Virtual Land and Virtual Property Markets: The Real (Virtual) Estate Discipline During the Digital Transformation. Is the Metaverse a New Frontier for Land Investment?

Dear Colleagues,

Today, it may be surprising to find that some of the most expensive properties are not physical at all, as many investors are paying premium prices to acquire virtual properties in the virtual world of the Metaverse. Investing in these “meta-estates” shares many similarities with traditional real estate investment. Factors such as market segmentation, ownership, investment, holding, development, and the use of virtual spaces for commercial and professional activities remain pertinent. However, the platform itself is (obviously) fundamentally different, and moving from the physical world to a virtual one alters some of the rules.

This Special Issue is dedicated to novel research on the sale of virtual land within the Metaverse. The scope of this Special Issue includes the exploration of how real estate theories are applied within the Metaverse. What aspects will change? Which dynamics will stay the same? How should the “meta-estate” discipline be structured? How can a virtual market be defined? What is the appropriate method for valuing a virtual property? What new investment dynamics and opportunities will emerge?

The aim of this Special Issue, therefore, is to collect papers (original research articles and review papers) that provide insights concerning the following topics:

• methods to assess the value of virtual land,
• virtual land new market dynamics,
• market segmentation in metaverse platforms: new rules,
• a review of the existing literature on this new emerging topic,
• new problems emerging from the virtuality of the market,
• ownership of virtual land,
• new horizons for land investment in virtual platforms,
• Metaverse’s platforms to invest in land: comparison and analysis.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Aurora Greta Ruggeri
Dr. Giuliano Marella
Guest Editors

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