How to buy Landsec (LAND) shares

Landsec (LON: LAND) is a commercial property development and investment company. It is the largest in the UK and a constituent of the FTSE 100 index.

Landsec develops commercial property, including offices, high street stores, shopping centres, and retail parks.

Read on for information on how to buy shares in Landsec.

Step 1: Choose your broker

Landsec is listed on the London Stock Exchange. You'll need a broker who has access to this market.

When it comes to choosing a broker, things to consider include their commission, foreign exchange fee (especially if you want to buy shares of international shares in the future), what markets they have access to, and what instruments can be traded on them.

Another important factor to consider is what their trading platform is like to use on desktop and mobile devices, particularly if you are new to investing.

Step 2: Fund your account

You'll need to have cleared funds in your account before placing a trade. You can fund your account using a bank transfer or debit card, but some brokers also accept credit cards.

If a broker accepts deposits from credit cards, be aware that some charge a processing fee.

Step 3: Decide how much you want to invest in shares

Shares go up and down in value. Being a risk investment, you should only invest money you can afford to lose. Resist being controlled by the fear of missing out — you can invest in the stock market with regular investments over time, reducing risk and average down the cost of each share.

Step 4: Shares or ETF?

ETFs may have a smaller but more consistent return than actively trading more speculative growth stocks. They are a managed and diversified way of investing that suits the passive or casual investor.

Landsec shares are included in the following ETFs: iShares UK Property UCITS ETF (IUKP), VanEck Global Real Estate UCITS ETF (TRET), and others. Their shares are also included in many REITs.

Step 5: Set up an order

The market order is the most basic order type and easiest to understand. Once submitted, your broker will purchase shares at the next market price (which may be slightly different to what you were quoted).

If you have a price objective in mind, most brokers will enable you to set up an order to buy or sell automatically once a price target is met.

Some brokers have recurring orders, giving investors a way to buy shares regularly and take advantage of pound cost averaging.

News stories, company results, and what its staff or customers are saying about them all play a role in how the share price performs.

The cost of land, labour and materials all impact the ability of a property developer to turn a profit. With commercial property, the level of demand for finished developments is also an important factor. Although Landsec is involved in many development projects, a general downturn in the property market can affect their share price (as happened during the Great Recession).

Tracking what their main competitors are doing can help inform your investing strategy. Their competitors include Unite Group (LON: UTG), Derwent London (LON: DLND), and British Land (LON: BLND).