Why property has a place in my portfolio

Shares in professionally managed property companies can offer the patient investor a relatively risk-free option with good returns

In a gold rush, it pays to be the guy selling shovels – or in the case of a property rush, the guy who bought into listed property companies during the downturn Picture: Getty

Many private investors don’t think about deploying their capital between equities, bonds, property and cash. And many have very different notions about what constitutes a defensive, diversified and well-balanced portfolio.

I have been an investor for a long time now and while I recognise that equity investment is in the highest risk category of mainstream assets over the long term, I have always been alert to the dangers of withdrawing from the equity ...