Asia's family offices expect returns of over 5% in 2025

Drivers of optimism amid market volatility include potential US rate cuts, Al progress

- Sheila Chiang Business Correspondent

Family offices in the Asia-Pacific hold an optimistic outlook in 2025, with 83 per cent of them expecting returns exceeding 5 per cent despite market volatility, said a report released on Sept 16.

Possible drivers of this positive sentiment include potential US deregulation and interest rate cuts, as well as advancements in artificial intelligence.

This comes as 61 per cent of the family offices in the region highlighted trade disputes and 53 per cent indicated US-China relations as their primary concerns related to investment strategies.

A family office is a private company that manages wealth and investments for a family or group of families.

The findings are from a global survey conducted by Citi Wealth from June to July, which polled 346 family offices in 45 countries. About 30 per cent surveyed were based in the Asia-Pacific.

The number of single-family offices in Singapore grew from about 400 in 2020 to more than 2,000 by end-2024. Nine per cent of the world’s family offices are located in Asia, according to a 2023 report.