Press Release – For Immediate Release
30 September 2019, Singapore – Over 15 top Asian REITs players were awarded top honours at the Asia Pacific Best Of The Breeds REITs AwardsTM 2019 which ended on 26h of September 2019 at Sheraton Towers Hotel, Singapore. Attended by senior decision makers from Asian real estate and REITs sector, this prestigious recognition event was held in conjunction with the 6th REITs Asia PacificTM Conference 2019.
In just under two decades, the Singapore REIT (S-REIT) market has transformed itself from a handful of REITs with local asset exposure to an international hub of global REIT listings. Today, over 80% of the listed S-REITs have some or all their asset exposure outside of Singapore – spanning North America, Europe, Continental Asia and Australasia.
The speakers at the 6th REITs Asia PacificTM Conference highlighted that the Malaysia REIT market has also gained prominence in recent times with the total market cap rising close to 12% this year alone and on-track to hit the RM50 billion market soon. Hong Kong market may see a new REIT listing this year. The first in the last 5 years with China Merchants Commercial (CMC) REIT filing its preliminary prospectus. Soon, Philippines might potentially be joining the REIT club too with Ayala Land hard at work getting the IPO off the ground.
India has already kicked-off its very first REIT and that leaves China as the last major economy without REITs as a publicly listed and tradable asset class. It has become clear the use of REITs as a vehicle has become better understood and more widely accepted around the world as an investor-friendly, tax-efficient vehicle for real estate investment. However, the landscape is becoming increasingly competitive and challenging.
Real estate and REIT investments have held up well throughout 2019 against a backdrop of political uncertainty, trade wars, rapidly declining interest rates, a slew of massive tech-unicorns IPOs and slowing economic growth among the major world economic engines. It’s evident that REITs are operating in a very dynamic environment that is evolving rapidly as disruptive technology, changing demographics, developing legislation and governance, cross-border capital flows, and globalization continue to accelerate the pace of change.
The conference ended with The Asia Pacific Best of the Breeds REITs Awards™ 2019 graced by Professor Lam Khee Poh, Dean School of Design & Environment, NUS as the Award’s ceremony guest of honour. Prof. Lam has been a faculty member of Carnegie Mellon University’s (CMU) School of Architecture since 2003. Prior to joining CMU, Prof. Lam was an academic staff at NUS Department of Architecture between 1984 and 1999 and then held a joint appointment in the Department of Architecture and the Department of Building between 2000 and 2003.
The Asia Pacific Best of the Breeds REITs Awards™ 2019 is a coveted award to recognize companies and managers with the highest standards and performance in the Asia Pacific REITs sector. The scoring methodology is based on a number of attributes with assigned weightages to credit ratings, gearing, market cap, yield, weight asset lease expiry or WALE, quality of manager, YTD returns and DPU or Distribution per unit and the sustainability of the REIT. This selection methodology is proprietary to this award and was constructed by the panel of judges consisting of five highly respected professionals in the financial sector namely:
Mr Tam Ging Wien, Founder of Pro Butterfly
Mr Kyith Ng, Founder of Investment Moats
Professor Roy Ling, Managing Director of RL Capital Management
Only 15 REITs out of the entire Asian REITs universe in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong have qualified for this year’s Asia Pacific Best Of The Breeds REITs TM Awards.
The winners are:
The BEST OF THE BREEDS REITs AWARDSTM 2019 – OFFICE REITS (MALAYSIA)
PLATINUM – KLCCP Stapled REIT
GOLD – MRCB Quill REIT
The BEST OF THE BREEDS REITs AWARDSTM 2019 – OFFICE REITS (INDIA) for more than 1 billion dollars in market capitalisation
PLATINUM – Embassy Office Parks
The BEST OF THE BREEDS REITs AWARDSTM 2019 – RETAIL REITs in Singapore for more than 1 billion dollars in market capitalization
PLATINUM – Frasers Centerpoint Trust
GOLD – Capitaland Retail China Trust
SILVER – Starhill Global REIT
The BEST OF THE BREEDS REITs AWARDSTM 2019 – RETAIL REITs in Singapore for less than 1 billion dollars in market capitalisation
PLATINUM – Sasseur Reit Pte Ltd
GOLD – BHG Retail Trusts Management Ltd
The BEST OF THE BREEDS REITs AWARDSTM 2019 – RETAIL REITS (MALAYSIA)
PLATINUM – KLCCP Stapled REIT
The BEST OF THE BREEDS REITs AWARDSTM 2019 – INDUSTRIAL REITs (Singapore) for more than 1 billion dollars in market capitalisation
PLATINUM – Cromwell European REIT
The BEST OF THE BREEDS REITs AWARDSTM 2019 – INDUSTRIAL REITs (MALAYSIA)
PLATINUM – Axis REIT
The BEST OF THE BREEDS REITs AWARDSTM 2019 – HEALTHCARE REITS (Singapore) for more than 1 billion dollars in market capitalisation
PLATINUM – Parkway Life REIT
The BEST OF THE BREEDS REITs AWARDSTM 2019 – HOSPITALITY REITs (Singapore) for more than 1 billion dollars in market capitalization
PLATINUM – Ascott Residence Trust
The BEST OF THE BREEDS REITs AWARDSTM 2019 – HYBRID (Office and Retail REIT) Singapore for more than 1 billion dollars in market capitalization
PLATINUM – OUE Commercial REIT
The BEST OF THE BREEDS REITs AWARDSTM 2019 – ISLAMIC REITS (MALAYSIA)
PLATINUM – Axis REIT
The BEST OF THE BREEDS REITs AWARDSTM 2019 – BEST CEO for REITs in MALAYSIA
PLATINUM – MRCB Quill REIT
The BEST OF THE BREEDS REITs AWARDSTM 2019 – BEST CEO for REITs in Singapore for more than 1 billion dollars in market capitalisation
PLATINUM – Parkway Life REIT
GOLD – Cromwell European REIT
The BEST OF THE BREEDS REITs AWARDSTM 2019 – BEST CEO for REITs in Singapore for less than 1 billion dollars in market capitalisation
PLATINUM – Sasseur REIT Pte Ltd
The BEST OF THE BREEDS REITs AWARDSTM 2019 – BEST CFO for REITs in Singapore for more than 1 billion dollars in market capitalisation
PLATINUM – Parkway Life REIT
The BEST OF THE BREEDS REITs AWARDSTM 2019 – BEST Investor Relations for REITs in Malaysia
PLATINUM – KLCCP Stapled REIT
The BEST OF THE BREEDS REITs AWARDSTM 2019 – BEST Investor Relations for REITs in Singapore
PLATINUM – BHG Retail REIT
GOLD – Sasseur REIT Pte Ltd
For more information please email: [email protected]