Commercial properties in Singapore still hold a special place in the hearts of investors, if the activity in the market last year was anything to go by.
There were some massive bulk purchases of prime sites from foreign entities in 2016 and developers were actively buying up land sites. Investors are obviously seeing huge potentials of the commercial property market here. The 43-storey Asia Square Tower 1 for example was sold at $3.38 billion to Qatar Investment Authority’s sovereign fund in June 2016. This record sale by investment firm BlackRock was the largest single-asset and office transaction in the Asia-Pacific region. On a smaller but not any less worthy scale, is the sale of the Straits Trading Building to Indonesia’s Mayapada Group for $560 million. At $3,250 psf, it set a record for psf prices in the district.
Investors from all over the world are spotting the potential for long-term positive growth in this region and in extending their reach in Singapore. Large assets here are of particular interest and 2017 may see more such transactions taking place.
Not only are they investing in completed commercial properties, but also in land with developmental potential, such as a white site in Central Boulevard which was purchased by Malaysian plantation and real estate tycoon, Lee Shin Cheng. This Marina Bay mixed-use site was released under the Government Land Sales (GLS) programme. Though the office rental market has not been in its best form last year, there is hope that it will bounce back up by 2021.
