CBRE Korea Reports Record-High Acquisition Intent Among Domestic Investors; Seoul Rises to Joint Third in Asia Pacific Investment Ranking

- 74% of domestic investors plan to increase acquisitions in 2026, while net buying intentions reach a survey-record 31%
- Seoul climbs from eighth to joint third in the ranking of most preferred Asia Pacific cities for overseas investment

March 30, 2026 (Seoul) – CBRE Korea, the global leader in commercial real estate services, announced that domestic investors’ intention to expand commercial real estate acquisitions this year reached 74%, marking a new record high, according to its 2026 Korea Investor Intentions Survey. Conducted in December 2025, the survey gathered responses from 422 investors across Asia Pacific, including 77 respondents from Korea, and analyzed expectations for investment activity in the Korean market, along with key risks, preferred strategies and favored sectors.

The survey found that 74% of Korean investors intend to increase acquisitions in 2026, up 12 percentage points from the previous year and the highest level on record. Net buying intentions also rose 8 percentage points year-on-year to 31%, approximately 14 percentage points above the Asia Pacific average. In addition, 83% of Korean respondents said they plan to increase their investment allocation in 2026, indicating stronger market participation than a year earlier. Interest rate stabilization was cited as the primary driver behind stronger acquisition appetite, supported by expectations of price corrections and improved return prospects. This year, investment drivers appear to be evolving beyond a simple expectation of lower financing costs, with greater emphasis on securing real returns through improved asset fundamentals.

That said, this stronger investment appetite remains conditional. Central bank monetary policy emerged as the top risk factor for 2026, cited by 45% of respondents. Concerns over persistent inflation (22%), leverage availability (21%) and currency volatility (16%) also increased from the previous year. Heightened caution over tighter lender underwriting standards suggests that investment performance this year will depend not only on asset quality, but also on sophisticated financing strategies and execution capabilities.

The market’s direction increasingly reflects strategic repositioning rather than a simple expansion in transaction volume. Among preferred investment strategies, value-add remained the most favored approach for a third consecutive year. Office assets continued to rank as the top preferred sector, while interest also remained strong in alternative sectors such as logistics, data centers and hotels. The findings suggest that while traditional asset classes continue to attract capital, portfolio rebalancing toward growth-oriented and diversified income structures is likely to accelerate this year.

In particular, data centers are rapidly emerging as a core investment sector, supported by the expansion of the AI industry and expectations for policy-driven financial support. A total of 88% of respondents forecast price growth for data center assets, the highest figure among all asset classes. Hotels also continued to attract investment interest, aided by the recovery in inbound tourism and the increasing sophistication of demand patterns. These trends point to an accelerating transition from an office-centric investment structure toward a more diversified multi-sector market.

This shift is also reflected in changing perceptions of the Seoul market among overseas investors. Seoul rose from eighth place last year to joint third in the ranking of most preferred Asia Pacific cities for cross-border investment in 2026, the city’s highest position since the survey began. The result suggests that, as investment opportunities expand beyond office assets into logistics, hotels and data centers, Seoul is increasingly being re-evaluated as a more balanced multi-sector investment market. In fact, Korea’s total commercial real estate transaction volume reached an all-time high of approximately KRW 34.0 trillion in 2025, while total inbound foreign capital investment in the domestic market also climbed to a record KRW 6.5 trillion.

Commercial real estate investment volume in Seoul is projected to enter a moderate adjustment phase in 2026, declining by 5% to 10% from the previous year, reflecting base effects from the record growth seen in 2025 and the possibility that the easing monetary cycle may come to an end. Rather than signaling a market downturn, this suggests a transition toward a phase in which asset quality and income structure are assessed more selectively and rigorously. Going forward, the market is likely to focus less on expanding transaction volumes overall and more on selective investment in prime assets, asset repricing and the enhancement of income structures.

Claire Choi, Senior Director, Head of Research at CBRE Korea, said, “Although investment sentiment has reached a record high this year, it is accompanied by heightened caution over monetary policy and broader macroeconomic variables. In 2026, the market is likely to be defined less by overall transaction growth and more by a careful separation of stronger assets from weaker ones, with greater scrutiny on asset quality and income structure.” She added, “Given that this survey was conducted at the end of last year, interest rate expectations at the time may not have fully captured the extent of today’s external uncertainties. Expanding geopolitical risks, along with rising oil prices and inflationary pressure, are increasing uncertainty around Korea’s rate trajectory. This, in turn, could raise uncertainty around refinancing and acquisition terms for investors who had expected a visible decline in borrowing costs, ultimately constraining market liquidity and transaction activity.”

Sean Choi, Head of Capital Markets, Executive Director at CBRE Korea, said, “Seoul’s rise to joint third among the most preferred investment destinations in Asia Pacific reflects its evolution from an office-led market into a multi-sector investment destination spanning logistics, data centers and hotels. Capital concentration into prime assets is likely to intensify further, and competition among investors to secure those opportunities will become even more pronounced.”