Australia’s surging population growth has sparked a new interest among Japanese investors and real estate companies to back the nascent build-to-rent housing sector, giving a further boost to a growing wave of investment in Australian real estate.

Herbert Smith Freehills partner Michael Back said that in 14 of his 17 scheduled meetings with builders, developers, investors and trading houses in Tokyo last week – his first visit to Japan since the pandemic started – BTR was the hot topic.