Global Real Estate & Economy Brief — 2025-11-13

🌍 At a Glance

• US Fed Funds Rate: 4.09 (as of 2025-10-01)
• US 30Y Mortgage: 6.22 (as of 2025-11-06)
• ECB Policy Rate: 2.0 [FRED:ECBDFR] as of 2025-11-12
• BoE Bank Rate: 4.00 (as of 2025-08-07)

🇺🇸 United States

• Karaoke Rooms Go High Tech — High-tech karaoke rooms feature auto-tune and luxurious designs to attract social media users.
• Today’s Yacht Buyer Is Younger, Richer and Increasingly American — The new yacht buyer demographic is younger, wealthier, and predominantly American.
• $1.2 Million Homes in New York, Rhode Island and Idaho — Explore $1.2 million homes including a Queen Anne Revival in Balmville and a colonial revival in Boise.

🇪🇺 Europe

• Pressure grows on Starmer to sack chief of staff over briefing row — Keir Starmer faces mounting pressure to dismiss chief of staff Morgan McSweeney amid allegations of a briefing operation against Wes Streeting.
• Property experts urge Rachel Reeves to abolish ‘sin tax’ of stamp duty in budget — Property experts are urging Rachel Reeves to eliminate stamp duty in favor of an annual property tax in the upcoming budget.
• Peter Mandelson was in contact with Epstein till at least 2016, new emails reveal — New emails reveal Peter Mandelson maintained contact with Jeffrey Epstein until at least 2016, following his dismissal as UK ambassador.

🌏 Asia

• Driving test rules to change in bid to stop bots booking slots — New driving test rules aim to reduce backlog by preventing bots from booking slots.
• £220 ‘for a cut-up sock' – Apple's new iPhone Pocket ridiculed online — Apple's £220 iPhone Pocket faces ridicule for its resemblance to a cut-up sock.
• SSE to invest £33bn in upgrading Scotland's electricity grid — SSE plans a £33bn investment to enhance Scotland's electricity grid and boost capacity.

🎯 GPT Strategy

🇺🇸 United States

• **Positioning Idea:** Invest in luxury hospitality REITs to capitalize on the trend of high-tech social experiences.
• **Risk Note:** Economic downturns may reduce discretionary spending.
• **Positioning Idea:** Consider marine-focused ETFs or yacht manufacturing stocks to benefit from the rising demand among younger affluent buyers.

🇪🇺 Europe

• **Position in UK Residential REITs**: Favor UK residential REITs as potential beneficiaries of tax reforms, but monitor political stability risks closely.
• **Invest in Property Tax ETFs**: Consider ETFs focused on real estate sectors that may benefit from a shift to annual property taxes, while being cautious of legislative delays.
• **Macro Hedge with UK Bonds**: Hedge against political uncertainty by investing in UK government bonds, as volatility may increase with ongoing leadership challenges.

🌏 Asia

• **Positioning Idea**: Invest in utility-focused REITs or ETFs to capitalize on increased infrastructure spending, particularly in renewable energy and grid enhancements.
• **Risk Note**: Regulatory changes or project delays could impact returns.
• **Positioning Idea**: Consider ETFs focused on technology infrastructure as companies adapt to new regulations and invest in automation to streamline operations.

Not financial advice. Educational insights only.