Chinese investors on global real estate buying spree

[HONG KONG] China's institutional investment in property overseas rose 17 per cent in the first six months of this year, with residential investment surging 84 per cent, real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) said yesterday.

The gains come as Chinese investors pursue opportunities outside their home turf, where the outlook for the real estate sector is overshadowed by issues such as tight financing and high inventories which are weighing on prices.

London was the most popular destination for Chinese institutional investors, with a total of US$2.3 billion, as efforts by the city to draw Chinese capital into major infrastructure projects spilled into resident…