Core properties are not only king but are becoming more regal, as yields on other assets perceived as safe continue to slide. In a still-stuttering global economy, investors like the steady rents, the security and, in many Asian markets, the prospects for medium- and long-term appreciation of core property. But eventually, market participants predict even risk-averse institutions will start nibbling at more speculative or noncore properties as projected returns on core shrink.

This year promises a stronger replay of 2012: Core properties in Asia are increasingly attractive to institutional investors around the world, among the best of options in a globe of choppy markets and declining yields.

“No question, institutional investors have been recalibrating their portfolios and looking more to core profiles in Asia,” says Mark Gabbay, CIO of Asia Pacific, in the Hong Kong offices of