Thought Leadership

Fractional ownership is a co-ownership framework wherein the retail investor can invest in smaller fractions of the property with relatively smaller amounts.

With Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) formulating detailed guidelines for Small and Medium REITs (SM-REITs), a large number of erstwhile unregistered Fractional Ownership Platforms (FOPs) for real estate assets are expected to get listed as SM REITs. This will effectively have the potential to regularize underlying real estate assets to the tune of over INR 40 billion in the near to midterm.

Key highlights of the report include:

• In the office market, strata sale form of fractional ownership constitute 28% of total Grade A stock with over 200 mn sq ft of Grade A strata sale stock across the top six cities.
• Strata sale office stock in top six cities in India will swell to 260-270 mn sq ft in next two years, with an estimated market value of around INR 4,500 bn.
• A well-regulated market of fractional ownership will attract investors across various asset classes and diversify in alternative asset classes like industrial & warehousing, data centres, retail etc.

Business leaders are currently dealing with the crucial question - how can they effectively optimise resources, maximise savings and drive growth as they navigate a dynamic business landscape in 2024. Their challenges remain compounded by unprecedented inflation, fierce competition for talent, and the rising pressures of digitalisation and climate action.

Amid this scenario, offices today, albeit with much higher workforce flexibility, remain the epicentre of the work culture, with relocation decisions being underpinned by talent strategy and ESG goals. In Asia Pacific, a much greater pull to the office is creating higher occupancy than witnessed in other markets globally – causing the continued upward pressure on office rentals across the region.

In this edition of our Expert Insights | Asia Pacific Office Markets April 2024, we highlight six priorities to achieve cost savings in office real estate. We also present the Colliers Q1 2024 Office Market Research Reports from key Asia Pacific markets, unearthing actionable insights for real estate leaders.

Key Takeaways

• The data center market grew to new highs in 2023, with over 30GW encompassed in this report, including a more complete coverage of both colocation and hyperscale self-build inventory over last year’s edition.
• Power became a paramount concern, with the increasingly limited availability of large blocks of power across major markets.
• These power limitations have pushed data center operators to further evaluate untapped and smaller markets worldwide.
• Artificial intelligence proves to substantially grow demand worldwide, altering both site selection strategy and data center design.
• Despite challenges with power availability, larger markets have maintained momentum with their pipelines, through growing outlying submarkets

CBRE’s survey of more than 120 retail leasing market professionals in Asia Pacific reveals that retailers’ expansionary demand remains strong as they seek to revitalise their store networks post-pandemic.

Key findings include:

• 76% of retail brokers reported leasing enquiries for new setups, expansion and upgrading, indicating appetite for more space.
• More than two-thirds reported an increase in leasing enquiries and site inspections in Q1 2024, indicating that regional leasing activity is likely to remain strong in the coming months.
• As vacancy in prime areas contracts further, half of the respondents – the highest proportion since 2023 – expressed the view that retail leasing market dynamics are shifting in favour of landlords.
• Positive retail leasing sentiment across all Asia Pacific markets, with the strongest improvement observed in Japan.
• Retailers across Asia Pacific are displaying a very strong preference for prime core retail space.
• Most retailers plan to retain or increase their real estate budget and store footprint in 2024.
• Amid a global shift in consumer spending towards eating out and experiences, F&B remains the most active retail trade in Asia Pacific, with demand the strongest in Singapore and Southeast Asia.

This report was originally published in https://www.cbre.com/insights/briefs/asia-pacific-retail-leasing-sentiment-survey