2026 China Investor Intentions Survey

CBRE’s 2026 China Investor Intentions Survey was conducted between November 10 and December 12, 2025. A total of 101 responses were collected and used by CBRE to analyse investors’ perspectives and strategic preferences toward the China commercial real estate investment market in 2026.

Overall investor sentiment remains cautious, with the proportions of respondents selecting "buy more" and "sell more" increasing slightly from last year. Driven by a stronger appetite among institutional investors and real estate funds, domestic investors’ net investment intentions turned from negative to positive in this year’s survey. Although macroeconomic uncertainty remains the primary challenge, the correction and subsequent improvement in asset price expectations, coupled with lower financing costs, should further bolster market activity in 2026. Rental housing and retail properties remain the most popular sectors. Interest in logistics increased this year as facilities in east and mid-west China enter a cyclical window of opportunity. The further expansion of underlying asset classes for public REITs is expected to have a positive impact on transaction liquidity and price discovery mechanisms for office buildings and hotels.