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Real estate investors enter 2023 facing a very different investment landscape to the one they encountered at the beginning of 2022. Many property markets were still riding high this time last year. In 2021, they had delivered the strongest returns since before the 2008 global financial crisis (GFC), bouncing back from COVID-19-related weakness on the back of pent-up demand and a particularly buoyant industrial market. As 2022 progressed, however, that pent-up economic demand combined with exogenous supply shocks associated with the Russia-Ukraine war drove inflation to levels not seen in decades.

The future for real estate investing has not been so uncertain since the GFC, and this new environment presents many challenges for investors: Overall deal activity has plummeted as investors pause to reassess the risks they face and underwrite appropriately. While it is clear that sentiment is weak, this pause in activity levels means that pricing evidence is scarce; and for that reason, it will be important to triangulate from a range of data types and sources. Without the tailwind of compressing yields, returns will be driven more by occupier-market fundamentals — which, for office markets, are at a structural turning point. Understanding the interplay of rental growth, occupancy and expenses on delivered income across markets and property types will be key. These factors will be just a selection of the growing number of inputs that may drive asset performance in an increasingly complex investment environment. The ability to attribute risk and performance to a growing number of factors like yield and leasing profile, as well as exposure to more secular risks like climate change, will be increasingly important for investors.

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The rush of post-pandemic activity in the data center space seen throughout 2021 continued in 2022, despite headwinds in the overall economy and resource challenges in some of the largest markets worldwide. Hyperscale tenants continued their relentless expansion across regions, with specific interest toward secondary and emerging markets. Co-location providers and developers have followed suit, driven by higher availability and lower prices for both power and land.

The 2023 Global Data Center Market Comparison reviews all factors outlined in the previous edition of this report, with further commentary on a region-by-region basis. As with previous editions, we assess data center markets across the globe, within 13 different categories, to determine the top overall markets along with the top performers in each category. With this fourth edition of the report, we hope to provide members of the data center community with a better understanding of how the industry is rapidly changing and expanding across the globe.

Despite the challenges of juggling an economy under the weight of its zero-covid policies and stringent macroprudential measures, the Chinese government has remained steadfast in implementing its vision for the country’s REIT market. 2022 ticked off another milestone in the ongoing evolution, as China’s first batch of rental property REITs went public in August, deepening financing channels for the country’s real estate sector.

Strong regulatory backing, quality asset base and robust underlying demand for dividend-rich stocks from investors in China’s US$12 trillion stock markets will remain supportive of the sector’s strong valuations. Progress is palpable, and we can expect more C-REIT listings in 2023. The inclusion of conventional commercial real estate – arguably the proverbial holy grail and the final frontier in the evolution of C-REITs – is nearing reality and the wave of listings that follow will undoubtedly be a massive investment opportunity.

As many economies continue to raise interest rates to tackle inflation, and with growing concerns of a recession in other parts of the world, Asia Pacific investors have become more cautious, with net buying intention softening in 2023. 

CBRE’s 2023 Asia Pacific Investor Intentions Survey, which features insights from more than 500 investors across the region, finds that although fundraising activity remains healthy, most investors intend to adopt a wait-and-see stance in the first half of 2023 in anticipation of slower yield expansion and milder rate hikes.

Other key findings include:

• Real estate allocations among Asia-based institutional investors are largely below their global peers. These respondents indicate that their allocations to real estate will remain the same or increase over the next 12 months.
• Opportunistic strategies will gain momentum in 2023 as investors look to capitalise on price dislocation and seek distressed opportunities.
• Industrial and logistics remains the most preferred asset class, while residential (especially multifamily and built-to-rent) logged the strongest uptick in interest. Offices are still the top property type among core investors.
• Although healthcare-related properties have overtaken data centres to become the most popular alternative sector, the investible universe for this asset class in Asia Pacific remains limited.
• Tokyo retained its status as the top city for cross-border investment for a fourth consecutive year, followed by Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City.

This report was originally published in https://www.cbre.com/insights/reports/asia-pacific-investor-intentions-survey-2023

India has long been recognised as a country with immense potential, but it was often hindered by bureaucracy and red tape. In recent years, however, India has made laudable strides, with its economic growth leapfrogging other major countries, in part driven by concerted government-led reforms and sector-focused initiatives that have shaped a more business-friendly climate, particularly for foreign investment.

Today, India has forged ahead into a new era, and the country holds much promise with the largest youth population in the world1 and the second largest labour force2 globally. Investors can look forward to sustained returns from key beneficiaries of these structural advancements, particularly in the Office and Business Park sector.

This report was originally published in https://www.capitaland.com/en/about-capitaland/newsroom/inside/2023/January/Riding_the_Growth_Impetus_A_Focus_on_Indias_Office_and_Business_Park_Sector.html