Latest news with #commercialproperty
South China Morning Post
20 hours ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Japan and Singapore show even property safe havens are not problem-free
Two findings stood out in CBRE's survey on Asia's commercial property investment market published last month. The first was that Japan alone accounted for 36 per cent of transaction volumes in the first quarter of this year. The second was that it was easily the most popular market among cross-border investors, with 86 per cent of respondents describing their level of interest in Japan as very strong or fairly strong. These findings underscore the strong appeal of a market that has long been perceived by foreign investors as a safe haven. At a time when the United States – long the safe haven of choice for global investors – has become a source of instability and unpredictability , Japan's political stability, policy predictability and the depth and liquidity of its real estate market have taken on added significance. Persistently low interest rates, the cheap yen , the return of inflation after decades of stagnation and Japan's position as an attractive alternative to China have added to its appeal among investors. Even so, there are signs that Japan has become too appealing. In the commercial property market , the weight of foreign and domestic capital targeting Japanese assets in the past several years has driven down rental yields for institutional grade properties in Tokyo to extremely low levels. Even in Osaka, a relatively illiquid market, prime office and retail yields are lower than in Seoul and Singapore, which are among the most actively traded markets in the Asia-Pacific. Low borrowing costs and higher loan-to-value ratios in Japan allow investors to earn a positive carry, which means the returns from holding an asset exceed its financing costs. However, a narrowing spread, or gap, between rental yields and government bond yields makes Japanese real estate less attractive from a pricing standpoint. Moreover, the cheap yen – down about 38 per cent against the US dollar since early 2021 – has fuelled a boom in overseas tourism . Last year, hotels accounted for 20 per cent of investment activity, up from 5 per cent in 2021, according to JLL data.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Shepperton firms fear Terminal House eviction for housing plans
Tenants at a commercial property in Surrey say they fear their new landlord will convert the building to studio at Terminal House in Shepperton, some of which have been in place for 30 years, found out in March that the building had a new owner, who applied for permission to change the use of the were issued in May as, under existing planning rules, changing the use of many commercial buildings to housing does not require planning new owner's planning agent did not respond to a request for comment. People who work at Terminal House said they had received limited contact from the new landlord, leaving them unclear about if they would be allowed to remain at the Brown, a recruitment consultant, said the new owner was "a bit vague" about plans for the site, adding he believed turning the property into flats was the landlord's "end goal".Another person who works at Terminal House, who wanted to remain anonymous, said they had seen "people doing surveys" on the building and furnishings being business owner Nicola Males said she had decided to pre-emptively end her lease, adding she "couldn't bear the uncertainty".She said she could not risk being given three months' notice to leave Terminal House as she had to be "set up ready to go" ahead of the Christmas rush, adding it was "very difficult" to find similar commercial properties in Shepperton. Mr Brown said the new landlord had also "cancelled a bunch of subscriptions" - such as for bin collections and drinking water fountains - since taking Males added that the lack of bin collections had led to "rubbish strewn all over the road" for a time, but that collections had worker at Terminal House said that the communication had been "shocking" regarding the move and they only learned the building had been sold after the transaction was said the property was now managed by P4i, a London-based company that advertised its involvement in commercial site conversions across England.P4i did not respond to a request for comment from the addition to the successful bid to change the use of the building, the landlord has also submitted applications for planning consent to extend both blocks of Terminal House, which are located either side of a railway Borough Council is yet to determine the outcomes of these applications.
Bloomberg
4 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Trade Turmoil Spooks Global Firms Looking to Lease Irish Offices
Irish commercial property brokerage Lisney had just clinched a deal for a US pharmaceutical company to lease office space for as many as 100 workers in suburban Dublin and were ready to sign the lease in April. Then came US President Donald Trump's tariffs announcement, and the deal toppled. The company eventually returned but signed a deal to lease around 5,000 square feet (465 square meters), down from the 15,000 square feet it initially wanted, according to Paul Hipwell, senior director in Lisney's office agency. Now, only as many as 40 workers will fill its new offices at Channor Real Estate Group's Plaza 211.
Reuters
6 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Aroundtown's first-quarter profit triples as Germany's property market rebounds
May 28 (Reuters) - Aroundtown ( opens new tab, one of Germany's largest-listed landlords, posted a first-quarter profit of 318.6 million euros ($360.21 million) on Wednesday, as German commercial property prices begin to recover following years of decline. The profit marked a sharp increase from the 102.3 million euros recorded in the same period in 2024 and follows Aroundtown's return to annual profitability in March after two years of losses. The company said it revalued 15% of its portfolio in the first quarter of 2025, reporting a 0.8% like-for-like value gain compared to December 2024. Aroundtown reaffirmed its 2025 outlook but opted not to recommend a dividend for 2024, citing the need to "maintain a conservative financial position." ($1 = 0.8845 euros)
Bloomberg
27-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
HK's Gaw Capital New Fund to Invest in China, Japan
Real estate-focused private equity firm Gaw Capital is looking use its new fund that could be worth $2 billion to invest in China, Japan, Australia and Vietnam. Gaw Capital Managing Principal and Global Head of Capital Markets, Christina Gaw, discusses her outlook for commercial property in Hong Kong and mainland China with David Ingles and Yvonne Man on "Bloomberg: The China Show." (Source: Bloomberg)
