A REIT is a collective investment scheme constituted as a unit trust that invests primarily in income-producing real estate assets and uses the income to provide returns to its unitholders. Purchasing a unit in a REIT allows investors to share the benefits and risks of owning the real estate assets held by the REIT.
Link REIT’s portfolio in Hong Kong consists of 127 properties with about nine million square feet (“sq ft”) of retail and office space, and around 57,000 car park spaces.
Our portfolio outside of Hong Kong comprises seven properties with about six million sq ft of retail and office space. These include five properties in the four tier-one cities in Mainland China, an office property in the central business district of Sydney, Australia, and another one in Canary Wharf, London, the United Kingdom.
The Hong Kong Government holds no share or unit in Link REIT and there is no major or controlling investor.
Link is wholly owned by individual and institutional investors in Hong Kong and globally.
Many local charities, educational institutions and retirement funds own units in Link REIT, which means the elderly, the young and those in need can benefit from our growth and distribution of returns.
Asset enhancement allows us to optimise the tenant mix and product variety; enhance the shopping environment and customer experience, which improves footfall and tenant businesses.
Besides a few destination malls, our portfolio predominantly comprises small local shopping centres that focus on serving the daily needs of the communities. Groceries, restaurants, clinics, banks and nurseries can be found in our shopping centres. We change tenants from time to time, be they big chains or independent, as we keep looking to improve the customer experience.
Through the “Link Together Initiatives”, our flagship charity and community engagement programme established in 2013, we are promoting the sustainable development of the communities around us. The Link Together Initiatives programme supports charitable organisations with causes for three areas: youth empowerment, active ageing and resource management. In 2015, Link set up Link University Scholarship to support first generation university students to study in local universities.
In addition, we provide welfare organisations with concessionary rentals for shop spaces and rental waivers for promotional venues within our malls, as well as parking discounts to people with physical disabilities.
Charitable organisations registered with IR88 status are eligible to apply for grants each year around April-early May to provide services to the communities around the areas that Link Together Initiatives are focusing on: youth empowerment, active ageing and resource management. Applicants must also operate in Hong Kong and fulfil our requirements for “non-connected persons” (as defined in the Hong Kong Code on Real Estate Investment Trusts); and not promoting a particular political campaign or specific religious event.
Please check out the full details at our Community page.
Non-profit and charitable organisations can submit their written applications along with event details and supporting documents of the applicant by fax to 3579 1476 or by post to Link Properties Limited - (Sales Venue Team of Mall Merchandizing Unit), 20/F., Tower 1, The Quayside, 77 Hoi Bun Road, Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
For the specific Application Submission Period, please refer to our Customer Website https://www.linkhk.com/en/salesVenue/
We believe that sound environmental stewardship and resource conservation strategies must be fully integrated into our business operations. As part of our energy management strategy, we have adopted a 20/30 vision, which aims to reduce our annual energy consumption by 30% of the 2010 level by the year 2020. This target has been achieved in 2018, two years ahead of schedule. For more information, please refer to our Sustainability page.
Link REIT is also the first Hong Kong-based business enterprise to be included in the FTSE4Good Index since 2009, confirming our compliance with internationally recognised social responsibility standards.
Link is the first property company to support a barrier-free environment. To date, we have also committed approximately HK$230 million to upgrading Barrier Free Access facilities across our portfolio.
Our investment strategy is to invest in income-producing properties in Hong Kong and other overseas jurisdictions with potential for long term income and capital growth. Link REIT aims to offer tenants, shoppers and communities with vibrant centres for modern living, which in turn provide unitholders with a prudently growing business and steadily increasing total return.
Our business model provides a full range of growth drivers encompassing:
(a) asset enhancement to properties with further income growth potential;
(b) asset management of the entire portfolio;
(c) acquisition of quality assets with both income and capital growth potential;
(d) capital recycling through disposal of non-core assets;
(e) property development to design, build and hold; and
(f) re-development of existing properties for long-term sustainable growth.
These drivers complement each other by adding different capabilities at different points in time, and together they drive the growth at various stages of Link REIT’s development.
(i) Certainty of business focus
All REITs in Hong Kong are governed by the Code on Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REIT Code”) issued by the SFC, which restricts REITs’ investment mandate to real estate only.
(ii) Promising total distributable income
The REIT Code also requires REITs to distribute no less than 90% of their distributable income for each financial year. Historically, Link REIT has distributed 100% of its total distributable income.
(iii) Financial and operating transparency
Link REIT adopts a statutory and regulatory corporate governance framework which requires the Manager to be licensed and regulated on an on-going basis by the SFC, while adopting an established internal corporate governance framework overseen by an independent Trustee and a Board comprising a majority of independent non-executive directors, including the Chairman.
(iv) Enhanced liquidity
Being listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Link REIT offers investors an opportunity to participate in the financial benefit of the rental income generated by the retail properties and car parks. The relatively large market capitalisation of Link REIT and its 100% free float also offer investors a relatively liquid investment in comparison to those with direct investment in real estate for rental income.
Our guiding principles are Respect, Excellence, Integrity and Teamwork. This is how we approach our business and treat our staff and stakeholders on a daily basis.
Our vision is to be a world class real estate investor and manager. We seek to serve and improve the lives of those around us. This is our commitment which translates into staff empowerment. We encourage our people to join us on this journey to create value for ourselves and the community.
There are ample opportunities to learn and grow as a team to collectively make a difference to our communities.
We are a leading retail-focused REIT in the world, which offers great room for development.
We have a Competency Framework which includes the following:
- Analysis and Execution
- Alignment with Stakeholder Interest
- Business Orientation
- Building Team and Collaboration
- Communication and Impact
- Change Management
- Drive and Commitment
