Knight Frank Dedicated Asia Transactions Team for Capital Market Biz

Knight Frank has recently formed a seven-member dedicated Asia Transactions Team for its Capital Markets business which will specialize in significant asset sales, specialist sectors, and capital partnering. The team will work closely with Knight Frank’s occupier services and commercial agency team - capitalising on their knowledge of occupier sentiment and trends. Its strong residential networks will allow access to over 5,400 ultra-high-net-worth individuals. The team will be led by Neil Brookes, head of capital markets, Asia Pacific, which comprises of Tushar Rane (India), Danny Zheng (Chinese Mainland), Daniel Ding (Singapore), Emily Relf (Asia Pacific), Jack Choi (South Korea), James Buckley (Malaysia) and Paul Hart (Greater China/Hong Kong). According to Knight Frank’s Wealth Report 2020, equity investments remained the most attractive asset class for Indian ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs). 83% of Indian ultra-high-net-worth­-individuals (UHNWIs) in India are planning to increase or maintain their allocations in equities, followed by bonds (77%) and ahead of property (51%). In 2019, for Indian UHNWIs, equities remained the most preferred asset class in the portfolio with 29% allocation, followed by 21% allocation for bonds and 20% into property investments. On the contrary, Asian UHNWIs preferred property investments with 28% asset allocation, followed by 21% in equities, which is closely followed by 19% allocation in bonds. Neil Brookes, head of capital markets, Asia Pacific said, “As Covid-19 accelerates capital investment into near neighbours, we see this as the opportune moment to strengthen our cross-border transaction capability, particularly around major asset sales. With travel restrictions in place, many investors are focusing on opportunities within the region – having access to a connected group with local expertise enables us to meet each client’s unique investment needs. Our focus is on strengthening Knight Frank’s regional go-to-market strategy, working closely with our brokers around the world to provide our clients with the sharpest capital markets intelligence and the broadest access to opportunities. As per the latest research report of Knight Frank, the Indian real estate attracted private equity investments of USD 2,308 million in Year to Date (YTD) 2020 (January 1, 2020 – September 30, 2020). Of the total PE investments in real estate, the office segment attracted the largest share of USD 1,871 million, claiming 81% share, followed by warehousing at 10% and residential with 9%.