Commercial Property Exposure and Corporation Financing Choice

Abstract

This study explores the possible relationship between a corporation’s capital structure and its commercial property exposure as well as property market characteristics. Using data from the heavily levered and rapidly growing U.S. telecommunications industry, we find a positive association between leverage and commercial property exposure via commercial property ownership since the 1996 telecommunications industry deregulation, after controlling for traditional capital structure determinants, and the association is particularly prominent during the 2007-2009 Great Recession. A possible justification is the collateral effect of real estate properties on leverage. The exposure through property leases also play (albeit smaller) roles in the financing choice. Our findings generally suggest a non-trivial influence of real estate exposure to the firms’ financing choices, especially when the capital market is tight hence the collateral effect is critical.