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What Singapore needs is not more Reits, but bigger ones: ARA co-founder John Lim

The local market must move towards consolidation and aggressive global expansion, says the industry veteran

Jude Chan
Published Thu, Mar 26, 2026 · 06:10 PM
    • To allow S-Reits to punch above their weight, ARA co-founder John Lim believes regulators need to hand them heavier gloves.
    • To allow S-Reits to punch above their weight, ARA co-founder John Lim believes regulators need to hand them heavier gloves. PHOTO: APREA

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    [SINGAPORE] The ​Singapore-listed real estate investment trust (S-Reit) sector does not need more Reits; it needs bigger ones.

    That is the candid assessment of industry veteran John Lim, who believes the local market’s growth strategy requires a fundamental shift towards consolidation and aggressive global expansion.

    ​Lim’s perspective carries the weight of history. Having spent over two decades building ARA Asset Management into a US$100 billion behemoth, he was instrumental in listing pioneering vehicles such as Suntec Reit and Fortune Reit at a time when the market was highly suspicious of the asset class.

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