%0 Generic %A Ishaak, Farley %D 2024 %T Metadata for the dissertation: Improving Commercial Property Price Statistics %U %R 10.4121/cab0cf0e-668f-46db-82bb-94abe78faeb0.v1 %K Real estate %K Price statistics %X

This metadata document provides details of the data used for the dissertation: “Improving Commercial Property Price Statistics”. The study explores data related and methodological challenges in the construction of price statistics for commercial real estate.


Short abstract of the dissertation

Since the financial crisis of 2008, National Statistical Institutes (NSIs) have worked to develop commercial real estate (CRE) indicators for official statistics. These indicators are considered essential in financial stability monitoring and may help contain the consequences of future crises or even prevent future crises. However, progress at NSIs to develop these indicators has been slow due to challenges like low observation numbers and high heterogeneity. This dissertation addresses these challenges by exploring data issues and suggesting methodological improvements.


The first three studies focus on data challenges regarding share deals and portfolio sales. Both are real estate trading constructions that are specific to CRE. The results show that share deals and portfolio sales significantly differ from the rest of the market. Therefore, under specific circumstances, CRE indicators could benefit from including these trading types. The final two studies focus on methodological challenges regarding index construction methods and the role of sustainability in real estate pricing. The results show that, by combining established techniques, it is possible to construct price indices that meet official statistics’ standards. Furthermore, the results uncover a complex relationship between sustainability and prices: while energy efficiency generally involves price premiums, others aspects like health and environment display a discount for low sustainable properties.


Overall, this dissertation contributes to the legislative framework that is currently being developed for EU countries to publish official statistics for commercial real estate and adds to the academic discussion by presenting innovative techniques for data analyses and index construction.


Data sources

The following data sources were used:

  1. Bussiness Register (Statistics Netherlands)
  2. Transactions linked to the Register of Adresses and Buildings (BAG)
  3. Linking table buildings and companies (Dutch Land Registry Office)
  4. Property Transfer Tax data (Dutch Tax Authorities)
  5. Building sustainability scores (W/E advisors)Commercial real estate transactions (Dutch Land Registry Office)
  6. Commercial real estate transactions (Dutch Land Registry Office)


Processing methodology

  1. The data is originally stored in an SQL database and is processed with SQL and R code (version 4.2). In the code, the name of the table is tbl_SPE_2_ABR_Bedrijfsinfo. The data is used for deriving company transfers by comparing ownership states of various periods. The first period that an ownership differs of the same company indicates an ownership transfer.
  2. The data is originally stored in an SQL database and is processed with SQL and R code (version 4.2). In the code, the name of the table is tbl_SPE_6_ABR_CompleetMicro. The data is used for calcuting the size of real estate share deals and estimating price developments by applying appropriate filters and counting the output.
  3. The data is originally stored in an SQL database and is processed with R code (version 4.2). In the code, the name of the table is SPE_KADASTER. The data is used for finding real estate information that corresponds to company transfers by linking the company register (ABR) to the real estate register (BAG).
  4. The data is originally stored in an SQL database and is processed with R code (version 4.2). In the code, the name of the table is tbl_SPE_3_OVB_Bedrijfsinfo. The data is used for deriving real estate share deals by linking this table (Kadaster) to the real estate register (BAG).
  5. The data is originally stored in an SQL database and is processed with R code (version 4.2). In the code, the name of the table is duurzaamheid_input_regressie2. The data is used for finding the relationship between sustainabilty measures and real estate transaction prices by linking sustainabilty scores from a consultancy (WE) to transaction prices (Cadastre) and running regression analyses.
  6. The data is originally stored in an SQL database and is processed with R code (version 4.2). In the code, the name of the table is tbl_OV20_pand. The data is used for 4 purposes (separate studies).


Data restrictions

As part of the CBS law, sharing micro-data outside of the CBS-environment is prohibited. Furthermore, CBS manages the data, but in some cases other parties are still formal owners of the data. The 2 other parties are The Land Registry Office and WE consultancy. Ownership and intellectual property rights are managed in contracts with both owners. It was agreed upon that the data can only be used for the purpose of the PhD study and that the microdata will never be externally disseminated. The data is still owned by them and the intellectual property rights of the analyses belong to me. An intended use of the microdata should be approved by both Statistics Netherlands and the formal data owner. Because of the above, no data can be publicly shared.


If one intends to do research on these data, an application for data use can be requested at CBS. CBS will charge costs for anonymising the data and providing a closed environment to work with the data. More information on this can be found at: https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/our-services/customised-services-microdata/microdata-conducting-your-own-research


Contact information

Author: Farley Ishaak

Statistics Netherlands | Henri Faasdreef 312 | P.O. Box 24500 | 2490 HA The Hague

TU Delft | Delft University of Technology | Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment

Department of Management in the Built Environment | P.O. Box 5043 | 2600 GA Delft 

M +31 6 46307974 | ff.ishaak@cbs.nl | f.f.ishaak@tudelft.nl 

%I 4TU.ResearchData