Bank Balance Sheets and Liquidation Values: Evidence from Real Estate Collateral

Abstract

This paper finds that a decline in bank equity or liquidity reduces liquidation values of bank-owned real estate and accelerates the pace of asset sales. Buyers of these assets earn significant returns for providing liquidity to banks, as prices tend to rebound sharply after sales by illiquid banks. Lower liquidation values also depress the prices of nearby real estate transactions. Policy interventions such as equity injections and central bank asset purchases increase liquidation values by providing institutions with the balance sheet capacity to slow asset sales. This evidence suggests that balance sheet adjustments at financial institutions can explain real asset price dynamics.

Keywords: Financial Crises, Asset Prices, Banks

JEL Classification: G21, G33, G01