Property unit trust Martprop concluded the six-month period ended January with a gearing of only 6,7% which leaves the window for further geared growth wide open for the group.

DURBAN Property unit trust Martprop Property Fund anticipated finalising deals worth R150m within the next month and was actively seeking acquisitions while the market offered good values, MD Roger Perkin said yesterday.

Conventional wisdom suggests that with the rand improving strongly against the world’s major currencies, and with inflation and interest rates expected to head back down from their current highs, one of the best places to look for good investments would be on the listed property market. But the experts warn otherwise, saying that while property shares are expected to rerate next year, other equity investments will do better.

The deals concluded by property unit trust Martprop in the past few months, combined with improved industrial sector prospects could restore the group's fortunes.

South Africas big three property unit trusts (PUTs), Grayprop, Martprop and Sycom, are preparing to launch a joint take over bid for listed property loan stock (PLS) fund Primegro. It could be the first of a number of such deals in the property sector this year.

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