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High net worth investors in nine of  10 global markets plan to increase their investments in property over the next two years, a survey by Barclays Wealth has found. 
The firm interviewed 2,000 economists, senior executives and property investors and polled  people around the world in August and September with investable assets ranging from GBP500,000  (HK$6.45 million) to more than GBP30 million.   
Joanna Chu, a managing director at Barclays Wealth,  said yesterday the survey found investors in all but one market (Spain) planned to cautiously increase their holdings of real estate.
Overall, 35 per cent of the investors planned to increase their property allocation over the next two years, while  17 per cent  planned to cut their holdings. About 49 per cent of the investors expected the capital value of their property portfolio  to increase in two years. 
In Hong Kong, 17 per cent of the investors  kept 35 per cent to 50 per cent of their portfolio in property.  
About 64 per cent of Hong Kong investors  had 5 per cent to 30 per cent of their portfolio in property,  and 60 per cent of them  would maintain this range in the next two years. 
The United States was the most attractive country for real estate investment.  About 16 per cent of the investors expected property in the US  to offer the highest rate of return over the next two years. Chu  said the investors  were attracted by the recent price declines, the weak currency and the long-term prospects for the  US economy. 
Britain and China were the joint second-most attractive property markets, and Canada was third, while India ranked fourth.  
Chu said the investors were attracted by the solid economic growth and the emergence of a huge middle class in China and India. 
Most of the investors preferred to invest in their home country. However, Hong Kong investors  had 47 per cent of their significant property investments in overseas markets and  were the most international of property investors. 
Manpreet Gill, the Asia strategist at  Barclays Wealth, said: 'The property market in Hong Kong will continue to be positive next year.'
He said demand for housing has been driven by low interest rates over the past two years, but over the next year it would benefit from more fundamental demand following improvements in the economy.



Wealthy plan to invest more in real estate