"There is an increasing appetite among international institutional and private investors for investments in Asian real estate. We are well positioned to capitalise on this capital flow, to expand our share in the market, and to move rapidly towards our vision of being a leading Asian player in the real estate financial advisory and fund management business."

CapitaLand Financial Limited's (CFL) focus is to unlock and enhance the potential of real estate assets, maximise value for property owners and investors, and provide real estate financial solutions to property owners and investors. Today, CFL is a leading provider of boutique financial services for real estate-related investments in the Asia Pacific region. Currently, it has S$6 billion of assets under management, which is a two-fold jump from S$3.1 billion a year ago.

The company's comprehensive capabilities include origination, structuring, property fund management and advisory services. There are dedicated teams in Singapore, Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, London, Shanghai and Tokyo providing specific market knowledge to maximise opportunities and balance risks in the context of local legislations and conditions. CFL offers customers investment opportunities, local intelligence, and operational capabilities in the countries it operates in.

2004 was an eventful year for CFL. It provided advisory services for the launch of CapitaCommercial Trust (CCT); advised on CapitaMall Trust's (CMT) acquisition of Plaza Singapura; and launched several property funds overseas.

A key initiative by CFL in 2004 was the launch of CCT – Singapore's first commercial property REIT. The REIT was successfully listed on 11 May 2004 on the Singapore Exchange (SGX-ST). CCT currently owns a S$1.9 billion portfolio of seven prime properties in the central business district of Singapore.