Developer decisions: A qualitative analysis of the choice's developers make that influence development speed

Abstract

The Netherlands has been struggling with a housing crisis in recent years. House prices are rising unsustainably and there is a major shortage of homes. One of the reasons is that structurally too few new homes are being built to meet the urgent demand. There are several reasons why too few new homes are being built. A possible contributing factor is that developers deliberately delay construction for better market conditions. In Great Britain it is certain to happen. In the Netherlands it is expected to happen. That is why this study examines the choices developers make and whether they influence the speed at which development takes place. This was done through a qualitative study in which several project developers were questioned. An important choice that developers make is to phase projects. For most, this is a common way of responding better to market conditions and a reason not to negatively influence the market by creating too much supply locally, which influences the price. Developers often use phasing as a rule of thumb. Most likely it is not rational for all projects to apply phasing. Because it can also be optimal not to phase projects. Which ultimately can make projects last longer.