CBRE’s 2026 Asia Pacific Investor Intentions Survey marks a turning point, with over 57 per cent of respondents planning to increase real estate purchases this year—a four-year peak in net buying sentiment. Net intentions strengthened in Singapore, Korea and Australia, while even cautious markets like China and Hong Kong showed improvement. Respondents cite brighter rental prospects and occupier demand as key drivers, setting the stage for selective capital deployment.
Offices emerge as the top target, buoyed by return-to-work mandates, hybrid model stabilisations and limited new supply in gateway cities. Investors favour core-plus plays—stabilised assets with upside from active management—as cap rate compression slows and yields firm. Singapore and Hong Kong landlords, alongside big players in Australia and Korea, lead the shift, eyeing 2026 as a rebound year after prolonged caution.
The survey captures a regionwide thaw after years of rate hikes and uncertainty damped activity. Stronger occupier markets, particularly in tech and finance, underpin confidence in rent growth outpacing costs. Japanese investors stay net buyers, focusing domestically, while Southeast Asian hubs like Singapore benefit from supply shortages and policy support for data centers and logistics.
Logistics and living sectors trail offices but gain traction amid e-commerce persistence and demographic pressures. Retail lags due to lingering vacancy risks, though experiential formats show pockets of interest. Capital sources diversify, with private equity and sovereign funds joining traditional REITs in the hunt for stabilised income.
For Southeast Asia specifically, the outlook favours markets with infrastructure momentum like Malaysia and Vietnam, where industrial demand surges. Singapore’s REIT rally reflects broader optimism, but execution risks—such as energy constraints for hyperscale builds—temper enthusiasm. CBRE expects transaction volumes to rise as dry powder meets willing sellers pricing for recovery. This sentiment shift signals maturation in APAC real estate cycles, rewarding patient allocators with asymmetric upside. Investors prioritise quality over volume, betting on sectors where fundamentals align with macro easing. As 2026 unfolds, the survey’s bullish read could self-fulfil through accelerated deals and yield compression.
