risk and attribution analysis. Further customized features will offer real estate investment professionals comprehensive analyses of real-time data.
"Addressing the industry-wide need for improved transparency, NCREIF has been collaborating with its members to develop a standard attribution methodology," remarked Peter Steil, CEO of NCREIF. "We are confident this work will lead to an industry-standard. Altus Group's data solutions will play a critical role in this initiative by providing a web-based data management platform for the new product, as well as enhanced reporting capabilities."
"As an interactive, cloud-based web interface, it allows users to see fund level data, and then easily dive into the property level," explained Ruggles. "The valuation functions it offers, combined with historical and market data, are un-matched anywhere and provide an innovative service for NCREIF and Altus RVA clients."
About Altus Group Limited
Altus Group is a leading provider of independent commercial real estate consulting and advisory services, software and data solutions. The Company operates five Business Units, bringing together years of experience and a broad range of expertise into one comprehensive platform: Research, Valuation and Advisory; ARGUS Software; Property Tax; Cost Consulting and Project Management; and Geomatics. Altus Group's suite of services and software enables clients to analyze, gain insight and recognize value on their real estate investments.
Altus Group has approximately 2,300 employees located in offices around the world, including North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Their clients include some of the world's largest real estate industry participants, including financial institutions, investment funds, insurance companies, accounting firms, real estate organizations, real estate investment trusts, healthcare institutions, industrial companies, foreign and domestic private investors, real estate developers and lenders, governmental institutions and firms in the oil and gas sector.
For more information, please visit www.altusgroup.com.
About NCREIF
The National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries (NCREIF) is an association of institutional real estate professionals who share a common interest in their industry. They are investment managers, plan sponsors, academicians, consultants, appraisers, CPA's and other service providers who have a significant involvement in institutional property investments. They come together to address vital industry issues and to promote research and education. NCREIF produces several quarterly indices that show real estate performance returns using data submitted to it by its members. Its database consists of approximately 10,000 real estate properties comprising almost $400 billion of value. Its indices are used extensively for performance measurement and benchmarking.
For more information, please visit www.NCREIF.org.
Forward-Looking Information
Certain information in this press release may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All information contained in this press release, other than statements of current and historical fact, is forward-looking information. Forward-looking information includes information that relates to, among other things, objectives, strategies and intentions, and future financial and operating performance and prospects. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by use of words such as "may", "will", "expect", "believe", "plan", "would", "could" and other similar terminology. All of the forward-looking information in this press release is qualified by this cautionary statement. Forward-looking information is not, and cannot be, a guarantee of future results or events. Forward-looking information is based on, among other things, opinions, assumptions, estimates and analyses that, while considered reasonable by Altus Group at the date the forward-looking information is provided, inherently are subject to significant risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements, industry results or events to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Please consult Altus Group's most recent regulatory filings on SEDAR for more information on the Company's forward-looking statements.