Michelle Phillips

Real estate deal values and volumes in India almost halved during the past financial year – even though some of the country's largest deals happened during that time.

A new Taiwan regulation has cleared the $450bn domestic industry to begin investing in real estate outside of Taiwan, but restrictions on such investments may place these insurance companies at a disadvantage.

SAFE, the $3.3 trillion Chinese sovereign wealth fund, reportedly has set up a second New York office to source private equity and real estate deals.

Baring Private Equity Asia has begun fundraising for its debut real estate fund, seeking $500 million from investors. A first close is expected sometime in the next month.

The New York-based private equity real estate firm is targeting a final closing of its first Japanese opportunity fund by the end of the summer.

Rents and letting activity was flat or declining across Asia’s major cities in the first quarter of 2013, according to a recent study by Jones Lang LaSalle.

A China focused partnership between the New York-based private equity real estate firm and Shanghai-based real estate asset management company Foresight Investment has made its first exit - to a Renminbi denominated fund.

The real estate arm of GE and the Canadian pension fund will commit an initial $403 million to a Japanese joint venture targeting Tokyo offices. The JV marks CPPIB’s second real estate partnership in Japan.

The traditional real estate markets in Asia face serious headwinds going into 2013, which has decreased yield expectations, but smaller markets are expected to eventually take their place, according to a recent KPMG study.

The Chicago-based real estate investment management firm has signed a deal to sell to a consortium of domestic institutional investors a portfolio of eight logistics buildings in Japan.