London is the most desirable
city as far as a survey of 461 high net worth individuals is concerned, while Dubai comes second and Singapore has fallen to third
place from second place in the previous 12 months, according to the Cluttons’ International Private Capital Survey 2013/14.

The survey reports on the findings of a survey of nine of
their global offices representing the views and investment activity of HNW
persons in Abu Dhabi, Bangkok, Dubai, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur), Manama, Muscat,
Singapore and Tokyo. Each investor is expected to make at least one overseas
real estate investment over the next twelve months, Cluttons said in a statement.

The top three drivers for investment in London property are
its perceived safe-haven status (26 per cent), followed jointly by capital
value growth yields and the exchange rates on offer (22 per cent); the weakness
of sterling as an incentive being particularly prevalent in South East Asian
markets. While factors considered least influential by investors are financial
market performance and transport/infrastructure (4.3 per cent).

Of other investment asset classes, fund markets appear to
hold most interest for HNW individuals at 33 per cent, followed by stock markets
and precious metals at 21 per cent. Interestingly, only a quarter of offices
surveyed noted the importance of diversification as top driver for global
investment among the HNW individuals they represent with wealth security
emerging as a greater consideration – with safe haven status identified by a
fifth of markets in the research.