Recent real estate troubles in China have shown how Governments can, and do, intervene in real estate. The Chinese government’s attempts to support its struggling property industry have come at the cost of investors and homeowners, as former policies are reversed overnight. Whilst moves are rarely so drastic in Singapore, we’ve seen the same kind of interventions happen too – and property owners often overlook this sort of intervention as a risk factor: Why should Singaporeans watch China’s real estate market? Beyond the most obvious reason (i.e., a lot of major Chinese developers are actively building in Singapore), there are some strong similarities. China has a strong cultural affinity for home ownership, and the Chinese government itself encourages this over renting. Property buyers in China prefer it to more intangible assets like equities, and typically with an eye toward resale gains. When we speak to Chinese investors, both at home and here in Singapore, there’s also a...