According to the 2021 Emerging Trends in Real Estate Global Outlook report, published by PwC and the Urban Land Institute (ULI) on March 12, investors in the Asia Pacific (Apac) region are concerned about low yields and “sluggish” transaction volumes.
The report gathers insights from global asset managers, including US-based Blackstone, UK-based Savills Investment Management, and CBRE Investment Management. Over 70% of survey respondents identified low yields, high interest rates, and geopolitical tensions as the top three concerns among investors.
The report also highlights the continued appeal of Asia Pacific as a diversification strategy for industry leaders, given its growing population and favorable demographic metrics, as well as divergent monetary policies, such as Japan’s decision to increase short-term interest rates.
In 2020, real estate transaction volumes in the region grew by 13% year-on-year, reaching US$173.5 billion ($231.3 billion). This outpaced the growth seen in other regions such as Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) at 12% year-on-year, and the Americas at 11% year-on-year.
However, as Europe and North America look poised to revitalize their capital markets cycles, with volumes expected to improve even further in these regions, transaction volumes in Apac are projected to remain sluggish.
Last year, a decline in transaction volume impacted liquidity in the Asia Pacific. In China, transactions decreased by 25% year-on-year to US$418.3 billion ($557.6 billion), while Hong Kong SAR saw a 1% decline in transaction volume to US$15.7 billion ($20.9 billion).
Meanwhile, investors in Europe face different concerns. The top three worries among asset managers in the region were international political instability (85%), continued escalation of the region’s conflicts (83%), and Europe’s economic growth (77%).
Data from MSCI, a leading US-based research and data analytics company, also shows that commercial property prices in the US stabilized last year, ending the year down just 0.7%. This may lead investors to focus more on these regions in the coming months.
The report also revealed that data center assets had the highest investment and development prospects across all three regions in 2025.
According to New York-based research firm Green Street, global demand for data centers reached record levels last year, with asking rents increasing at a double-digit pace. MSCI’s latest research marks 2024 as a standout year for this asset class, with acquisitions of existing data centers through single property and portfolio deals increasing by over 60% in the US.
In September last year, Blackstone and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP) acquired data center firm AirTrunk from Macquarie Asset Management and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board for over US$16 billion ($21.3 billion). This was the largest commercial real estate deal recorded in Asia Pacific and globally for 2024.
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