Connect with us on

Linkedin-in Facebook-f X-twitter Instagram Weixin

Connect with us on

Linkedin-in Facebook-f X-twitter Instagram Weixin
APREA Logo
APREA Logo

Knowledge Hub

Search Filter

Chennai, April 23, 2026: Knight Frank, the leading independent global property consultancy, in its landmark 20th edition of The Wealth Report 2026, highlighted that Chennai now accounts for 4.8% of India’s ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) population. This marks a rise from 1.3% in 2015 to 4.8% in 2025. On a global scale, the ultra-high-net-worth individual (UHNWI) population (USD 30 mn+) grew by 162,191 between 2021 and 2026—adding the equivalent of 89 new UHNWIs every day. This takes the total global UHNW population to 713,626.

VIEW FULL ARTICLE

Bengaluru, April 23, 2026: Knight Frank, the leading independent global property consultancy today launched its landmark 20th edition of The Wealth Report. According to Knight Frank’s Prime International Residential Index (PIRI) Tracker: How much prime property does USD 1mn buy?, Monaco retains its position as the world’s most expensive prime residential city in 2025, where with USD 1mn, one can purchase just 16 square meters (sq m) of prime residential space, followed by Hong Kong (23 sq m) and Geneva (28 sq m).

VIEW FULL ARTICLE

This year’s edition of The Wealth Report reveals how private capital is adapting to a fractured geopolitical landscape, seeking agility, targeting value‑add opportunities and responding to significant shifts in real estate markets

VIEW FULL ARTICLE

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • The “flight-to-quality” movement that was evident in the previous quarters seem to have tapered off, which was supported by the lack of new supply of premium office buildings and strong occupancies of existing buildings.
  • According to data compiled by Savills, the vacancy rate for CBD Grade A offices dipped by 0.1 of a percentage point (ppt) quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) to 6.6% in Q1/2026. This was the second consecutive quarter of decline and the lowest since Q3/2024 when vacancy was at 6.1%.
  • The limited supply pipeline and low vacancies of premium offices enabled landlords to have strong holding power and increase the asking rents. As such, average CBD Grade A office rents continued to rise for the eighth consecutive quarter by 0.6% QoQ to S$10.02 per sq ft in Q1/2026.
  • Although geopolitical tensions remain high, the low vacancy levels and a low new supply environment is shoring up Grade A CBD office rents. Considering all these points, we have revised our rental forecast for 2026 upward, from 2% to a range of 3%–5% year-on-year (YoY) growth. Gross rents could receive additional upward support should energy costs rise further, and landlords pass these increases through to tenants.
VIEW FULL ARTICLE

Australia’s living sectors present strong opportunities for institutional capital, driven by sustained undersupply, record migration, and rising rental demand across student housing, build-to-rent, and co-living. These dynamics are supporting rental growth, high occupancy, and scalable investment platforms that offer stable, inflation-aligned income streams. At the same time, healthcare real estate and ageing-related assets offer long-term, multi-decade demand, reinforcing Australia as a compelling market for patient capital seeking resilient returns.

VIEW FULL ARTICLE

The fragile Iran-US ceasefire announced April 8th sparked a sharp risk-on rally, though uncertainty over the agreed terms and continued disruption to Strait of Hormuz shipping warrant near-term caution. China’s rumoured role as a mediator is a constructive development. A credible resolution that restores oil flows should disproportionately benefit Asian risk assets. Separately, weaker U.S. growth, partly driven by higher oil acting as a demand tax, may prompt Fed easing later in 2026, an additional tailwind for Asian equities and currencies.

Japan is the most near-term eventful market. BOJ rate hike expectations for the April 27–28 meeting are live (~50–60% probability), though we favour a summer move pending wage data and conflict resolution. We do not expect a hike to materially re-rate J-REITs negatively, given investor familiarity with the hiking cycle and rising real incomes. Tokyo office fundamentals remain exceptionally tight (8% YoY rent growth, 2.2% vacancy), and major developer FY March 2026 results/guidance are the key upcoming catalyst. J-REIT underperformance in Q1 likely reflects fiscal year-end selling pressure from Japanese institutions rather than fundamental deterioration.

Australia faces a split RBA (last decision 5:4), that may not need to tighten as aggressively as feared if supply-driven inflation produces demand destruction. Residential-exposed names Stockland and Mirvac trade at multi-year discounts, a sharp re-rating is possible if macro data softens. Goodman Group is expected to upgrade full-year guidance; Scentre Group’s guidance appears conservative and could surprise positively.

Singapore & Hong Kong both enter reporting season with solid underlying operating trends, though the conflict introduces risk. Singapore residential has been resilient; S-REIT data centre names remain a notable anomaly, underperforming sharply versus US peers (DCREIT +2.4% vs. Digital Realty +22.4% YTD) despite strong fundamentals and attractive yields. MAS is expected to allow SGD appreciation to manage inflation, keeping domestic rates contained. In Hong Kong, Q1 transactions rose 46% YoY to 23,300 units, but an inventory overhang and a crowded launch pipeline introduce demand air-pocket risk if geopolitical sentiment deteriorates. Large-cap developers (SHK +46% YTD, +111% YoY) have run hard; risk-reward is less compelling at current levels.

Key near-term catalysts: BOJ MPM (Apr 27–28), Japan CPI (Apr 24), RBA decision (May, TBC), major developer earnings

VIEW FULL ARTICLE

Here are the key takeaways from the recent APREA Singapore Conference, where industry leaders and experts explored market trends, capital flows, and emerging opportunities in real assets. While the discussions acknowledged near-term uncertainties, the overarching sentiment focused on positioning for the next phase of growth. These highlights capture the core themes currently shaping investment strategies across the region.

VIEW FULL ARTICLE

ASIA PACIFIC DATA CENTRE MARKET OVERVIEW

Asia Pacific continued its sharp growth, adding about 1,557MW of capacity to its operational stock during 2025. The development pipeline also increased by 5,033MW during the same period. Despite the sharp increase in operational stock, the vacancy declined from 12.4% in H2 2024 to 10.9% in H2 2025 reflecting strong demand for digital infrastructure in the Asia Pacific region.

VIEW FULL ARTICLE

India’s flex space market has undergone one of the most dramatic transformations in the country’s commercial real estate history. From a niche category accounting for just 2.2 mn sq ft of transactions in 2017, the segment has expanded to 18.6 mn sq ft in 2025, representing an 8.4× increase over eight years and a CAGR of 30%, significantly outpacing the broader office market, which grew at 9% during the same period. This structural outperformance reflects a fundamental realignment in how occupiers from global enterprises to early-stage startups conceive of, consume, and contract for workspace.

VIEW FULL ARTICLE

Market Overview
The outbreak of conflict in Iran has introduced a new layer of uncertainty for Asian real estate markets, with the primary transmission channel being higher oil prices and their impact on inflation expectations and central bank policy across the region. While the US appears intent on keeping the conflict limited, equity market weakness and rising bond yields may prompt the Trump administration to seek an early resolution — a dynamic that could cap the downside for risk assets.

Japan
In Japan, J-REITs have held up relatively well and present an attractive entry point as fiscal year-end selling pressure from financial institutions abates. Developers continue to deliver strong earnings, and while NAV discounts have largely closed, historical precedent and the prospect of strong May results suggest it is too early to exit.

Australia
A-REIT weakness predates the conflict, with rate hike fears weighing on residential names despite solid fundamentals and management confidence on demand. Goodman Group remains a key watch with guidance upgrades and data centre leasing announcements expected by mid-year. The May federal election is likely to bring housing supply policy into focus, a medium-term positive for Stockland and Mirvac.

Singapore & Hong Kong
Singapore developers have significantly outperformed SREITs over the past year, underpinned by resilient residential demand — as illustrated by GuocoLand’s strong weekend launch — though the sector has already re-rated considerably. In Hong Kong, developers had reached multi-year highs prior to the conflict and have since corrected; REITs may offer near-term defensiveness as profits rotate out of developers. Accommodative monetary conditions and the prospect of policy support under China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, including a potential inclusion of REITs in Stock Connect, provide a constructive medium-term backdrop for Hong Kong.

VIEW FULL ARTICLE