Knight Frank: $144B in Global Commercial Real Estate Investment Anticipated in 2026

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Knight Frank, London, released its Knight Frank Active Capital Survey for 2026, finding that $144 billion in commercial real estate investment is planned globally this year.

The survey captures the views of 119 global investors with more than $1.4 trillion in assets.

Nearly 7 in 10 respondents plan to increase their investments in 2026, and 87% of respondents by assets under management plan to do so.

However, Knight Frank did flag a potential imbalance–62% of respondents planning to increase investment this year expect to be net buyers. Only 12% believe they will be net sellers.

Geographically, investors are looking at markets where liquidity, transparency and repricing have aligned, the report stated. The United Kingdom is particularly attractive, with 60% of respondents planning to invest there this year.

“This geographic focus reflects a broader shift in [behavior.] Investors are no longer waiting for a uniform global recovery. Instead, they are [prioritizing] markets where entry pricing is clearer and execution risk is lower, even if wider macroeconomic uncertainty persists,” the report stated.

Offices are the top investment target, with 69% of investors planning allocations. Next is living sectors, at 65%, and industrial/logistics, at 63%.

Drilling down on living sectors, multifamily is anticipated to be the most targeted, at 46%, followed by student accommodation, at 35% and single-family rental, at 31%.

More than two-thirds of respondents plan to consider joint ventures or capital partnerships this year, collectively representing a $94 billion share of planned deployment.