Thought Leadership

Global super-prime ($10m+) residential sales bounced back in Q1 2023, with 417 sales across the 12 markets tracked in Knight Frank’s Global Super-Prime Intelligence report, up 11% on the 376 recorded in Q4 2022 and the highest volume since Q2 last year.

This report was originally published in https://www.knightfrank.com.au/research/global-super-prime-intelligence-q1-2023-10221.aspx

Rents in global luxury residential markets are continuing to see strong growth. The Knight Frank Prime Global Rental Index rose by 8.5% in the 12 months to March this year – with rents in a majority of markets hitting new records.

This report was originally published in https://www.knightfrank.com.au/research/prime-global-rental-index-q1-2023-10269.aspx

• The Asia Pacific flex space market continues to display stable growth, with the total volume of flexible office space in the region reaching 87 million sq. ft. as of March 2023, an increase of 6% from September 2022.
   
• New flex space supply in Delhi NCR and Bangalore accelerated from 2022, with the two cities witnessing the addition of a combined 3.1 million sq. ft. of stock in Q1 2023. With leasing by flex space operators remaining robust in Q1 2023, the pace of new flex centre openings over the remainder of the year in these two markets is expected to be brisk. Weaker markets included Melbourne, where the potential insolvency of a local flex space operator resulted in a drop in flex office stock.
   
• Flex office penetration in the overall office market was steady at about 4% as of the end of March 2023. The proportion of flex space in Grade A office stock continued to increase, rising to 3.5% from 3.1% in September 2022, reflecting strong demand from flex space operators seeking to upgrade their centres to Grade A office buildings. 
   
• Ongoing economic uncertainty is strengthening the importance of portfolio flexibility and prompting a greater focus on cost management, driving occupier demand for flex space. CBRE’s 2023 Asia Pacific Occupier Survey found that more than half of respondents believe their portfolios to be under-allocated to flexible office space and intend to increase their use of it.
   
• Other key trends observed by CBRE in H1 2023 include tech firms’ continued dominance of usership of flex office space; CapEx concerns driving a preference for dedicated space such as enterprise solutions and strong demand for event space and access passes.

This report was originally published in https://www.cbre.com/insights/briefs/agile-real-estate-infographic-h1-2023-asia-pacific-flexible-office-market

While tenant enquiries and site visits remain frequent, momentum cooled from the previous survey. Although enquiries and inspections in mainland China were active, occupiers’ cautious stance resulted in a limited number of actual transactions.

Expansionary demand grew across the office and retail sectors but fell for industrial. Australia and Japan registered a rise in requirements for more space, while India continued to see robust new set up and expansion demand.

Two-thirds of respondents expect rents and incentives to stay flat. The view in mainland China is slightly negative, with rents forecasted to decline.

Despite falling slightly from the previous quarter, leasing sentiment in most markets stayed in positive territory. Sentiment in mainland China remains negative and will take more time to recover.

This report was originally published in https://www.cbre.com/insights/briefs/asia-pacific-leasing-market-sentiment-index-june-2023

Despite a challenging global economic environment and recent muted investment sentiment, the Asia Pacific commercial real estate market has remained largely resilient. In particular, the office sector remains an important asset class in the region, and one that investors should consider.

This report explores the opportunities presented by investing in the office sector in Asia Pacific, the supporting data and factors that differentiate this asset class from others, as well as the implications and potential strategies for investors.

Key highlights include:

• Deal flow in Asia Pacific remains resilient despite weaker investment sentiment
• The outlook for longer-term office demand is positive
• Asia Pacific is leading office attendance globally
• Price and rental correction has created a window of opportunity
• CBD offices can aid portfolio diversification

This report was originally published in https://www.cbre.com/insights/reports/asia-pacific-major-report-why-asia-pacific-offices-are-different-and-now-is-the-time-to-invest

Hong Kong SAR and Singapore are both firmly established as popular locations for multinational corporates to locate their Asia Pacific headquarters.

While the two cities have always enjoyed a competitive rivalry, recent sociopolitical developments and the enactment of anti-pandemic measures, although now abated, have prompted some companies to think about their operational and physical footprint in the region.

This report compares the two markets across seven key factors:

• Influence in Asia Pacific
• Scale of financial industry
• Scale of technology industry
• ESG and green building initiatives
• Talent availability and attraction
• Office rents/price
• Office availability

The report also discusses topical issues such as:

• How the two cities are set up to develop and grow in the post-covid world
• The competitive advantages of the two cities across industries
• Whether real estate pricing and rental gaps are narrowing, and by how much
• How the two cities will evolve over the next decade with reference to government master plans

This report was originally published in https://apacresearch.cbre.com/en/research-and-reports/A-Tale-of-Two-Cities-Hong-Kong-SAR-vs-Singapore

Real estate remains a key asset class within investors’ diversified strategies even as the turmoil in global financial markets and the instability across the capital spectrum continue to cause concerns.

That’s backed by some solid fundamentals, particularly in Asia Pacific. One, the region’s market resilience, versus its European and the US counterparts, put niche assets here on top of investors’ radar, and now, the reopening of China comes in as a shot in the arm. Two, the flight to quality – led by climate actions and return to office initiatives, has fuelled tight occupancy and rental growth across key Asia Pacific markets. Three, alternatives powered by the region’s living, logistics and life sciences sectors are luring investors with new opportunities and robust growth potential. There are several other reasons.

The moot point is the impact of rising interest rates on valuations and cap rates across key Asia Pacific markets appears mitigated, as rental growth remains powered by strong demand on the back of tight vacancy. However, it’s vital today for real estate investors to proactively map the next 12 months and ensure a winning action plan to make the most out emerging opportunities in the year ahead.

Read more to find out the 2023 APAC action plan in a smart investor’s diary

The logistics sector in Asia-Pacific has seen increased interest from both investors and occupiers. This report highlights the prevailing trends including the diversification of demand, the continuing undersupply of logistics properties, and the implications for investors.

This report was originally published in https://www.knightfrank.com/research/report-library/the-state-of-logistics-asia-pacific-focus-report-2023-2023-10082.aspx

With the Asia Pacific commercial real estate market witnessing rapid increases in financing costs, attention is turning to the sizable volume of outstanding senior loans due to mature, which could lead to a funding gap in the next few years.

CBRE estimates that there is currently US$177 billion of outstanding senior commercial real estate debt in Asia Pacific, with a debt funding gap of US$5.8 billion set to emerge in the region between 2023 and 2025.

This Viewpoint looks at the factors underpinning the debt funding gap in Asia Pacific over the next few years, including the markets and sectors that are likely to face the biggest gap, as well as the implications for investors, borrowers and lenders.

This report was originally published in https://www.cbre.com/insights/viewpoints/Asia-Pacific-Viewpoint-Bird-s-Eye-View-on-Asia-Pacific-Commercial-Real-Estate-Debt-Market

• Inbound investment in Singapore in 2022 reached US$7.585 bn, a marginal increase (3.4% y-o-y) from US$7.333 bn recorded in 2021.
• APAC was the largest source of capital, accounting for 72% of real estate investment into Singapore in 2022.
• Singapore’s outbound investment in 2022 reached US$28.284 bn, normalising from the record high of US$47.709 bn in 2021. Despite the drop, Singapore remained the top APAC outbound investor.
• 2022 outbound investment volumes were driven primarily by higher investment in the U.K., which saw a 120% y-o-y increase.

This report was originally published in https://www.cbre.com.sg/insights/viewpoints/singapore-viewpoint-investment-in-out-2022