Article | Intelligent Investment

Business insights | The Big Questions 2026

Our leading Capital Markets leaders provide their strategic perspective on what’s impacting real estate investment across Australia and New Zealand today.

March 23, 2026

An aerial view of Brisbane's city centre, showing the Brisbane River, skyscrapers, and surrounding suburbs.

The real estate capital markets landscape is heading into a defining year, shaped by shifting pricing expectations, evolving capital sources and sector by sector opportunities. That’s why we’ve created The Big Questions, a three part video series bringing together CBRE’s Capital Markets leaders to unpack the forces shaping 2026 and beyond.

Across the series, our experts explore:

  • The biggest challenges and opportunities facing each asset class in 2026
  • Where capital is expected to come from in the year ahead
  • How pricing is moving across the market
  • Which sectors are positioned to outperform
  • And the shifts that could unlock the greatest upside for the market in 2026

      • This series offers stakeholders a sharp, strategic lens on how Australia and New Zealand’s capital markets are evolving, and what it means for making confident, informed decisions in the year ahead.

The Big Challenge & Opportunities Question

Key Takeaways

  1. Offshore capital continues to flow strongly into Australia, presenting significant opportunities across all sectors. Sydney remains the top destination, while Brisbane is rapidly gaining momentum as inflows accelerate.
  2. Although uncertainty around interest rates persists, investors remain confident and are actively pursuing high‑quality real estate opportunities.
  3. The office sector has emerged as the preferred asset class in 2026, its first return to the top spot in five years.

The Big Capital & Sector Outperformer Question

Key Takeaways

  1. Capital Is Ready, Led by Private Wealth

    Capital in 2026 is driven primarily by private high net worth investors, family offices and SMSFs, supported by consistent offshore inflows from Japan, Southeast Asia, North America and the Middle East. Domestic capital, including Australian super funds, is returning with greater confidence and depth.

  2. Office, Living and Agri Are Set to Outperform

    Office has re emerged as the leading sector for 2026, while living assets benefit from population growth, undersupply and demographic tailwinds. Agribusiness also stands out, particularly assets offering immediate cash flow, water security and exposure to sustainability and renewables.

  3. Stability and Certainty Would Unlock the Market

    The key change investors want is greater certainty, around interest rates, tax settings and transparency. Clearer fundamentals and reduced policy friction would narrow pricing gaps, lift confidence and accelerate capital deployment.

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