Global healthcare capital turns its attention to APAC: Key takeaways from Knight Frank’s 12th Global Healthcare Property Lunch

Australia – As healthcare real estate investment accelerates globally, Australia and the broader Asia-Pacific region are increasingly emerging on the radar of some of the world's largest healthcare investors. 

That was a key takeaway from Knight Frank's 12th Global Healthcare Property Lunch, held in London this month and attended by more than 500 guests across the healthcare, property and investment sectors globally, including Sam Biggins, Partner and National Head of Healthcare & Life Sciences at Knight Frank Australia. 

Hosted at The Londoner, a five-star hotel in London, the annual event brought together leaders from major healthcare real estate investors, operators and advisory firms to discuss healthcare investment, real estate, innovation and the future of the sector.  

The event also raised an incredible £200,000 for the Matt Hampson Foundation, The Clocktower Foundation, The Care Workers'​ Charity and My Name'5 Doddie Foundation. 

For Mr Biggins, the discussions and direct investor meetings offered a valuable insight into where global healthcare capital is heading and what it could mean for Australia's healthcare property market over the coming years. 

"One of the most significant themes was the sheer volume of capital currently targeting healthcare real estate globally and the increasing appetite to explore opportunities beyond traditional markets," Mr Biggins said. 

Investment activity surges 

The strength of investor demand was clearly evident in the UK market, where healthcare property transaction volumes reached approximately £12 billion in FY26, representing a three-fold increase on the five-year rolling average. 

Importantly, similar momentum is now emerging in Australia. 

Locally, an estimated AU$1.25 billion in healthcare real estate transactions have either completed or are pending year-to-date, also representing roughly a three-fold increase on the same period last year. 

"Australian investment activity often follows investment themes and corresponding capital deployment trends in leading global markets," Mr Biggins said. 

"Healthcare real estate investment activity has seen a significant uplift in the UK and Europe, in terms of direct transactions, fund recapitalisation and platform-level M&A."

US healthcare giants expand into Europe 

Another major theme discussed throughout the event was the continued expansion of US healthcare REITs and investors into the UK and Europe. 

Major healthcare real estate groups including Welltower, Ventas, Omega Healthcare Investors, CareTrust and Blue Owl continue to actively deploy capital across the UK and European healthcare sectors, with particular focus on senior living and aged care assets spanning both independent living and assisted living/care homes. 

This influx of North American capital is contributing to growing competition for assets across the region and driving increased market consolidation. 

Yet despite their substantial activity in Europe, many of these major investors are yet to establish a meaningful presence in the Asia-Pacific region. 

"What's particularly notable is that many of the largest healthcare investors active in North America and Europe today have not yet deployed capital across APAC," Mr Biggins said. 

"That suggests significant opportunities remain as our markets continue to mature, transparency improves and investment mandates broaden." 

Australia well-positioned for future capital inflows 

As competition intensifies throughout the UK and Europe, many established UK investors are beginning to look further afield for growth opportunities and diversification – specifically to APAC. 

According to Mr Biggins, Australia is increasingly being viewed as a natural destination for international capital due to the similarities between the Australian and UK legal systems, regulatory environments and healthcare frameworks. 

With many of the larger UK-based social infrastructure investors having cornerstone investments from Asia-based capital, some managers are also seeing this as a chance to build on established partnerships with their investors and help deploy capital closer to their home regions. 

At the same time, we expect that global capital allocators who have expressed interest in Australian healthcare real estate, yet held some trepidation on account of the negative sentiment around Healthscope will have increased confidence in the sector, resuming exploratory discussions with onshore GPs and investment managers. 

"There is a growing recognition that Australia's healthcare property market remains underpinned by the strong fundamentals applicable to global markets, including population growth, ageing demographics and increasing demand for healthcare services," Mr Biggins said. 

"As confidence returns, we expect to see a growing number of international investors re-engage with the sector and explore opportunities across healthcare, life sciences, aged care and seniors housing." 

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For further information, please contact:
Vanessa De Groot – Marketing & Communications, Knight Frank
Vanessa.degroot@au.knightfrank.com +61 410 460211

Notes to Editors
Knight Frank LLP is the leading independent global property consultancy. Headquartered in London, the Knight Frank network has 600+ offices across more than 50 territories and more than 20,000 people. The Group advises clients ranging from individual owners and buyers to major developers, investors, and corporate tenants. For further information about the Firm, please visit www.knightfrank.com.