Real Estate Interviews with Leading Real Estate Investors in Asia

Ever since the 1997 Asian financial crisis, property markets have greatly developed through the years. Asian governments have improved the financial stance associated with the structure of housing finance, allowing more access to a diverse range of mortgages products. Housing in Asia has an important role in economic growth. In the early 1990s large urbanization in Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines and other Southeast Asia countries brought about a large housing price appreciation. Asia attracted global economic interest up until the economic crash of 1997. A decade later, the Asian economy has been stabilized, and has allowed the property market to advance. As a result, foreign investment is continuing to grow. The market is currently experiencing a 50% increase in the amount being invested into Asian countries globally. Although some countries in Asia may not be stable enough for international investment, the majority of the markets are expected to boom. This handbook presents interviews with some of the leading players in the real estate market in Asia, which will help you evaluate the market through their eyes. Most of these interviews were granted to me in my capacity as Chief Editor of Infomag Real Estate, a monthly publication of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in Korea. They were conducted between 2010 and 2012. While some interview conducted two years ago may seem outdated, they are not so, because they provide you a glimpse of the market as it was then, and continues to remain buoyant. The following are the interviews in order: • Mr. Ian Thomas, Chairman of Thomas Consultants, Mr. Brian Newman, Founder & CEO, Green Cities Asia Ltd Mr. David Blackhall, Deputy Managing Director, Real Estate, VinaCapital • Mr. Andreas Martin, Head of International Acquisitions & Sales, Deka Immobilien Investment GmbH Mr. Chua Choy-Soon, Managing Director, SEB Investment • Mr. Massimo Roj, Founder and Managing Partner, Progetto CMR Mr. Simon Harding-Roots, Chief Operating Officer, Treasury Holdings China Mr. David Martin, Head of Retail, Commercial Property, Hongkong Land Ltd. Ms. Arlida Ariff, President & CEO, Iskandar Investment Berhad Mr. Michael Bowles, National Director of Asia Capital Markets, Jones Lang LaSalle Japan Mr. Erwin Stouthamer, Principal, Composition Capital Partners Mr. Jeremy Stewardson, Executive Director, ANREV Mr. Mark Inch, Chairman, Société de la Tour Eiffel Mr. Nicholas Wong, Principal, The Townsend Group Mr. Edward Casal, Chief Investment Officer, Global Real Estate Multi-Manager Group, Aviva Investors Mr. Lee Jung-whoon, General Manager, Finance & Investment Dept., Korea Asset Management Corporation Mr. Joyce Lo, Associate Director – Head of Corporate & Investor Strategy, Sniper Capital Mr. Rong Ren, Managing Director & CEO, Harvest Capital Mr. Robert Gilchrist, Founder & CEO, Rockspring Property Investment Managers LLP Mr. Pierre Vaquier, Chief Executive Officer, AXA Real Estate & Mr. Frank Khoo, Global Head of Asia Mr. Tang Jun, Chairman, YangGuang Co. Ltd. Ms. Sandra A. Urie, Chairman & CEO, Cambridge Associates Mr. Robert McKellar, CEO- Asia Pacific, Savills Asia Pacific Ltd. Mr. Jack Foster, Head of Global Real Assets, Franklin Templeton Real Asset Advisors Mr. Christopher Merrill, Co-founder, President & CEO, Harrison Street Real Estate Capital Ms. Anna Ranova Kerr, Tengbom Architects Ms. Regina Lee, General Manager, Shinhan BNP Paribas Asset Management