Analysis Of Finnish Real Estate Service Sector And Itís Competitive Advantages In Internationalising Environment

In this paper, the Finnish real estate service sector is analysed in order to evaluate itís competitiveness in the globalising business environment. Real estate services (RES) are typically location-bound or ìsoftî services, and a common pattern of internationalisation for RES companies is to develop stand-alone business system in each target country. An interesting question in the case of the Finnish service sector is the competitive advantages of small domestic RES companies compared to large multinational companies possibly entering the market. What kind of strategic decisions are required of the small, home-market oriented RES sector? What are the potential competitive advantages of these companies compared to large multinational RES companies? The focus of this paper is on the analysis of the supply of services in the Finnish property market. In this paper the competitive advantages of the Finnish real estate service sector are assessed from the point of view of the Finnish real estate service firms. The competitive strategies of Finnish RES companies are assessed from the point of view of both increasing international competition and demand. The research is based on literature study on the subject. 17 theme interviews of leading Finnish RES companies were conducted in order to deepen the understanding of the subject. The three dimensions of competitive advantages of service firms by Dunning are: - ownership advantages - locational advantages - internationalisation advantages The significance of these dimensions for the Finnish RES sector is analysed based on the theme interviews. A typical Finnish RES company is small and home-market oriented. Most of the companies, however, expect international RES companies to enter the Finnish market in the near future. This development will increase both competition in the RES sector and demand of professional services. As a result, Finnish companies are forced to adopt international practises and standards. Internationalisation is rather a challenge than a threat for Finnish companies. However, very few actions have been taken so far in order to be prepared for the international competition.