Wealth Migrate

Blog

Four Categories of Risk and Reward

As an investor, I often sit with a few options when trying to decide where to put the cash I was able to save from my last bonus cheque. Making a decision as to which option to choose can be difficult. I have a personal strategy – I like to have different kinds of investments (mainly shares and real estate), in different countries and at different risk levels. This strategy is now possible as companies like Wealth Migrate, and the equivalent tech platforms for shares, have made it easy for everyday investors to invest small amounts in different countries. 

When it comes to real estate, I personally tend to go with as little risk as possible – I choose existing buildings that have great tenants, and I know what kind of rents and income I will get. This means I often only get a smaller return, as I am not taking the risk or rewards of a new development. Friends of mine have done really well at times on new developments and often encourage me to try those options. Recently I have started dipping my toes into more risky deals, though not sure I will ever become a high-risk investor.  

However, the point I would like to share is that no matter what your personal strategy, it is important to be able to understand what the risks and rewards for each deal on the Wealth Migrate platform are so that you can choose deals that match your personal investment choice. This is why here at Wealth Migrate we have risk categories that we assign to each deal, helping you get a quick understanding of the risk. 

Core, Core Plus, Value Add and Opportunistic are standard terms to define strategies for investing in real estate based on the risk and return characteristics of an investment. These strategies have led to properties being classified according to which of these strategies they are likely to match. While these categories are mainly used in Commercial Real Estate, the principles apply equally to residential opportunities. 

One of the key aspects of the risk is the predictability and stability of your cash flow from rentals, now and in the future. The more uncertainty around cash flow, the higher the potential risk.  

Using this as a simplification for understanding the four strategies, here is a summary of the categories. 

Core

These properties are fully developed, operating at their maximum potential with little room for adding value through renovations, additions or change. They are in prime locations, with blue chip tenants and constantly fully leased. There is an existing rental income that is very stable and predictable, and least likely to be affected in an economic downturn. The value of these properties is tied directly to the existing rental income, and as such, any growth in the value only arises when there is a change in the underlying rental market. The returns on these properties is relatively low, as there is strong demand for these low risk investments, and people are prepared to pay higher prices. These properties are generally expensive and owned by larger REIT’s and funds. As the returns are relatively low, there is not a lot of room in the returns to make money after paying off any financing, so these properties usually are not heavily leveraged. 

Core Plus

This property category is similar to Core, though with one or two characteristics that may create a bit more risk or uncertainty around the cash flow. While there is relatively stable and predictable existing rental income, the property may be getting older, or it may be situated slightly further away from the prime metro locations. These aspects introduce an element of risk that the tenant base may be slightly more mobile or not of the same blue-chip quality. Given this increased risk, the price of