Outbound deals lift commercial realty

Domestic restrictions on home purchases as well as the cooling property market conditions at home are pushing many investors to diversify to developed countries, where signs of economic recovery and prospects of asset appreciation promise more attractive returns.

"Supportive government policies for enterprises to expand overseas, the strengthening of the renminbi, and the desire of Chinese firms to internationalize are fueling the capital outflows," said Suchy.

Meanwhile, private enterprises and individual investors are the key driving force, with office buildings by far the most preferred property type, the research said.

Cushman & Wakefield's analysis showed that while State-owned enterprises and private firms each contributed around 50 percent of the total value of outbound real estate investment from 2008 to June 2014, private enterprises and individual investors accounted for a larger share of the number of deals.

A variety of investors - including large private developers, State-owned banks and insurance firms, sovereign wealth funds and high-net-worth individuals - are jumping into foreign property markets.

Between 2008 and June 2014, office buildings were by far the most preferred property type, accounting for over 48 percent of aggregate investment. Office investments experienced a spike in 2013, reaching $8.4 billion - greater than the total for all other asset classes of $7.4 billion that year.

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