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The buyer principle when buying and selling residential property – An economic analysis

The introduction of a nationwide buyer principle for the purchase of residential property is currently being discussed (draft law BMJV, 2019). In the future, the clients of the estate agents – mainly the sellers – would pay for the agent’s commission, so that the ancillary acquisition costs for buyers should decrease.

Whether this can be achieved with the buyer principle depends to a large extent on the probability of the sellers passing on the brokerage costs to the purchase prices. This study, commissioned by leading brokerage firms, therefore examines the potential effects of introducing the buyer-principle on a scientific and empirical basis.

Digital infrastructure: glass fibre urgently needed!

Report in Wirtschaftsdienst 97th volume, 2017, issue 3, pp. 157-158

German companies present themselves at CeBIT
as a technology leader on the way to the gigabit society. But when it comes to broadband, Germany is lagging: in terms of download speed, it is ranked 26th in the world, behind most industrialised nations and even behind Bulgaria and Romania. Although DSL availability is excellent, only 7.1% of German households have access to genuine fibre optic connections (FTTH/B: Fibre to the Home/Building).

Market design for efficient transmission of offshore wind energy

A study commissioned by Ørsted Offshore Wind, published as DIW Berlin -Politikberatung kompakt 136.

The expansion of offshore wind energy is a strategic component of Germany’s energy and climate policy. Therefore, according to the targets of the German government, 15,000 MW of offshore wind energy capacity should be available in Germany by 2030. Suppose offshore wind energy is to make a successful contribution to the transformation of energy systems. In that case, it will be necessary not only to build offshore wind farms but also to transport the electricity produced efficiently on land.

Italy needs new impetus for growth sectors

DIW Weekly Report 9/2019 p. 112-121

Italy has not recovered from the economic consequences of the financial and sovereign debt crisis for a good ten years. This is partly due to Italy’s traditional growth drivers, namely manufacturing and construction, both of which have seen their employment levels fall by 700,000. On the other hand, unlike in many other EU countries, the new growth sectors in Italy, such as knowledge-intensive services, are stagnating.

Herculean task: evidence-based regulation in the telecommunications sector

Report in Wirtschaftsdienst, 99th volume, 2019, issue 2, pp. 113-118

The current economic policy debates on the faltering expansion of a nationwide fibre-optic infrastructure and the auctioning of 5G mobile frequencies show that the regulation of telecommunications markets in Germany is facing significant challenges.

At the heart of the conflicts is a trade-off between the rapid expansion of modern telecommunications networks and the nationwide availability of telecommunications services at affordable prices.