The predictive accuracy of investor sentiment for commercial property in Australia

• Accurate property forecasting is essential for effective asset allocation in investment portfolios, as well as within a property investment strategy. • Using the Jones Lang LaSalle investor sentiment surveys over 1991-2000, commercial property investor sentiment is compared with actual property performance to assess the predictive accuracy of investor sentiment for commercial property in Australia. • Investor sentiment is seen to be more effective in assessing property sectors than geographic regions, as well as being more accurate for those property markets for which institutional investors have their largest property portfolio allocations. NaIve measures of investor sentiment are also shown to perform at least as well as the current investor sentiment procedures, as well as there being little evidence of improved accuracy for investor sentiment in recent years