LOGO

As competition in data center investment and development intensifies, DC operators, DC developers and investors involved in data center business (hereinafter referred to as “DC operators, etc.”) It is desirable to utilize the CRE strategy in order to optimize the earnings of the data center business while eliminating competition with other companies as much as possible.

■ What is the CRE strategy?

“CRE” is an abbreviation of “Corporate Real Estate,” which began to attract attention in the United States in the 1960s. It refers to real estate owned by a company, and in addition to real estate such as offices, factories, and warehouses necessary for conducting business, it also includes recreation facilities, company housing, welfare facilities, and idle land.

The CRE strategy is a medium- to long-term management strategy that aims to improve corporate value by effectively utilizing such real estate.

As a specific CRE strategy, we will review current offices, rent surplus offices to third parties, and utilize idle land to develop and construct real estate for various purposes to generate stable long-term rental income. secure, etc.

In 2008, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism issued the “Guidelines for Implementing CRE Strategy”, which triggered the CRE strategy to attract attention in Japan. The guideline defines the CRE strategy as “a way of thinking about maximizing the efficiency of real estate investment by reviewing corporate real estate from the perspective of management strategy from the perspective of ‘improving corporate value.'” I’m here. Although the data is a little dated, the scale of CRE in Japan is said to be 490 trillion yen*, which is expected to grow further when converted to current real estate prices.

Based on the 2006 Basic Land Survey.

■ CRE strategy past and present

Before the CRE strategy was clearly recognized, it seems that corporate real estate owners chose only schemes of (1) passive abandonment, (2) simple sale, and (3) simple lending (land or building). Part of the reason could be the lack of active use of balance sheet strategies within companies and the fact that corporate property owners are not real estate professionals.

The CRE strategy has gradually been recognized, and up to now, real estate companies (developers, etc.) and construction companies have been actively approaching corporate real estate. We have successfully commercialized a large number of businesses based on CRE strategies through proposals for effective utilization and proposals for joint ventures. It is also noteworthy that the enforcement of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law (2007) facilitated the liquidation of real estate and the entry of investors into the market.

■ Role of CRE strategy in data center investment and development

By applying the CRE strategy to data center investment and development, DC operators can enjoy the following benefits.

Understanding the intentions of corporate property owners

In addition to knowing whether you want to sell the property, whether you want to rent it, whether you want to make effective use of it yourself, whether you want to do a joint business, etc., you can also grasp the timing, so you can communicate with the owner based on trust. increase.

Avoiding Opportunity Loss and Lost Profits

Compared to real estate for other purposes, it takes a considerable amount of time to conduct a preliminary survey to determine the suitability of a data center site. For example, when participating in a real estate auction, etc., it may not be possible to make a decision within the consideration period. In addition, there may be cases where real estate investment is executed while accepting the risk of unconfirmed items. On the other hand, based on the CRE strategy, the decision-making process of the parties involved will make it easier for DC operators to select properties suitable for data centers, thereby reducing investment risk.

Optimizing investment efficiency

Data center development requires not only land acquisition funds but also huge investment funds for buildings and equipment. By utilizing the CRE strategy, the timing of funding will be advanced through discussions among the parties concerned, making it possible to avoid the problem of inefficient investment funds associated with prior acquisitions. In addition, in the SPC formation scheme for joint investment, it is possible to carefully consider the financing method and loan terms and formulate the optimal financing strategy.

Alignment of Interests of Stakeholders and Exit Strategies

The development of a data center requires a huge amount of investment funds and a considerable period of time from the completion of the DC to its stable operation. By repeating discussions that match the expectations of each of the parties concerned, the CRE strategy realizes the separation of the development party, ownership and management, and enables the construction of a final exit strategy scenario.

As mentioned above, utilizing CRE strategy in data center investment and development can be considered a beneficial approach to maximize profitability while minimizing risk.