Investment Guide

How Family Offices Are Buying Real Estate at 18 Cents on the Dollar — and What Their 2026 Strategy Reveals About the Market

9 min read

Family offices are the smartest buyers in real estate right now — and the data from JP Morgan, CNBC, and Campden shows exactly where they're deploying capital in 2026. #FamilyOffice #RealEstate #PrivateWealth #INTRIC

Abhii DabasByAbhii Dabas

Introduction

Family offices are positioning as one of the most consequential buyers in global real estate markets in 2026 — and doing so from a position of structural advantage that institutional peers, constrained by quarterly redemptions and regulatory capital requirements, simply cannot match. The J.P. Morgan 2026 Global Family Office Report documents real estate at 7.4% of average family office portfolios, within a total private investment allocation of 30.8%, but survey data from CNBC and Commercial Observer reveal that a significant cohort is moving aggressively: acquiring office properties at 18 cents on the dollar, purchasing multifamily assets at 20–30% discounts to replacement cost, and repositioning commercial real estate into equity-heavy structures that maximise long-term compounding. The catalyst is a confluence of policy tailwinds — most notably the restoration of 100% bonus depreciation in the US — dislocation from the higher-rate environment that has forced institutional sellers to exit positions, and the growing conviction among ultra-high-net-worth families that direct real estate ownership, rather than fund intermediation, delivers superior economics across multi-generational holding horizons.

The J.P. Morgan Data: How Family Offices Are Actually Allocated

Portfolio Architecture and the 30.8% Private Allocation. The J.P. Morgan 2026 Global Family Office Report — surveying 190 family offices globally — shows average allocations of 38.4% to public equities, 30.8% to private investments (comprising private equity at 9.8%, real estate at 7.4%, control-oriented private investments at 6.1%, and growth equity/venture at 3.3%), 14.8% to fixed income, 7.8% to cash, and 4.7% to hedge funds. Real estate exposure has modestly declined from 2024 levels in favour of public equities — but this average masks significant bifurcation: family offices with $500 million or more under management show real estate as one of the fastest-growing allocation categories, while smaller offices are temporarily reducing exposure to manage liquidity during the rate adjustment period.
Regional Bifurcation — US vs International Outlook. A notable divergence exists between US-domiciled and international family offices on real estate intent. The J.P. Morgan survey found 35% of US family offices planned to increase their real estate exposure in 2026, compared with only 24% of international peers. This US optimism is driven by the policy environment — specifically the One Big Beautiful Bill Act's restoration of 100% bonus depreciation on qualifying real estate improvements — combined with the perception that US commercial and multifamily markets have reached a cyclical trough that justifies opportunistic entry. International family offices, facing different monetary policy cycles and in some cases more attractive alternatives in public equities and private credit, are more cautious.
The 100% Bonus Depreciation Tailwind. The restoration of 100% bonus depreciation in the US — which had phased down to 60% in 2024 and 40% in 2025 — materially improves the after-tax economics of direct real estate investment for US-based family offices and their high-tax principals. Under this provision, qualifying real estate improvements can be fully expensed in the year of acquisition, generating substantial passive losses that offset ordinary income for investors in the top tax brackets. For family offices with significant operating business income or capital gains, the combination of real estate yield, depreciation shield, and eventual capital gain treatment at preferential rates creates a risk-adjusted return profile that generic comparable fixed income or equity alternatives cannot replicate.

Opportunistic Acquisitions: How Family Offices Are Deploying

Office at 18 Cents on the Dollar — Distress Creates Entry. CNBC's March 2026 reporting on family office real estate activity documents acquisitions of office properties at prices as low as 18 cents on the dollar versus recent private equity purchase prices. One cited transaction involved the former Home Depot headquarters building in Atlanta, acquired for approximately USD 21 million — against a 2019 PE acquisition price that implied a mid-eight-figure valuation. These acquisitions are not indiscriminate contrarianism: the family offices involved are specifically targeting buildings with genuine repurposing potential — conversion to residential, life sciences, or data-centre-adjacent uses — where the land value and structure provide a floor, and where repositioning to a different use case can generate value independent of office market recovery.
Multifamily at 20–30% Discounts to Replacement Cost. The multifamily market represents the most active deployment arena for family office capital in 2026. Lido Advisors has publicly described acquiring attractive multifamily properties at 20–30% discounts to replacement costs in Salt Lake City, Denver, and Dallas — markets where construction costs have risen significantly, making ground-up development uneconomic and creating a structural floor under existing well-located stock. Many developers who completed build-to-rent projects between 2021 and 2024 are seeking to recapitalise or dispose of stabilised assets ahead of near-term debt maturities, creating motivated seller dynamics that family offices — unconstrained by fund mandates or return hurdle timelines — are uniquely positioned to exploit.
Commercial Real Estate Equity vs. Debt Structures. Commercial Observer's March 2026 analysis of family office commercial real estate activity identifies a notable strategic evolution: a shift away from preferred equity and mezzanine positions (which dominated family office participation during the zero-rate era when senior debt was cheaply available) toward common equity structures in well-capitalised deals. This shift reflects two dynamics: the improved economics of equity in a repriced market (where entry prices now reflect higher borrowing costs rather than assuming them away), and growing family office appetite for operational control and cash-on-cash yield rather than capped preferred returns. Families with in-house property management capabilities — particularly those with legacy operating real estate businesses — are the natural leaders of this trend.

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Global Real Estate: Where Family Offices Are Looking Internationally

Japan — The Multi-Year Commitment. Japan has emerged as the most favoured non-domestic market for internationally active family offices, driven by the yen's multi-decade weakness, positive cap rate spreads despite Bank of Japan rate normalisation, and a cultural alignment with multi-generational property ownership. Singapore-based family offices — particularly those managing wealth from Greater China, Indonesia, and Malaysia — have been the most active, acquiring Tokyo multifamily assets, Osaka commercial properties, and Kyoto hotel investments as part of deliberate, multi-year Japan real estate programmes. The 27% foreign participation in Japanese real estate transactions (up from 21% five years ago) is partly attributable to family office capital alongside sovereign and institutional flows.
European Residential — Athens, Warsaw, Porto. European family offices — and an increasing number of US and Middle Eastern families seeking diversification outside USD-denominated assets — are actively deploying into European secondary residential markets offering yields unavailable in established prime markets. Athens (gross yields 5–9%), Warsaw (average 7.07%), and Porto (4.5–8% depending on strategy) are three markets where family office capital is creating a more institutionalised buyer base without yet compressing yields to institutional norms. These acquisitions frequently combine residency benefit (Greece's Golden Visa, Portugal's NHR) with income generation and capital growth — a multi-return thesis that funds cannot easily pursue but families can.
Southeast Asia and Private Villa Portfolio Strategies. A distinct family office investment thesis is emerging in Southeast Asia: the construction or acquisition of small villa portfolios (3–8 units) in premium Bali, Phuket, or Koh Samui markets, managed by professional hospitality operators under revenue-sharing arrangements. Gross yields of 8–14% in high-traffic tourism zones, combined with personal use entitlements and LTR/Golden Visa residency qualifications, create a bundled lifestyle and financial return profile that institutional capital cannot replicate. The management complexity is non-trivial — requiring trusted local partners, legal structures navigating foreign ownership restrictions, and active performance monitoring — but for families with existing Southeast Asian connections or regional presence, this represents a compelling alternative to conventional yield instruments.

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Portfolio Architecture: Building a Family Office Real Estate Programme

Core-Satellite Allocation Framework. The emerging best practice for family office real estate programme design is a core-satellite framework: a 50–65% core allocation to income-generating, lower-volatility assets (stabilised multifamily, logistics, prime residential) providing yield and capital preservation, supplemented by a 20–30% value-add or opportunistic satellite targeting distressed acquisition, repositioning, or development upside. A remaining 10–20% is allocated to specialist or niche strategies — villa portfolios, ground-lease structures, agricultural land, or emerging-market residential — where family-specific knowledge or relationships provide edge. This structure explicitly acknowledges the differing liquidity and management intensity across sub-strategies and allows families to participate in opportunistic moments without compromising portfolio-level income stability.
Direct vs. Fund vs. Co-Investment. The shift toward direct investing — flagged as the primary trend in the Crain Currency January 2026 family office survey — is driven by the economics of intermediation. Fund structures typically charge 1.5–2% management fees plus 20% carried interest, which materially erodes the yield advantage that makes real estate attractive relative to liquid alternatives. Direct acquisitions eliminate this drag but require internal capability: deal sourcing, legal structuring, property management oversight, and ongoing compliance. The emerging middle ground is co-investment alongside specialist operators — where the family provides capital and receives preferred economics, while an operating partner provides sourcing and management — capturing much of the return advantage of direct ownership without requiring full internal infrastructure.
The Generational Wealth Transfer Lens. Fortune's March 2026 analysis frames the family office real estate reallocation in the context of the great wealth transfer — the estimated USD 84 trillion in assets expected to shift between generations over the next two decades. Real estate is the preferred vehicle for wealth preservation across generations in most family traditions, and its tangibility, income generation, and inflation hedge properties are increasingly valued relative to financial assets that next-generation inheritors may find opaque or disconnected from the family's operating business legacy. Families revisiting their 100-year investment plans are frequently extending real estate holding horizons, reducing redemption pressure from real estate positions, and building governance structures that allow illiquid property positions to be managed across multiple ownership generations without forced liquidation.

Sources

Author
Abhii Dabas
Abhii DabasFounder & CEO, INTRIC Global

Abhii Dabas is the Founder and CEO of INTRIC Global, the cross-border property intelligence platform for serious investors. He advises high-net-worth buyers on international real estate strategy and has evaluated residential markets across more than 40 countries.

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