JLL, a real estate investment advisory firm, expects the Egyptian residential sector to see growing foreign investor confidence in 2019 for its positive performance throughout the prior year, Invest-Gate reports.

This came at JLL’s “Year Ahead” annual event, held on March 6 at the Nile Ritz-Carlton Cairo, during which the firm revealed the core factors shaping investment opportunities in Cairo’s real estate market during the current year.

Looking into 2019, JLL noted that there is a clear direction towards lower down payments, flexible installment plans, and an abundance of offerings in the major cities and coastal destinations.

Speaking of the commercial sector, JLL expected the demand for flexible office space, which represents only 0.72% of the total stock, to increase in Cairo for this trend is attracting special attention from owners who want to address modern work systems and short-term contracting needs.

On another note, the company said vacancies in Cairo’s retail sector could increase during 2019, due to the level of new supply entering the market, whereas rentals are also expected to surge.

Shopping center developers and owners are likely to further innovate this year to cater to evolving consumer shopping trends and changing demographics.

As for the hotel sector, JLL sees the current year to witness significant re-branding opportunities and new operator deals.

This will come in line with the continuous increase in in-bound tourism driven by enhanced security, increase in tourist purchasing power, and an overall recovery of the tourism sector, which is expected to witness further positive enhancements with new openings such as the Grand Egyptian Museum and Sphinx International Airport.

Finally, the Egyptian industrial market is likely to witness increased demand for special logistic facilities, such as modern warehouses, with plans to create new logistic hubs along the Suez Canal and near other ports across the country, the advisory firm concluded.