• Asian outbound real estate investment was dominated by Chinese investors in 2016. Buyers from the mainland accounted for nearly half of total investment — 47% or US$28.2 billion.
  • Institutional investors continued to lead investment activity, accounting for six of the top ten biggest outbound deals of the year.  
  • The US remained the preferred destination for Asian capital for the second consecutive year, drawing 43% of the overall total. New York also surpassed London as the top metropolitan destination for outbound investment in 2016.
  • Compared to 2015, more capital was deployed to alternative gateway cities in 2016 as investors sought attractively priced opportunities.
  • The period saw a significant uptick in Japanese investment targeted mostly at the US. CBRE Research expects Japanese buyers to step-up overseas investment in the year ahead as they are coming off a low base.