KKR, Gaw, Alyssa Partners Kick Off Forum Wednesday with Japan Multi-Family Panel

Three of the most active foreign investors in Japan are joining a discussion of investment strategies for the country’s rental residential sector Wednesday, 19 March as part of Mingtiandi’s fifth annual residential forum.

The session on apartment investments in Tokyo, Osaka and other major Japanese cities will explore the impact of Japan’s economy reinvigoration on prospects for the country’s residential sector, as well as the impact of growing competition for assets as more investors crowd into the market.

Speakers include Isabella Lo, managing director, principal for investments and head of Japan for Gaw Capital Partners; Chedli Boujellabia, managing partner and CEO of Alyssa Partners and David Cheong, managing director and co-head of acquisitions for Asia Real Estate at KKR.

The event, which is sponsored by Yardi, is part of the Mingtiandi APAC Residential Forum and is free to view. The panel will be streamed live from 10:00 AM Hong Kong time on Wednesday 19 March and those interested in viewing can register to watch at the link above.

Japan Market Dominates

With Japan continuing to rank as Asia Pacific’s top investment destination for institutional capital, the panelists will examine how the country’s rental housing market is evolving and how investors are adapting to increased competition for assets.

With residential rents in Tokyo now having risen each month for more than two years, the panelists will also be discussing the prospects for further expansion in Japan’s economy and what this means for investors in the country’s residential sector.

Each of the speakers brings significant experience to the discussion with KKR-managed REIT Japan Metropolitan Fund being a major investor in the country’s living sector, while in private markets, the US fund management giant last year set up a joint venture with residential investor–operator Weave with a goal of building a 3,000-unit apartment portfolio.

Gaw Capital, which has invested in offices, hotels, data centres and other strategies in Japan, has invested in rental apartments in the country for several years, including picking up a 32-property portfolio on behalf of the Qatar Investment Authority in 2022.

Last year the Hong Kong-based investment firm teamed up with Alyssa Partners to acquire 29 Tokyo apartment buildings for an estimated $259 million.

Alyssa Partners has continued to be active in Japan’s rental residential market this year, announcing earlier this month that it has acquired 10 Japanese apartment buildings on behalf of local insurance giant Dai-Ichi Life. The company has also invested in the sector together with partners including Invesco, Singapore’s QIP and Blackstone.

Australia on Deck

Following Wednesday’s programme, the Mingtiandi APAC Residential Forum will continue on Tuesday, 25 March with a panel titled, Residential Evolution – BTR and PBSA in Australia, featuring speakers from student housing heavyweight Scape Australia, US multi-family giant Greystar and property consultancy Colliers.

In that session at 10:00 AM Hong Kong time on the 25th, Ben Taylor, a fund manager who heads Scape’s open-ended core vehicle will join Matt Woodland, managing director for investment management for Australia at Greystar and Robert Papaleo, national director and head of living at Colliers Australia for a look at how investors are achieving returns from a broadening spectrum of Australian rental residential strategies as student housing moves mainstream.

The forum will continue on Wednesday, 26 March with a spotlight interview with Adam Vaggelas, a partner in Brisbane-based investment manager GreenFort Capital who will be joined by Kenneth Gaw, president and managing principal with Gaw Capital Partners.

In the interview, Vaggelas, who co-founded GreenFort to manage investments across Australia’s living sector, and Gaw, whose company last year set up a land lease community venture with GreenFort, will discuss the prospects for Australia’s rental residential market.

The Forum will wrap up on Thursday, 27 March with a panel taking an overview of Australia’s burgeoning build-to-rent sector as housing affordability and a national shortage of homes create opportunities for investors.

Speakers in the 27 March session include Sarah Winbur, senior portfolio manager for real estate with APG Asset Management; Dan McLennan, founder and co-CEO with Macquarie Asset Management-backed Local: Residential; Adam Hirst, co-founder and CEO of Novus and Christian Grahame, head of Australian build to rent pioneer, Home.