The boom of Chinese investment in US commercial real estate, which lasted from 2014–2017, has been largely curtailed by China’s enactment of foreign exchange currency controls.

From technology to economics, connection was the theme at Institutional Real Estate, Inc’s 2019 Visions, Insights & Perspectives (VIP) Americas conference in Carlsbad, California, this January. One message from keynote speakers and panelists was that human connections with family and friends will drive economic growth and real estate demand.

New York City ranked first in an index measuring 30 global tech-heavy cities analysed by Savills, with San Francisco in second place and London third. In addition, five mainland Chinese cities entered the index rankings for the first time.

After racing out the gate to start 2019 on record pace, both Asia Pacific and global property stocks took a pause in February. The reduced performance of 0.2 percent and –1.2 percent, respectively, during the month primarily was driven by a more pronounced risk-off trade within the equities market due to reduced trade tensions between China and the United States — as well as supportive monetary policies, particularly in the United States and China.