RealVantage

The demand for residential properties around the world has continued to increase in tandem with rising house prices due to the pandemic.

The Bank of England is carefully monitoring Britain’s booming housing market as it weighs up the possibility that a rapid recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic will lead to a sustained period of inflation.

Residential real estate markets in Perth and Singapore continue to heat up with a high demand causing residential property prices to soar to new highs.

Price discounts to some retail and hospitality real estate assets after a year of reduced business activities due to the pandemic has begun attracting fund managers and asset owners in Asia.

The roaring hot residential property market in countries around the world continues to exceed forecasts, with increasing demand outstripping a lack of supply.

Hotels and the whole travel industry have been the worst hit during the pandemic with major lockdowns and health concerns restricting the number of visitors.

Office workers worldwide are trickling back to the office as corporations make plans for hybrid working arrangements.

Asia Pacific’s commercial real estate market transacted more than $34 billion in direct investment in the first quarter of 2021, down less than 1 percent year-on-year.

According to data from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in Singapore, new private apartments sales have more than doubled in the past month, and home prices have also been increasing at a rapid rate.

According to Colliers International, a 50 percent surge in investment activity is expected in the second half of 2021, driven by a broad-based renewal of confidence in the property market due to vaccine developments and sustained government stimuli.

The sharp fall in interest rates across Asia Pacific over the last year has created a conducive environment for real estate investments with support for capital values across the region.

Forecasts of house prices in Australia continue to be revised upwards, with the latest forecast by ANZ projecting a 17 per cent increase in 2020, up from 9 per cent previously.

In what is easily the largest hotel acquisition to come from the pandemic so far, Extended Stay America, is being acquired by private equity players Blackstone and Starwood.

Office occupancy rates in Adelaide were steady at 69 per cent in February, showing support that the office market is slowly regaining its health.

Acquisitions and expansions continue to pick up pace as Airbnb, who had laid off 25% of its workforce early last year when the pandemic hit, went public at the end of 2020 and resumed plans to establish a technology hub in Atlanta.