Asian outbound real estate investment rebounds in 2021, led by Singaporean capital

Asian outbound commercial real estate investment surged 69 percent year-over-year in 2021 to $54.6 billion, surpassing 2019’s pre-pandemic volume, according to data from CBRE.

Singaporean capital dominated Asian outbound investment, with six out of the top 10 outbound transactions. Singaporean investors deployed $32 billion abroad, marking a significant increase of 164 percent year-over-year. The United States was the preferred destination for Singaporean capital, with appetite strongest for logistics portfolios. Hong Kong investors also stepped up purchasing as the second most active source of Asian outbound capital, with $6.7 billion invested in 2021 representing a 60 percent year-over-year rebound.

“Investors from Singapore and Hong Kong were the most active due to the size of their markets and available liquidity. The United States was the preferred international market for Asian investors due to attractive U.S. dollar hedging costs and its robust economy relat