Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore, from the view of buyers and sellers, the relationship between the blockchain technology and various important aspects of real estate transactions such as transparency, security and cost reduction. Design/methodology/approach The present study uses a quantitative research method. For the purpose of this study, a questionnaire with close-ended questions is used. The questionnaire was distributed to both buyers and sellers alike. The study included 1,000 people using the stratified probability sampling. The study uses factor analysis to analyze the relationship between the blockchain technology and other research variables such as such as transparency, security and cost reduction. Findings The findings of this study indicate that the buyers and sellers perceive that the transparency and cost reduction have the highest influence on the intention to adopt blockchain technology in a real estate transactions system, followed by the security of transactions. Practical implications The study has great implications for the real estate transactions system in Kosovo and society in general. The study shows that the blockchain technology can provide for a transparent and errorless interaction between buyers and sellers of real estate. Since smart contracts eliminate the need for third parties in real estate transactions, the cost of transactions shall be considerably reduced due to elimination of intermediaries and due to process speed and efficiency. Finally, the blockchain technology can increase the trust between parties and shall serve as a means to fight corruption and money laundering in real estate investments. Originality/value The study is the first quantitative study that studies the causal link between the blockchain technology and important aspects of real estate transactions system such as transparency, security and transaction costs.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the impact that Generation Z has on the real estate industry of Kosovo. By studying the behaviors and characteristics of Gen Z the stakeholders in the real estate industry can gain advantages and opportunities in getting to comprehend their preferences, their perspective and their decision to buy real estate in Kosovo. Design/methodology/approach The present study used a quantitative research method. For the purpose of this study a questionnaire with close-ended questions is used. The questionnaire used for this study is a self-evaluation and self-administrated questionnaire. The study included 200 people, mainly Albanian speakers who participated in the questionnaire. All participants of the questionnaire were strictly members of Generation Z that were born in the time period of 1995–2012. In this questionnaire the participants were provided with full anonymity, since none of their identity data were requested during this process. Findings The findings of this study indicate that Gen Z and their different characteristics will have an impact on the real estate industry. Research limitations/implications This study can be utilized as a landmark for agents of real estate on understanding how they can use the characteristics and behaviors of Gen Z in their favor, by pointing out the prominence of those characteristics and behaviors in realizing the needs and desires of the potential buyers and the influence they have on the decision to buy property. Furthermore, through this study, the real estate agencies will be provided with multiple reasons that substantiate the necessity to perform the proper research about differences between generations. Originality/value The study is the first quantitative study that studies the linkage between behaviors and characteristics of Generation Z and their intention to purchase real estate.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the benefits of construction of sustainable buildings and highlight the challenges of achieving sustainable buildings in Kosovo. The present paper not only focuses on social, economic and environmental benefits of the sustainable buildings viewed from the perspective of construction industry experts but also on the challenges that the construction industry in Kosovo faces in achieving sustainable buildings. Design/methodology/approach The present study uses a qualitative research method and semi-structured interviews as a research instrument. The present study interviews around 20 experts of real estate management, architecture, civil engineering and sustainability. Findings The present research finds that the citizens of Kosovo are not very well informed about the benefits of sustainable buildings due to lack of adequate promotion of such buildings. The present study finds that sustainable buildings from the view of construction professionals in Prishtina, Kosovo, have economic, social, and environmental benefits mainly in the form of energy savings, lower operational costs, reduction of pollution and CO2 emissions and better health and satisfaction of occupants. The challenges are mainly of economic, structural and organizational and regulatory character. Research limitations/implications The present study has great implications for the society and construction industry because it shows to the investors all the benefits of building and using sustainable buildings. The findings of the present study, to a certain extent, fill the gap of lack of information that the construction industry in Kosovo faces regarding the benefits and challenges of sustainable buildings. The construction industry, buyers and authorities can benefit from the present study since they can understand the benefits and challenges of sustainable buildings, which can encourage them to invest more in sustainable buildings. Originality/value The study is the first qualitative study about the perception of construction professionals in Prishtina, Kosovo, regarding the benefits and challenges of sustainable buildings.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify which are the main factors influencing the apartment prices in Prishtina, the capital of Kosovo, during the period 2018–2020. The factors identified will be used by real estate developers and investors for better decision-making in apartment investments. Design/methodology/approach The research methodology is quantitative. The methodology analyzes 1,468 real estate transaction contracts of apartment buildings using a probability random sampling. The research methodology uses multiple regression analysis to identify whether the research model is significant in predicting apartment prices but also identify which are the main factors that influence the apartment prices in Prishtina, Kosovo. Findings The present study finds that location, size, floor, access to road and building quality affect apartment prices in Prishtina, whereas surprisingly access to green spaces and availability of parking spaces have no statistically significant effect on apartment prices in Kosovo. Research limitations/implications The study has great implications for the real estate developers in Prishtina, Kosovo showing how to improve their decision-making process in real estate investments to know which characteristics are most valued by investors for investment in new apartment buildings in Prishtina, Kosovo and local authorities in Prishtina, Kosovo to modernize the access to road infrastructure for its inhabitants and adopt building regulations that will enforce strict criteria as far as building quality is concerned. Originality/value The study is the first quantitative study that studies the factors influencing the apartment prices in Prishtina, Kosovo.

Structured AbstractPurpose: The purpose of this article is to explore the development of knowledge about facilities management (FM), in particular, the management of FM services in practice, education and research. The article questions whether we know more about optimal models for in-house or outsourcing FM after 25 years of applied research and development of best practices.Design/methodology/approach: The article is based on literature reviews, case studies and personal experiences from practice for over 25 years, concentrating on the public sector. The article maintains an international focus on the FM development, with particular focus on the development in Norway and the Nordic countries. The knowledge development triangle, and its integration of education, research and practice, is used as an underlying theoretical framework. Findings:The knowledge regarding management of FM services in both the public and private sector has been developed over the last two decades. The changes in both sectors is reflected in all the three aspects of the knowledge triangle. While the use of outsourcing increased significantly in popularity during the last 25 years, the Norwegian profile continues to have limited use of outsourcing. Research limitations/implications:The article is based a qualified selection of doctoral theses, research reports and scientific articles published in the period 1990-2015. The explorations include limited quantitative data. Practical implications -Social implications:The choice for FM in practice, whether fully or partly to produce services with internal resources or to make arrangements with external suppliers, is an important strategic decision regarding the choice of a procurement strategy for the company or the organisation. This decision is not necessarily about outsourcing or in-house, but rather the strategic sourcing and management of the needed services.Originality/value: Twenty-five years of research have shown that a simple solution and answer to the questions about in-house or outsourcing FM services is lacking. To find a good solution, it is necessary to understand the content of FM services with respect to quality and efficiency, and to understand the interaction between FM, the core activities and the users.

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to quantify the carbon emissions emitted by two different typical apartment units representative of two different construction periods in Kosovo due to main construction materials as a consequence of embodied energy. Design/methodology/approach The present study uses a three-step (bottom-up) process-based life cycle analysis of the construction material set for two different apartment units. The current study uses material analysis. Embodied CO2 is estimated by multiplying material masses with the corresponding ECO2 coefficients (kg CO2/kg). Due to the lack of a comprehensive Kosovo database, data from an international database are utilized. The results provide practical baseline indicators for the contribution of each material in terms of mass and embodied CO2. Findings Results of quantitative research find that apartment unit representative of the old communist-era construction produces 50 percent more embodied CO2 emissions than an apartment unit that is representative of modern construction in Kosovo. The study finds that this difference comes mainly because of the utilization of larger quantities of steel, concrete, and precast fabricated concrete in the apartment unit that is representative of the old communist era. Research limitations/implications The calculation of embodied CO2 emissions for major construction materials in typical apartments in Kosovo can help in the development of national databases in the future. The availability of such databases could help the construction industry in Kosovo to open up to new sustainable design approaches since such databases and evaluations performed in the national context in Kosovo could help the builders in selecting, assessing and using environmentally friendly materials during the design or refurbishment stage of a building. Originality/value This paper is the first investigation of the embodied carbon emission in two different typical apartment building structures in Kosovo.

Purpose While facilities management (FM) in Kosovo is a constantly growing discipline, the studies so far in Kosovo have been scarce and too general. The purpose of the paper is to discuss the current situation of FM in Kosovo, identify challenges and recommend new future development directions of the sector with regard to capabilities of facility managers, integration of technology in FM and FM standardization.Design/methodology/approach The present study uses qualitative method by using semi-structured interviews with purposive sample of 20 FM professionals with experience of more than 15 years that cover public, private sector and international organizations.Findings The present study finds that FM in Kosovo is in its infancy stage, and it is mainly perceived as maintenance and cleaning with the low level of outsourcing. Generally, it was agreed that FM industry in Kosovo faces several challenges such as lack of budget, resources and staff; inappropriate FM planning; absence of uniform KPIs and low sensitivity of FM to sustainability. The study finally finds that FM in Kosovo can be enhanced only through integration of novel technologies, development of adaptive capability of facility managers and adequate FM standardization.Research limitations/implications The present study helps researchers and practitioners to understand the current situation of FM in Kosovo in terms of planning, outsourcing and primary purpose of FM in Kosovo. The study also provides an overview of challenges of FM in Kosovo, which can be used by researchers and practitioners to identify future development directions for the sector and profession.Originality/value The study contributes to the current knowledge about the state of development of FM in transitional countries such as Kosovo. The findings will identify future development areas of FM in Kosovo especially with regard to capability and skills of FM professionals and integration of technology in FM, which can be used by other countries facing the same perceptional and developmental challenges in FM.