AIAIG Overseas Property Investment Weekly Report: Global Prices, Rental...

Entering mid-March 2026, a clear change in the global real estate market is that investors are increasingly discussing less about "the next wave of crazy price surges" and more about "whose rents are more stable, whose regulations are clearer, and whose financing is more controllable."

AIAIG View: This will reclassify overseas real estate into three categories:

• Markets with mature rules and registration systems, suitable as core holdings;
• Markets with strong cash flow and liquidity, but more reliant on operational capabilities;
• Markets that still have high-growth narratives, but with greater policy and financing volatility.

From this week's information, Japan resembles the first category, Dubai resembles the second, and some Southeast Asian growth markets are closer to the third.

CBRE's survey earlier this year showed that net buying intentions for Asia-Pacific real estate in 2026 reached a four-year high, driven by stronger rental prospects, reduced supply pipelines, and gradually improving financing conditions.

This background information remains important in mid-March because it explains three things:

1. Why many markets can still maintain buying interest even without comprehensive easing;
2. Why high-quality assets are more likely to rise in price, while ordinary assets are more prone to stagnation;
3. Why rental certainty and supply constraints are once again becoming sources of asset premiums.

AIAIG View: The core of this round of Asia-Pacific real estate is not "everyone is bullish," but "capital is willing to pay a premium for higher rental certainty and less new supply."

Japan had no major news on price levels this week, but there are still two very clear trends.

First, Japan remains open to foreign buyers, but regulation is shifting from 'loose openness' to 'openness + more complete records.' This means it is increasingly resembling a mature financial market: not without doors, but the doors are becoming more standardized.

Second, the appeal of Japanese assets is shifting from 'cheap' to 'safe, transparent, and long-term holdable.' This is why much of the research on Japanese real estate for foreign buyers in 2026 emphasizes document compliance, structural arrangements, energy standards, and long-term asset management, rather than just focusing on ultra-high yields.

AIAIG View: If you include Japan in a global asset portfolio, it acts more like a 'stabilizer' than a 'high-elasticity return engine.' The key to such assets is not short-term gains, but the smoothness of long-term exits and the explainability during the holding period.

The most valuable trend information from Dubai this week comes from the Land Department's official summary of the brokerage industry for 2025. Its significance is not 'how much commissions have grown,' but rather it shows:

• Transactions in this market are increasingly reliant on standardized brokerage services and licensing systems;
• The simultaneous growth in the number of brokers, transaction participation, and commission scale reflects that the market is still attracting talent and capital;
• More importantly, regulators aim to operate this high-volume, high-activity market within a more professional and auditable framework.

When viewed alongside Ejari, the Rental Index, and digital rental tools, you'll see that Dubai real estate is no longer just a story of 'hot prices and high yields,' but is gradually forming an institutional environment of 'high liquidity + high execution.'

AIAIG View: This is a positive signal for long-term investors, because truly high-quality cash flow relies not just on high rents, but on the smooth execution of every link in the market.

Although China and India are not the core regions of this week's report, there are two hot topics this week that are worth observing as part of the global allocation context.

First, China: The latest Reuters survey shows that market expectations for a decline in Chinese housing prices in 2026 have been further revised downward, predicting a full-year drop of about 4.0%, with stability not expected until 2027. For overseas real estate investors, the importance of this information lies in: the uncertainty on the Chinese asset side may continue to drive some high-net-worth families and corporate clients to increase their demand for overseas allocation, particularly favoring markets with clearer rules, more stable exchange rates, and more mature rental systems.

Second, India: The Reuters survey indicates that the boom in the luxury housing market will continue to push up overall housing prices, with annual increases in residential prices in major cities expected to be around 5% in the coming years, while urban rental growth could reach 6%–8%. This means India is forming a 'high-growth, high-differentiation' real estate structure: luxury and premium cities are stronger, while affordability for ordinary housing is weaker.

AIAIG perspective: Looking at these two pieces of information together, it is easy to understand why cross-border real estate allocation in 2026 is increasingly emphasizing three things: 'institutional security + rental cash flow + asset stratification'.