Intrinsic Real Option Value: Empirical Evidence from Commercial Real Estate Investors

We investigate how local information externalities affect investments in tangible durable assets via real options. Using geocoded transaction-level data on US commercial properties from 2000 to 2018, we find that investors have a higher propensity to invest in a property for immediate redevelopment when its capital intensity and type of commercial activity differ from those of recently built nearby properties. Information externalities affect 'buy-to-redevelop' investment strategies as much as the asset capital depreciation - a main determinant of real option exercise highlighted in the literature - and can increase up to 30 percent the investors' willingness to pay to invest in the property.