Sources: Foreign Investors Likely to Invest More in 2009

WASHINGTON, DC-A new survey by the locally based Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate, or AFIRE, finds that foreign based investors will be putting more money in US commercial real estate this year than they did last year–a welcome bit of news in what has been a ghastly investment sales environment over the last six months. For local real estate owners and brokers there is even better news: Washington, DC is the top destination choice of these investors.

Foreign investors say they plan to increase lending by 54% globally and by 58% in the US, according to the 17th annual survey of the association. Also, equity investors plan to increase investment activity by 40% globally and by 73% in the US.

Washington is now the top global city for foreign investors real estate dollars, respondents also say, deposing New York which has traditionally been the top destination. New York came in second position this year, followed by London. Tokyo and Shanghai were in fourth and fifth place choices. Half of the investors’ top ten global cities were located in the US; last year five of the top ten cities were in Asia.