Words: Keith Osborne
Published: 12th June 2008
Baltic States – Top 10 research resources
Our weekly look at the best online resources for emerging property markets returns this week to Europe, to focus on the Baltic States.
Estonia,
Latvia and
Lithuania experienced considerable investor interest before and after accession to the European Union in 2004. Often bracketed together, these three nations nevertheless each have their own distinctions, not least in the world of property.
Though the
price boom may be over, Estonia is still making it onto
Top 10 investment hotspot lists for some industry experts. Eastern European property specialists
Ober-Haus are also bullish about the country’s continuing appeal as an investment destination, particularly in the long term, with prices set to converge with more developed markets over time.
While large price drops have been reported in Latvia, particularly in Riga, it is the price of old,
Soviet-era housing that has seen the greatest decline compared with new-build property. There is also a feeling that the market may not have much further to fall before turning around again. Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, is
European City of Culture in 2009. Tourist numbers are expected to rise as a result and, together with other infrastructure improvements outlined in the city’s
Strategic Plan, attract more tourism and commerce in the coming years.
We’ve taken a look at many property-related websites for the Baltic States and have selected our ten favourites. If you’d like to tell us your opinion or share your best sites, please post a comment below:
Baltic Business News. English-language version of aripaev.ee, an Estonian business newspaper with a circulation of over 25,000 in its native language version. There is a large archive of real estate news with a number of new stories being added each day, from residential and commercial sectors of the market.
Baltic Course. The real estate strand of this news aggregating site features a wealth of news articles and analysis from a number of local sources in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, the majority of which are translated into English. The tourism and business threads will also be of some interest to property industry folk.
Brilliant Fixer Estonian economy blog. Journalist Kairi Kurm used to write for respected newspaper
The Baltic Times, but now publishes his analysis of the Estonian economy on his own blog. Real estate features regularly on this frequently updated site, where Kairi gives his own analysis of news and statistics as well as occasionally re-printing relevant stories from other news sources.
Baltic Economy Watch blog. Economist Edward Hugh takes a detailed look at a wide range of data from the Baltic States, with statistics and analysis that will be a boon to anyone monitoring the region’s investment potential. He also includes links to a number of useful statistical websites, reports and other economics blogs.
Legal 500 real estate lawyers in Latvia 2008. Free, up-to-date and detailed guide to the most recommended legal firms in Latvia, by sector. As well as an overview of the business climate in the country, the site gives profiles of the best firms for the real estate industry, based on the opinion of clients and fellow legal professionals. The site has a global brief and there are dedicated sections for
Lithuania and
Estonia, too.
Ober-Haus Baltic States Capitals Market Report 2007. This freely downloadable report from European property company Ober-Haus (in association with global business consultants Deloitte) covers the property markets in each of the capitals of the three Baltic States. There’s additional, comprehensive information on property-related topics including the buying process, legal considerations and planning policy in each of the cities.
Property In Estonia buying guide. UK-based consultancy Property In Estonia have produced a comprehensive and easy-to-read guide to the buying process, along with some interesting background information about the country and its investment potential. A good point of reference for anyone familiarizing themselves with the Estonian real estate market.
Global Legal Group Real Estate 2008 - Lithuania. Succinct and up-to-date guide to the legal framework for real estate transactions in Lithuania. Laws, rights, the availability of information and leases are among the topics covered in this report, authored by law firm Eversheds Saladzius.
Latvia Tourism. There’s more to Latvia than its capital, Riga, and this official tourism site should help those unfamiliar with the rest of the country find out more about what its other regions have to offer. Equivalent sites for
Lithuania and
Estonia also have some great downloadable documents for reference.
Doing Business in Lithuania 2008. Free 75-page downloadable document from the World Bank Group, explaining in detail the steps and costs associated with establishing your own business in Lithuania. Along with its Baltic neighbours, Lithuania has seen an increasing number of overseas businesses set up offices within its borders.
If you're researching other destinations, please refer to our other articles:
Top 10 research resources for
Argentina Top 10 research resources for
Brazil Top 10 research resources for
Canada Top 10 research resources for
Central America Top 10 research resources for
China Top 10 research resources for
Czech RepublicTop 10 research resources for
Egypt Top 10 research resources for
Germany Top 10 research resources for
India Top 10 research resources for
Malaysia Top 10 research resources for
Morocco Top 10 research resources for
Philippines Top 10 research resources for
Russia Top 10 research resources for
South Africa Top 10 research resources for
UAE Top 10 research resources for
Ukraine
User Comments
The Baltic Property Market Report 2008 provides you a great opportunity to have a consolidated look at the latest status of the commercial real estate market as well as essential issues of legal and taxation system in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
http://www.resolution-group.eu/en/research?id=28&PHPSESSID=3aa44a63a8872270f99f136513bfa837
Ramil Kadyrov,
Re&Solution