S-REIT (Singapore REIT) from the Viewpoint of Overseas Investors

mamoru masumiya

■Summary

As a city-state, Singapore has limited land area, but its property market and the property securitization market are quite developed.
S-REIT, Singapore REIT, already has a good market size, and different from J-REIT, which is dominated by the office sector, other sectors of S-REIT are well established.
Within S-REIT portfolios, quite a few landmark office buildings are recognized. As building owners, S-REITs claim a significant presence in the Singapore prime office market.
The Singapore property market is quite open for investors and not only S-REITs but also global investors are active in the market.
Japanese companies have recently become proactive about investing in Asian residential developments, but cases of long term investment by Japanese institutional investors are still rarely observed in Asia. Generally, Japanese and overseas investors have concerns about the quality of construction and conduct of property management in Asia. S-REITs should be one of the best suited investment products for investors looking to start long term investment in Asia.