There was a significant rise in activity in Asia's real estate investment market during the third quarter of 2010, with confidence returning among buyers. During the three-month period, most of the region's major real estate markets regained momentum after a brief period of uncertainty.
According to CB Richard Ellis' Asia Investment MarketView report, direct real estate investment in the region grew by 53 per cent quarter-on-quarter to an estimated USD18 billion. Overall transaction volume in the first nine months of 2010 reached USD46 billion, which represents a 102 per cent jump compared to last year.
Hong Kong was the most active market in terms of investment volume, accounting for USD5.2 billion, or 29 per cent of the total regional volume, followed by Singapore and Japan, which accounted for 22 per cent and 20 per cent respectively.
However, the real estate consultants noted that the quarterly increase in investment volume could be, in part, attributed to the strengthening of Asian currencies against the US dollar.