Family offices are increasing their exposure to oil and gas investments as geopolitical risks and AI-driven demand push deal spend to two-year highs. According to Wood Mackenzie, oil and gas deal spend in the first half of 2026 reached a two-year record, with gas production projects topping $32 billion - the most in more than ten years. As Andrew Dock, who heads Bank of America's energy wealth management group, notes, this represents a structural shift rather than a cyclical commodity trade. The trend reflects family offices' longer investment term horizons that allow time for value creation, with investors favoring established reservoirs and quality cash-flow investments over macro-dependent returns.
Family offices have emerged as the most powerful forces in hospitality investment across Asia-Pacific, with the sector becoming the top real estate asset class for family office capital in the region, according to Questex's IHIF Asia report. This development highlights the growing appeal of hospitality investments to private investors and demonstrates family offices' strategic shift toward real estate opportunities. The trend reflects family offices' increasing formidable investor base with the ability to write cheques across a range of asset classes and geographies, both debt and equity. As Cody Bradshaw, Group CEO, Hotels at L+R notes, family office capital represents an increasingly formidable investor base in the hospitality sector.
India's family offices are entering 2026 with a broader investment playbook that extends beyond traditional assets, as reported by The Economic Times and confirmed at the ET Alpha Wealth Summit 2.0 in Mumbai on October 8, 2026. Family offices are increasingly looking at private credit, venture debt, co-investments and global opportunities while maintaining their focus on public equities and real estate. This strategic expansion reflects a growing emphasis on diversification, capital preservation, liquidity and long-term, multi-generational wealth creation across multiple generations. The shift toward private markets represents a strategic move to capture higher returns while managing the associated risks through disciplined investment frameworks.
According to Knight Frank's Wealth Report 2025, 44% of 150 family offices surveyed said they plan to increase their exposure to real estate over the next 18 months, highlighting the sector's growing appeal. The hospitality segment within real estate has become particularly attractive to family office investors, with the sector's growing influence in the Asia-Pacific hospitality industry creating significant opportunities for private capital deployment. Behind every family office lies a disciplined investment framework that balances growth with risk and maintains a long-term view of wealth, emphasizing asset allocation strategies, the growing role of private credit and venture debt, and strategies for building and preserving wealth across generations.
While family offices focus on expanding their investment portfolios, operational excellence has emerged as a critical success factor. As reported by RSM, most family offices have room for improvement in areas including delayed decisions, excessive advisor involvement, and fragmented strategies. The true measure of a family office lies in whether it advances the family's purpose rather than simply cost efficiency. Hidden costs can drain capacity and delay decisions, making comprehensive operational evaluations essential for optimal performance. Family offices must ensure they have the right capabilities, capacity, accountability and continuity with clearly defined roles, responsibilities, and decision-making authority to effectively serve their families' evolving needs.
