Building a Truly Global Real Estate Private Equity Firm

Building a Truly Global Real Estate Private Equity Firm

Since its inception in 2005, Gaw Capital Partners has positioned itself as the premier private equity real estate fund management company for global real estate markets. In July, GAW Capital Partners was named Leading Expert in Real Estate Investment in the 2018 APAC Business Excellence programme.

Gaw Capital Partners is committed to adopting sustainable approaches in its investment and portfolio management. While their peers show trepidation and hesitation, Gaw Capital embodies commitment and tenacity. This character has positioned the firm as an industry leader that works on some of the sector’s most cutting edge projects, setting the pace for others to follow. However, this is merely the tip of the iceberg for a company that sees itself as a disruptor in a well-established industry. In contrast to many of its Asian peers, Gaw Capital has the firepower to launch large deals. One such transaction was the US$2.9 billion purchase last year of residential and commercial properties from The Link, Hong Kong’s largest real estate investment trust.

Gaw Capital is one of the largest real estate private equity investors in Asia. Emphasising the importance of adopting a proactive, future-centric approach to investment, Mr. Kenny Gaw, President and Managing Principal of Gaw Capital Partners, said, “We are committed to sustainable considerations in the investment and portfolio management process through actions such as monitoring, reporting, training and implementing sustainable practices for asset management and operation. We are also committed to establishing, promoting and maintaining a culture of sustainability within our business and with broader stakeholders.” At the heart of the group’s strategy is how it looks at real estate investments as malleable business demands from real people – reinventing assets and creating a community out of projects or making them products that the younger generation can enjoy.

Gaw Capital Partners’ overall approach to real estate investment focuses on specialising in adding strategic value to under-utilised real estate through redesign and re-positioning. The company has seized windows of opportunity presented in the current real estate market to achieve significant results from property investments and development projects, covering the entire spectrum of the real estate sector, including residential development, commercial offices, retail malls, serviced apartments, hotels and logistics.

Since its inception in 2005, Gaw Capital Partners has raised five commingled funds targeting the Greater China and APAC regions. The firm also manages value-add/opportunistic funds in Vietnam and the US, a pan-Asia hospitality fund, and also provides services for separate account direct investments globally. Gaw Capital has raised US$10 billion worth of equity since 2005 and commanded assets under management of US$18 billion as of Q1 2018.

This growth looks set to continue, as the market experiences substantial momentum throughout 2018. Indeed, where other markets have seen struggles in recent years, Asia Pacific continues to beat expectations, offering a promising future for Gaw Capital Partners. With continued growth in the global economy, economic acceleration has improved the prospects for real estate in most Asian markets. Against this background, demand for investment property in Asia has stayed firm, with deal volumes rising. Most key Asian markets, including Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore, have seen increased investment activities across many sectors. One of the key drivers of investment demand in Asia this year has been mainland Chinese capital.

Our internal culture is defined by three key values: creativity, responsibility and passion.

Gaw Capital’s approach has helped it establish dominance in the industry – an approach defined by a diligent expertise and tactful consideration to investing. “Gaw Capital Partners is good at adding strategic value to under-utilised real estate through redesign and repositioning. We have strong expertise covering all aspects of the retail and commercial real estate lifecycle – from initial investment analysis, conceptualisation, planning and design, to subsequent project and property management, leasing and marketing. The way Gaw Capital differentiates itself from intense competition is that we have our own internal asset management team and we excel at redesigning and repositioning properties to add real value,” said Mr. Kenny Gaw.

It would be a disservice to Gaw Capital to not mention the firm’s history of excellence, with wide-ranging recognition in industry-leading publications and platforms. For over a decade, Gaw Capital has been an unwavering figurehead in real estate, dedicated to providing the very best services in the sector. For this expertise, Gaw Capital was awarded the title of Leading Expert in Real Estate Investment at the APAC Business Excellence Awards – a fitting title for a company that continues to be the industry’s gold standard.

Company: Gaw Capital Partners

Address: 18/F, 68 Yee Wo Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Website: www.gawcapital.com

Telephone: +852 2583 7700