ShanghaiMay 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Cushman & Wakefield, a world-renowned real estate services and consulting firm, was invited to attend the Capital Markets Forum at the 2026 ULI Asia Pacific Summit. Francis Chiu, CEO of Cushman & Wakefield Greater China, attended the event and participated in a roundtable discussion.
This Asia Pacific Summit is a flagship event for the ULI Asia region, bringing together industry leaders to explore emerging opportunities in the Asia Pacific region and assess key trends in real estate investment. Through in-depth analysis and strategic perspectives, the summit provides professional insights and guidance for investment decisions in 2026 and beyond.
The roundtable discussion, titled “Should We Increase Allocation to Chinese Assets Now?”, focused on how China’s real estate capital market is entering a new phase of institutionalization, driven by continuous improvements in regulatory frameworks, an expanding investor base, and the gradual maturation of listed real estate investment platforms. Francis Chiu noted that this industry transformation is not a short-term shift but the result of long-term structural evolution. China’s public REITs system has become a core mechanism bridging real estate assets and public capital markets.
China’s public REITs have emerged as a vital link connecting real estate assets with public capital markets, and the market is now at a critical inflection point. In 2025, the underlying asset scope of domestic REITs expanded significantly, extending from traditional infrastructure to diverse asset types such as office buildings, commercial complexes, hotels, and digital infrastructure, officially entering a new phase of multi-category, market-driven development. This dual upgrade in policy and market dynamics has effectively broadened financing channels for income-generating real estate, further unlocking asset liquidity, enriching institutional investor participation pathways, and continuously enhancing transparency and capital allocation efficiency in the real estate capital market.
As the REITs system continues to improve, the real estate industry is gradually establishing a mature full-lifecycle model—from acquisition and cultivation, to operational enhancement, asset optimization, and listing and exit. The industry’s focus is shifting from cyclical value appreciation to refined asset management. By continuously optimizing tenant mix, stabilizing rental income, improving building operational efficiency, and enhancing ESG performance, asset value is being reshaped. This transformation allows high-quality commercial real estate to evolve into stable-yield core assets that meet public REIT standards and align with the allocation needs of long-term institutional capital.
Francis Chiu further emphasized that during the preparatory phase before an asset is officially listed, asset quality directly determines its performance in the capital market. Today, investors increasingly prioritize income stability, tenant quality, operational efficiency, environmental, social, and governance standards, as well as standardized institutional-level disclosure practices. Operational strength and asset management capabilities have become core considerations in domestic investment decisions.
As the market matures, the role of integrated advisory service platforms becomes increasingly critical. With the continuous evolution of capital markets, investors are demanding comprehensive services covering the full lifecycle of real estate assets, including acquisition planning, leasing optimization, asset enhancement, green upgrades, and preparation for public REIT listings. Cushman & Wakefield continues to deepen its expertise in these areas, offering end-to-end consulting, transaction services, asset optimization, and sustainable development solutions to help investors navigate complex market environments.
Left: Francis Chiu, CEO of Cushman & Wakefield Greater China
Francis Chiu concluded that the steady development of China’s public REITs system is reshaping the underlying structure of the domestic real estate capital market, bridging the value connection between capital markets and physical assets, enhancing market transparency and asset liquidity, and gradually building an industry ecosystem led by institutional investment. In the next phase, the deep integration of capital, asset management, and execution capabilities will become the core driver of growth opportunities in the real estate sector.