HOUSTON, TEXAS: The skyline of downtown Houston looking south west is seen in Houston. (Jay Janner/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images)
Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
Real estate is often viewed through a local lens. Investors spend time studying neighborhoods, employment trends, demographics, and supply pipelines within their target markets. While these factors are important, there is also tremendous value in looking beyond national borders. Global markets can provide insights into investment trends, economic cycles, and business practices that help investors think differently about opportunities at home.
On a recent episode of The Insider’s Edge to Real Estate Investing podcast, Rob Naso, Managing Director and Head of U.S. Asset Management at BGO, shared lessons from more than a decade spent working across Asia, including Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Macau, and other markets throughout the region. His experiences highlight several principles that apply regardless of your location.
Relationships Are Universal
While markets differ in regulations, cultures, and business practices, people still want to work with individuals they trust. Whether negotiating with developers in Shanghai, operators in Singapore, or investment partners in the United States, long-term relationships often become the foundation for successful transactions.
Naso explained that some of the strongest business relationships he developed in other countries were built despite language barriers. Trust, consistency, and follow-through mattered more than perfect communication. Those relationships ultimately helped create successful partnerships and business opportunities across the region.
Infrastructure Shapes Long-Term Growth
One of the most striking aspects of Naso’s time in Asia was witnessing large-scale infrastructure development firsthand. Over the course of his career, he visited dozens of cities and observed the rapid construction of airports, highways, transportation networks, and commercial developments. These investments helped create new economic activity and supported long-term growth.
For investors, infrastructure can be one of the most important indicators of future opportunity. New transportation systems, highways, ports, and public investments often influence where businesses have a presence. Employees will live in the area as well, driving population growth.
Competition Benefits Markets
Naso also witnessed how competition can transform an industry and strengthen a market. As new operators entered markets and introduced different standards, existing companies needed to improve their properties, amenities, and customer experiences to remain competitive. The result was often a stronger overall market that benefited both businesses and consumers.
The same principle applies across many real estate sectors. Competition often leads to innovation, improved properties, and better experiences for tenants and customers. Markets that attract investment and new development frequently become more dynamic over time.
For investors, competition should not automatically be viewed as a negative. While new supply can create short-term challenges, it can also improve a market’s long-term appeal and attract additional economic activity.
Adaptability Is an Advantage
Every market has different characteristics based on factors like regulations and business customs. Economic cycles play out in various forms across regions too. Investors who succeed across multiple countries learn how to adjust their strategies while remaining focused on core principles.
For Naso, that meant learning to navigate different currencies and business environments while maintaining a focus on fundamentals. While the details changed from one country to another, the underlying principles of building relationships, understanding demand, and creating value remained the same.
Rob’s experiences working across Asia reinforced principles that apply in virtually every market: strong relationships create opportunities, infrastructure can signal future growth, competition often strengthens markets, and adaptability helps investors navigate change. While most investors will focus their efforts close to home, studying how other regions develop, attract businesses, and respond to economic shifts can provide valuable perspective and challenge long-held assumptions. Investors who remain curious and open to learning from markets around the world may be better positioned to identify opportunities and make informed decisions in their own markets.
