Shanghai the leader in property investment

Shanghai remains the top destination for real estate investment in China, contributing more than half the nation's property capital, a report said on Thursday.

Despite tight financing conditions, China's property transactions remained stable, with property investment transactions hitting 197.7 billion yuan in 2018.

Shanghai alone contributed 110 billion yuan, accounting for 56 percent of total, according to property consultancy JLL.

"Large capital inflows from foreign investors highlight the strong fundamentals of China's commercial property market," said Jim Yip, head of capital markets for JLL China and East China.

Yip further said that the central government's deleveraging campaign is creating a tight financial environment, and limited domestic financing channels has affected investors' financing capacity.

The investment sales market in 2018 had a soft start, but gained momentum at the end of the year.

International investors are being given more opportunities to secure deals due to the lack of competition from domestic investors. As a result, international investors and developers took the lion's share of total investment in Shanghai, said James Macdonald, head and senior director of Savills China research.

Industrial experts are however positive about real estate investment in 2019.

In addition to Shanghai, the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge will give a boost to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and should bring attention from property investors.