Property

Property as an investment asset class refers to land, buildings and fixtures. One can access property by purchasing it directly or by purchasing shares in a company that owns property. Property is considered as a higher risk asset class then cash and bonds, but lower risk than equities. While properties tend to have less volatile returns we have seen periods where property has lost a lot of value, for example in 2008 property prices in the US and UK plummeted by around 16 percent.