Two of the world’s most sophisticated real estate investors are doing something that sophisticated investors hate doing: selling at a loss. KKR and AEW Capital Management are both marketing commercial real estate holdings in China at substantial discounts to what they originally paid.
China’s property math keeps getting worse
Real estate development investment in China fell 11.2% year-on-year in Q1 2026. Commercial building sales dropped 16.7% in value over the same period.
KKR’s history in Chinese real estate stretches back to 2011, when the firm began deploying capital into logistics properties and various commercial assets across the country.
AEW manages roughly $4.1 billion in assets across the Asia-Pacific region. AEW’s global assets surpass $85 billion, with operational offices in Hong Kong and Singapore established since the mid-2000s.
