-Chinese mainland REIT market joined the top three largest REIT markets in Asia for the first time with an 85% increase in market value in 2024
-India’s office REIT market attracted considerable leasing demand from global capability centres
Data centre and hospitality REITs gained strong investor interest in Japan and Singapore
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 17 July 2025 – China and India’s Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) markets showed robust growth in 2024 and are expected to continue to attract strong investor interest this year, according to Cushman & Wakefield’s Asia REIT Market Insight 2024-2025. The annual report revealed that the Chinese mainland REIT (C-REIT) market achieved a remarkable 85% increase in market value at the end of 2024, surpassing Hong Kong and becoming one of the region’s top three REIT markets. In the same period, India’s REIT market demonstrated robust growth in the office sector, driven by strong leasing demand for institutional-grade office space. Meanwhile, mature markets such as Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong moved toward stabilization, underlining their long-term resilience.
Catherine Chen, Director, Investor Client Intelligence & Insights, Asia Pacific at Cushman & Wakefield said, “The unprecedented growth in the C-REIT market highlights its role as a critical driver of regional expansion, while India’s performance emphasizes the growing strength of the country’s institutional-grade real estate. These markets continue to create new and exciting opportunities for investors targeting Asia.”
Cushman & Wakefield’s data showed a total of 263 active REIT products in the Asia market as of December 31, 2024, with a combined market value of US$235.8 billion, reflecting a year-on-year decline of 6.5%. The contraction was primarily driven by declines in the U.S. dollar values of the Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong markets due to the widespread softening in REIT stock prices and unfavorable exchange rate movements. Amid these declines, the Chinese mainland REIT market emerged as a bright spot, posting an impressive 85% year-on-year rise in market value, attributable to new REIT product issuances and strong investor demand for infrastructure-backed assets.
In the mature markets, Japanese REITs experienced significant gains in dividend yield, led by stock price moderation and asset performance improvements, particularly among hotel REITs, which benefited from inbound tourism. In Singapore, positive total returns were observed across multiple property types in 2024, including data centres at 9.7%, and healthcare at 6.9%. Elsewhere in Asia, Thailand demonstrated robust performance with a 41% increase in market value, marking it as the second-highest growth market in the region. The Philippines, Malaysia and India reported increases of 37%, 21% and 13% respectively, supported by their favorable economic fundamentals and attractive real estate sectors.
