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Showing posts with label Real estate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Real estate. Show all posts

Friday 16 September 2022

House prices down in 2Q, Penang residential market picking up pace

 


PETALING JAYA: House prices in Malaysia fell in the second quarter of 2022 (2Q22), marking the worst quarterly contraction since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

This occurred as new launches of residential units and sales performance for new launches softened in the first half of this year.

Based on the data by the National Property Information Centre (Napic), the Malaysian House Price Index (MHPI) in 2Q22 decreased by 1.2% compared with the 1Q.

The average house price for 2Q22 was RM439,084. In 1Q22, it was RM444,230.

Napic noted however the MHPI rose marginally by 0.5% on a year-on-year (y-o-y) basis in 2Q22, adding house prices continued “its low pace growth”.

For comparison, the index had increased by 2.4% y-o-y in the 1Q22.

Commenting on the domestic property market performance, Napic said it recorded a rebound in the first half of 2022 (1H22), a reflection of normalising economic activities as the country moved to endemicity.

More than 188,000 transactions worth RM84.4bil were recorded in 1H22, showing an increase of more than 30% in volume and value compared to the same period last year, as all property sectors recorded y-o-y growth.

“The residential property sector recorded 116,178 transactions worth RM45.62bil in the review period, increasing by 26.3% in volume and 32.2% in value y-o-y.

“The four major states namely Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Johor and Selangor formed about 47% of the total national residential volume.

“Commercial property segment recorded 15,169 transactions worth RM14.02bil, up by 45.4% in volume and 28.3% in value compared to the same period last year.

“Selangor contributed the highest volume and value to the national market share, with 26.5% in volume (4,025 transactions) and 33.5% in value (RM4.7bil),” Napic said in a statement yesterday.

Napic also reported that more than 10,000 units of newly launched residences were recorded in 1H22, down by 66.7% y-o-y. Against 2H21, the new launches were lower by 13.3%.

Terraced houses dominated the new launches, contributing 68.2% of the total units, according to Napic.

The sales performance for new launches in 1H22 was recorded at 20.3%, slightly lower compared with 20.6% in 1H21 and 28.1% in 2H21.

On property overhang, Napic said the situation had improved amid the market recovery.

“A total of 34,092 overhang units worth RM21.73bil was recorded, down by 7.5% and 4.6% in volume and value respectively against 2H21. Most of the overhang is in Johor with 6,040 units worth RM4.73bil.

“The serviced apartment sub-sector recorded 22,674 overhang units with a value of RM19.32bil, indicating a decrease of 6.7% and 5.6% in volume and value respectively against 2H21,” it said.

Napic said the property market is likely to “strive in the coming months”.

“With the positive projection on economic growth by Bank Negara, expected between 5.3% and 6.3% in 2022, supported by the implementation of various government initiatives and assistance, the property market performance is expected to be on track,” it said 

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Penang residential market picking up pace | The Star - TheStar

 https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2022/09/10/penang-residential-market-picking-up-pace

 https://cdn.thestar.com.my/Content/Images/Digital_penang_resident_ekpenang10.jpg

 

'OPR hike would not affect property market' | The Star

 https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2022/09/16/opr-hike-would-not-affect-property-market

 

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Tuesday 19 April 2022

Regaining momentum, property sector to recover despite challenges

 


WITH the country finally transitioning into endemicity, the Malaysian property market is expected to regain its momentum this year.

However, despite the better economic growth recovery projected for 2022, the National Property Information Centre (Napic) has cautioned that the environment still remains challenging.

“The health of the residential sector is paramount to the overall performance of the property market,” Napic says in its 2021 property market report.

“The transition to the endemic phase of Covid-19 starting April 1, 2022, will see the lifting of restrictions of business operating hours and the reopening of country borders, which is expected to further improve domestic economic activities and entail better prospects for the leisure sector,” it adds.

Napic emphasises that the transition phase is a much-needed boost for the local property market.

“This will translate into better occupancy of hotels apart from creating employment opportunities for the locals.

“Nevertheless, the environment will remain challenging for the retail and office sector as more new supply enters the market in the near future.”

As the industry normalises and adapts to the new norms of working from home and market digitalisation, Napic says the office and retail sectors may continue to face downward pressure in 2022.

“On the development front, major ongoing infrastructure projects are expected to spur economic activities and the property market in the long run.”

As the economy is set to be on the right trajectory, Napic says the property market’s performance is expected to be on a similar track.

Accommodative policies

“The accommodative policies, continuous government support and execution of all planned measures outlined in Budget 2022 and proper implementation of strategies and initiatives under the 12th Malaysia Plan are expected to support growth in the property sector,” it says.

According to Napic, the residential sub-sector led the overall property market activity in 2021 with a 66.2% contribution in volume.

There were 198,812 transactions worth Rm76.90bil recorded in the review period, which was an increase of 3.9% in volume and 16.7% in value year-on-year.

The improvement was supported by the uptrend recorded in Kuala Lumpur (4.9%), Selangor (10.7%), Pulau Pinang (16.3%) and Perak (3.2%). Conversely, Johor recorded a decline in market activity by 2.4%.

The primary market saw fewer releases of new launches. There were nearly 44,000 units launched in 2021, against 47,178 units in 2020.

Napic says the decline was expected as developers held back on the new launches due to the softening property market and increasing numbers of unsold inventories.

Sales performance was moderate at 39.3% in 2021.

A property analyst says the property market will, as always, continue to be driven by the residential sub-sector.

“Even without the Home Ownership Campaign (HOC), there is renewed enthusiasm among purchasers and buyers – something that was lost over the last two years as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

To help spur the property market, the government introduced the HOC in June 2020 under the Penjana initiative.

The campaign ended on Dec 31, 2021. Many industry observers and property players believed that the HOC was indeed a huge help to the market and urged the government to extend the campaign period into 2022.

Following the conclusion of the HOC, Hong Leong Investment Bank (HLIB) Research says the “tables have turned” in favour of the affordable housing segment.

Comparative advantage

“Prior to the introduction of the HOC, the affordable housing segment enjoyed stamp duty exemption for property value up to RM500,000.

“With the introduction of the HOC, the affordable segment lost its comparative advantage as the stamp duty exemption was extended to property value up to Rm1mil,” it says in a recent report.

HLIB Research notes that in 2021, when the HOC was still in place, the percentage of residential transactions below RM500,000 had declined, likely due to home buyers rushing to take advantage of the HOC campaign before it ended on Dec 31.

“With the ending of the HOC, the tables have once again turned in favour of the affordable housing segment, as purchases in this category will continue to enjoy stamp duty exemptions.

“Even during the HOC campaign, the affordable housing segment was still the most demanded segment, comprising more than 75% of the number of residential transactions.”

Citing the Statistics Department, HLIB Research says as much as 20% or 580,000 households from the M40 households had shifted to the income limit of the B40 group in 2020.

“The broadening base of the lower-income group, coupled with the rising living cost from inflationary pressure, especially on the food cost, will bolster demand within the affordable home segment, as home buyers will likely opt for affordable housing due to income constraints.”

Meanwhile, RHB Investment Bank says inflationary pressures and the timing of the election could swing sentiment.

“On the macroeconomic front, we are also cautious on rising inflationary pressure, which may potentially dampen household disposable income.”

Apart from the expected increase in interest rates in the second half of this year, the research house points out that food and consumer product prices are also on the rise, which is in line with commodity prices.

“Given that the market has just recovered from last year’s lockdown, demand for property may be negatively affected if inflationary pressures worsen further, as property is deemed a big-ticket item that is considered non-discretionary.”

Given the conclusion of the state elections in Melaka, Sarawak and Johor over the last six months, RHB Investment Bank says some political parties are calling for the next general election to be held soon.

“Historically, the performance of most property stocks tend to be lacklustre six months prior to an election, possibly due to the uncertain outlook and potential policy changes after an election.

“As the next general election is due by July 2023, we think speculation will be rife in the coming months on the timing of the event.”

Rising building costs

HLIB Research notes that building materials costs have been rising persistently since 2021.

“From what we gathered, key raw materials such as steel and cement have risen more than 20% on a year-on-year basis.”

Under such a rising cost environment, the research house says property developers that will fare relatively better are those that outsource their construction work to third parties.

“This is as their construction cost will be locked in at a lower cost (amid the rising cost environment) when the job is outsourced.”

For new launches, HLIB Research says developers will likely be able to outsource the jobs at competitive prices.

Competitive job tenders

“This is because new job tenders among contractors will likely be very competitive (due to fewer job tenders available), as developers are more cautious in their launches due to the subdued property sentiment.”

In order to secure jobs to ensure positive cash flow, HLIB Research says contractors may be willing to sacrifice some margin to win job tenders from developers.

“Besides this, developers that enjoy high take-up rates in their launches are also those that are likely to have better pricing power, enabling them more flexibility to adjust selling prices to sustain their margins.”

RHB Investment Bank also acknowledged that major commodity prices, such as crude oil, steel bars, copper and aluminium saw significant price hikes.

“The resulting price increases in cement, sand, tiles and related products collectively added to the surge in total construction costs.”

Assuming the uptrend in commodity prices persists over the next six-to-nine months, RHB Investment Bank says developers will tend to be more prudent with their launches.

“Developers will likely resize or redesign, as well as maintain the selling prices and affordability of their products or look for alternative construction materials that are cheaper in an effort to mitigate cost pressure.”

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NAPIC: Property market expected to regain momentum in 2022

Saturday 22 January 2022

What is the best hedge against inflation?


`   

Then there are newer and more interesting physical and luxury items that isn’t part of the financial markets which appeared to hold the value very well. Minted limited edition Lego sets, select Hermes and Chanel handbags as well as tier-one luxury watch brands such as Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet and Rolex are such examples.

The challenge is finding a suitable asset class that is palatable to one’s risk tolerance, investment horizon and financial capability. This is why there are many varieties of asset classes in the financial markets that serve different purposes.
`
` IF you have savings of RM100,000 or Rm1mil, how would you utilise this amount of money to preserve your wealth?
`
` It is a legitimate question but increasingly pressing as globally, countries around the world are facing inflationary pressure due to the effects of loose monetary policies for the past two years.
`
` While not everyone is passionate about the financial markets or macroeconomics, most would be concern if they were to know the value of their money or hard-earned savings are increasingly eroded daily through no fault of theirs.
`
` The common method adopted by most would be to assess how much ringgit is worth against foreign currencies like US dollar, Singapore dollar, British pound and the likes. Another would be the actual purchasing power of your money. Combining both, it becomes the formula of purchasing power parity.
`
` I have written an article in this column last year using the Big Mac Index to illustrate inflationary effects. Today, as inflation is already here, I prefer to dwell into how individuals can protect their savings from inflation itself.
`
` Some would argue, they live in solitary and would hardly be impacted even if the ringgit weakened substantially. However, even one who does not travel abroad and lives entirely within the domestic ecosystem cannot run away from the impact of inflation.
`
` As the world economy is a huge interlinked web, connected via global trades, inflationary pressure can be imported through the transaction of goods or the fact that our country has foreign debts. There is no absolute way of shielding in entirety.
`
` Ceiling price for necessities and list of controlled items are what government of the day do to ensure some level of protection for the citizens but if market forces react otherwise, government intervention in itself is not sufficient to push back. This is proven even in the strictest communist or socialist regime around the world, such as North Korea.
`
` The only way to hedge against inflation is to engage in some form of investment. In the past, real estate has always been recognised as one of the best asset classes to preserve wealth and hedge against inflation. This ageold wisdom has survived through thousands of years and civilisations.
`
` New asset class

` As the society evolves and modern economy takes shape, there is now the creation of new asset class which in the past either simply do not exist or wouldn’t make sense to invest substantially. The more common form of investments are the likes of bonds, gold, fixed deposits and equities.

` Then came mutual funds and index-linked funds. Exchange-traded funds in recent years became wildly popular, especially when active investment returns did not provide the same kind of returns it once did.

` This gained traction for those who are mostly passive investors or do not have the time to do individual stock picking. Yet, despite all the asset classes mentioned above, these are all considered relatively acceptable to most people.

` With the millennials and Gen-z being in the workforce, technology have taken centrestage in every part of our lives even when it comes to asset classes. Cryptocurrency, non-fungible tokens (NFTS) and digital assets have made its way into mainstream financial markets where investment banks, which traditionally scoffs at such assets, have now become a part of the frenzy.
`
` Advocates of cryptocurrency, for instance, goes as far as calling it a hedge against inflation or hedge against “fiat currency” or the “new gold”.
`
` Traditional asset classes highlighted above are seen as out-of-date by the new crop of investors, whoever they are and wherever they may come from. I do not wish to debate the utility and viability of cryptocurrency, NFTS or digital assets. However, the big question to me though is, what truly constitutes a hedge against inflation?
`
` For an asset class to constitute a hedge against inflation, the more fundamental aspect is for the asset class to consistently outperform annual inflationary pressure. For example, if the inflation rate is 4% per annum over 10 years, the asset class that one invest in must outperform 4% per annum consistently across the same period.
`
` This asset class will then effectively hedge and protect the value of your money over a substantial duration of time.
`
` The challenge is finding a suitable asset class that is palatable to one’s risk tolerance, investment horizon and financial capability. This is why there are many varieties of asset classes in the financial markets that serve different purposes.
`
` Bonds and gold are good for those with low-risk appetite but do not expect spectacular returns from these asset class. In fact, many have questioned whether bonds and gold can still preserve value although this has been proven in the past during wars and turbulent times.

 ` Luxury items
`
` Then there are newer and more interesting physical and luxury items that isn’t part of the financial markets which appeared to hold the value very well. Minted limited edition Lego sets, select Hermes and Chanel handbags as well as tier-one luxury watch brands such as Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet and Rolex are such examples.
`
` An unopened Lego set delivers an average annual return of 11%. A Hermes Birkin has seen an average annual increase in price of 14% from 1980 to 2015. This is in comparison to the returns of gold at -2.1% and S&P 500 at 11.7% over the same period.
`
` For the Chanel Classic Medium Flap bag, the price has increased over the past 31 years, from US$1,150 (RM4,817) in 1990 to US$8,800 (RM36,858) in 2021. This gives an average annual return of 21.4% and a compound annual growth rate of 6.8% throughout the period.
`
` If we look at watches, the retail price of stainless steel sports watches have gone crazy in recent years. A Phillipe Patek Nautilus, which retailed at US$3,100 (RM12,985) in 1976 when it was first introduced, is retailing at today US$35,000 (RM146,485)
`
` What is more frightening is the secondary market or grey market pricing for these luxury goods due to the sheer difficulty of getting one at retail price.
`
` A standard Hermes Birkin sized 25 retails at around US$10,000 (RM41,885) but in the secondary market, it can fetch as high as US$25,000 (RM104,713). The Patek Nautilus in a grey market commands close to US$175,000 (RM733,000). The classic Rolex Submariner date steel, which retails at US$10,800 (RM45,236), commands a huge premium in the grey market at around US$20,000 (RM83,770).
`>
` Some may argue that these are the tactical strategy by the ultra-luxury brands to restrict supply and cause a demand shortage in order to drive up the price, making it a highly desirable product.

` However, the counter argument is the fact that these top range luxury brands are handcrafted and requires the hours to produce the finish product. The limited resources coupled with the need to ensure quality also limits supply.


` In the face of a rising affluent class and burgeoning upper-middle class globally, naturally these luxury brands become highly sought after. Once the second-hand market is able to preserve the value, it becomes a hedge against inflation.

` My biggest takeaway though is not which asset class would be the best hedge against inflation. Rather, even within each asset class, it requires homework, due diligence and careful selection in terms of investment to preserve wealth. Making the right decision to purchase or invest needs time and effort
`
` Not all that glitters are gold and in this case, selected steel watches may be worth more than a pure gold watch. So, choose the asset class that you can best understand and would be happy to hold over time in the face of inflation.

NG ZHU HANN Ng Zhu Hann is the author of “Once Upon A Time In Bursa”. He is a lawyer and former chief strategist of a Fortune 500 Corp. The views expressed here are the writer’s own.

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Related

 

Policy normalisation can lend support to ringgit | The Star

https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2022/01/22/policy-normalisation-can-lend-support-to-ringgit

 


Consumer Price Index up in December | The Star

https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2022/01/22/consumer-price-index-up-in-december
 
 
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Saturday 21 November 2020

RCEP to boost our property market

RCEP will promote and facilitate international trade among the 15 participating countries in the Asia-Pacific region and the expected increase in free trade will have a significant impact on the Malaysian property market. -NST/file pic.

The signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) signifies the world's largest trade agreement and will contribute towards sustaining Malaysia as a preferred trading hub and investment destination.

RCEP will promote and facilitate international trade among the 15 participating countries in the Asia-Pacific region and the expected increase in free trade will have a significant impact on the Malaysian property market.

Higher trade and economic activities will impact on the occupation, investment and development sectors of the property market. Real estate space is a local input in the production and supply of goods and services. Increased exports lead to the expansion of domestic production.

Increased domestic production increases the demand for industrial space. Imports also have an impact on demand for real estate space. Goods imported need to be stored and distributed through warehouses and logistic properties.

These goods are then displayed and marketed at various outlets points thereby increasing the demand for retail spaces in retail malls.

Regional trading bloc and trade liberalisation will encourage foreign direct investments (FDI). These FDIs will create demand for industrial land and buildings. New capital investments will spur demand for more financing activities from the banks.

Once the plants and machines are in operations, it will create employment and demand on other factors of production. Higher economic growth will drive the capital market which will attract more foreign investment fund flows investing into local equities.

With increased economic activities, occupation demand for real estate space will cause rental increase. With inelastic new supply, potential future rental growth and prospective capital appreciation, investors will start to invest in real estate leading to an active investment market with the more participation from the institutional investors.

Developers will react to prevailing rents and capital values when they appear to signal a profitable opportunity. If prices rise, more developers will respond to these signals, the aggregate flow of supply into the market increases.

These new spaces will meet the requirements of the occupiers and investors e.g. floor plate size, specification and network connectivity requirements

Real estate service providers such as property consultants played an important role in the whole process by aligning their service standards to the requirements of the regional and global clients.

It is envisioned that the RCEP will open up markets and help in the recovery post Covid-19 pandemic. With increased economic activities, it will give rise to more derived demand for various real estate spaces thereby leading to an improved property market performance in the future.

DR. TING KIEN HWA

Professor of Property Investment

Centre of Real Estate Studies

Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying

Universiti Teknologi MARA


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Friday 7 August 2020

Young buyers flock to property market

Why millennials are flocking to real estate

Interest rate cuts, govt incentives spur buying interests


“We believe the strong growth in our young buyers is both a natural evolution and as a result of a conscious strategic effort we have made to appeal to this important customer group,"-
Datuk Chang Khim Wah
 
Eco World Development Group Bhd president and chief executive officer Datuk Chang Khim Wah told StarBiz the increase in younger buyers was due to a conscious strategic effort made by the group to appeal to this target market.


Property developers are seeing a pick up in sales, especially from younger buyers, as the numerous interest rate cuts and government incentives have spurred buying interest.

Eco World Development Group Bhd president and chief executive officer Datuk Chang Khim Wah said the increase in younger buyers was due to a conscious strategic effort made by the group to appeal to this target market.

“During our initial years of operations (circa 2015) the percentage of young buyers (below 40 years old) was around 43% and today it is more than 70%.

“We believe the strong growth in our young buyers is both a natural evolution and as a result of a conscious strategic effort we have made to appeal to this important customer group, both through the products we are offering as well as the way in which we engage them via social media and digital channels, ” he told StarBiz.

Of the 70%, Chang said around 50% are in their 30s and the remaining 20% are in their 20s. “We are particularly happy that a good number of these buyers include children of our own customers and residents in the vicinity of our development. This validates our efforts over the last few years to make a strong pivot to serve the needs of this market segment and the wider M40 group.

“Our upcoming launch of the new Duduk series of vertical townships offering semi-furnished apartments priced below RM400,000 at Eco Ardence and Eco Sanctuary, as well landed homes starting from RM500,000 at Eco Botanic 2, will enable us to further capture the hearts and minds of this very important market segment.”

Chang said the prolonged movement control order (MCO) period has really made many young people realise that the quality of home and living environment matters greatly.

Mah Sing Group Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Ho Hon Sang (pic below) said as the bulk of its projects comprised units within the affordable range segment, the majority of its buyers comprised those below 35 years of age.


“For Mah Sing, 84% of our target sales for 2020 are for residential properties priced below RM700,000 with key focus in the affordable segment. We typically see about 65% of buyers who are 35 years and below, for most of the affordable projects were launched in recent years. Hence, the majority of our buyers are first time homeowners.”

Despite the challenging market environment in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, Ho said demand continues to be resilient as property remained one of the safest forms of asset class for long-term capital protection and appreciation.

“Malaysia’s population is still very young with 66% below 40 years old and as such, household formation continues to be strong. Affordably-priced properties of good quality and at strategic locations remain highly sought after.

“This is especially for first-time home buyers, which augers well for Mah Sing’s product composition.”

Sunway Property said it is seeing increasing interest from younger buyers from 25 years to 35 years in its properties that are transit-oriented and have good facilities nearby.

“For example, our developments such as the transit-oriented Sunway Avila in Wangsa Maju, the integrated and transit-oriented Sunway Velocity TWO and the youth-focused development of Sunway Grid in Sunway Iskandar has seen enthusiastic response from younger purchasers, ” it said.

Property data, analytics and solutions provider MyProperty Data chief executive officer Thor Joe Hock said the median age for residential property transactions has gradually dropped over the years.

“When we look at the over 2.5 million residential property transactions, including serviced apartments, it appears that the median age of buyers from 2000 to 2019 has remained largely unchanged at between 34 to 35 years of age.

“However, when you break it down into landed and non-landed transactions, we start to get a clearer picture. The median age for non-landed properties has fallen from 40 years in 2000 to 28 years in 2019; while the median age for landed property purchasers marginally decreased from 40 years to 37 years over the same period.”

MyProperty Data manages a property data portal called PropertyAdvisor.

Meanwhile, Lagenda Properties Bhd managing director Datuk Jimmy Doh said more than half of its buyers are below 39 years of age.

“We believe as young people start new phases in their lives, for example getting a job or starting their own families, they prefer to stay independently and have their own space, granted that the properties are within their price range.

“Over the past few years, we have been seeing an increase in buyers. Our properties are priced below RM200,000, ” he said.

MIDF Research in a recent report said the aggressive overnight policy rate (OPR) cuts have improved home buyers’ purchasing power.

“Bank Negara cut its overnight policy rate for the fourth time this year by 25 basis points (bps) to a record low of 1.75% in July due to the severe impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the global economy. The aggressive OPR cuts this year are positive to the sector as it improved home buyer’s purchasing power by reducing loan installments.

“We estimate monthly installments to reduce by 14%, after 125 bps cut for RM500,000 loan with a loan repayment period of 30 years, which is quite significant in our view. Hence, we think the record-low interest rate will partly help to alleviate home buyers’ issue of securing home financing, as the record low yield has boosted the affordability of home buyers.”

MIDF Research also said it expected loan demand to recover in the second half of 2020.

Citing Bank Negara’s statistics, it said total applied loan for the purchase of property improved sequentially by 52.9% month-on-month to RM13.1bil in May, after plunging by 64.8% month-on-month in April.

“Note that total applied loan recorded steep decline in April due to the disruption to business activity following the commencement of the MCO.

“Nevertheless, total applied loan in May was lower by 61.8% year-on-year while cumulative total applied loan in the first five months of 2020 was lower by 33.6% year-on-year, indicating buying interest was subdued.”

Looking ahead, the research house expected buying interest to recover in the second half of this year, spurred by incentives introduced by the government.

Under the Short-Term Economic Recovery Plan (Penjana), which was announced in June, the government reintroduced the Home Ownership Campaign (HOC). Under the HOC, stamp duty exemption will be provided on the transfer of property and loan agreement for the purchase of home priced between RM300,000 and RM2.5mil.

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Millennials now make up over a third of the workplace and overwhelmingly value flexibility in where, when and how to work. And top talent has been increasingly clustering in dense urban areas and has been unwilling to commute to suburban office parks

We found that data availability and transparency in the real estate sector is less than what we were used to when we were

Tuesday 4 August 2020

‘It’s the right time to invest’


We found that data availability and transparency in the real estate sector is less than what we were used to when we were working in the financial industry and we are set to change that, ” says Red Angpow co-founder Erhan Azrai.


PETALING JAYA: Even as many consumers are cautious in purchasing high-ticket items in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, industry experts say sale of properties and cars have been rising since June.
Real Estate and Housing Developers Association (Rehda) Malaysia national council member Tony Khoo Boon Chuan said property sales had picked up since June, thanks to lower interest rates and the extension of the government’s Home Ownership Campaign (HOC) until 2021.

“No doubt buyers are guarded when buying high-priced products.

“But others who are not affected financially also realise the time is here to buy or invest in a new property, ” he said in an interview.

Apart from the HOC’s 10% discount on the selling price, Khoo said buyers also enjoy incentives such as stamp duty exemption, free legal fees and freebies such as home security and alarm systems, additional cabling, fittings and fixtures.

“There are so many choices with perks and benefits in the market now for buyers.

“This is indeed the right time to invest, ” he said.

HOC is a government initiative in 2019 aimed at supporting homebuyers, and it has been reintroduced in June under the Penjana economic revival plan.

Khoo noted that the government’s exemption of real property gains tax for Malaysians for disposal of up to three properties had made it easy for property sales in the secondary market.

“This will certainly encourage a lot of investors and buyers who are looking to upgrade, ” he said.

In the automotive industry, both new and used cars have seen brisk sales in recent months, with foot traffic at showrooms having increased tremendously.

Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) president Datuk Aishah Ahmad said new car sales improved to 42,000 in June, compared with 22,000 in May, following the government’s announcement to remove the sales tax for certain categories of vehicles.

“Many car companies are offering lots of discounts and attractive hire purchase rates to entice customers, ” she said.

Although many car buyers are still cautious, she said premium cars purchases did not see much problem.

In fact, Aishah said MAA had readjusted the forecast of Malaysia’s total industry volume to 470,000 for this year, versus the earlier forecast of 400,000.

Federation of Motor and Credit Companies Association of Malaysia president Datuk Tony Khor Chong Boon agreed, adding that the used car market had also experienced tremendous growth in July.

“June sales were on par with full recovery following the recovery movement control order.

“July was very encouraging with 37,880 units sold, which is 25% higher than the same month last year, ” he said, adding that it was the highest monthly sales achieved in the last five years.

In contrast, he said used car sales only chalked up 303 units in April, when the usual monthly figure was between 30,000 and 35,000 units.

Khor said several factors contributed to the recent good vibes in the automotive industry, with measures introduced in the government’s economic revival plan shown to work.

“The moratorium has allowed some to have more money to spend, while the sales tax exemption has stimulated sales.

“Some buyers choose to get a car due to concerns about physical distancing and hygiene in public transport, ” he said, adding that used cars costing around RM30,000 were popular.

He noted that brisk sales of used cars resulted in a long waiting time for inspection at Puspakom, with a minimum wait time of at least five to seven days, and even 10 days or more at some locations.

When asked, Khor said it was hard to predict how long the good vibes would last because the real challenge would come when many borrowers are required to pay when the moratorium is lifted beginning October.

“To keep the market and economy stimulated, the government has to periodically come out with relevant measures and policies, ” he said.

Human resource executive CW Lim, who has been househunting for a few months, said he would make use of the discount and offers to buy a house in the Klang Valley.

“With the HOC, I’ll be able to save tens of thousand in downpayment, stamp duty fees and legal fees that could take me years to save up.

“Since my job and industry is not affected much, I hope I will soon own a house through these offers, ” said the 30-year-old from Klang.

Clinic nurse Farisha Azman, 29, who has been commuting to work from Subang Jaya to Shah Alam daily using the train, said she was in the process of buying a new car.

“Not having to worry about distancing on the train gives me peace of mind, ” she said.


Serving property investors’ needs

WITH the property market expected to remain soft over the next few months, tech startupRED ANGPOW Analytics is hopeful that property owners will be knocking on its doors for help to better manage their asset portfolios.

The company does online map-based real estate due diligence, feasibility study and price analytics.

“We foresee asset holders requiring good information to manage their portfolios. Data on past transactions that have been useful will no longer be enough.

“We found that data availability and transparency in the real estate sector is less than what we were used to when we were working in the financial industry and we are set to change that, ” says Red Angpow co-founder Erhan Azrai.

The startup generally has two groups of target clients, which are development-based organisations and individuals who use research to make decisions such as property investors, analysts, researchers, valuers and banks. Red Angpow’s services are not only useful for developers, but also related industries that are supporting real estate.

Erhan notes that clients are becoming savvier and are looking for more opportunities in the soft property market and they will need more relevant data to make their investment decisions.

“After the 1997-1998 financial crisis, the National Property Information Centre (NAPIC) was created to provide accurate and timely information on the property market.

“In the current environment, we believe the timing is right for an enhanced service.

“In the longer term, there is a need to increase the efficiency of the real estate market with a lot more data transparency.

“From the work that we have done so far, we saw that a lot of data is actually available, but it is unstructured and comes from multiple sources.

“Before we can compile all this data via an artificial intelligence means, we are doing the very basic first, which is getting the data cleaned, tagged and harmonised in a form that can be used easily by researchers, ” he says.

He adds that ensuring property investors have timely and accurate data has become even more important now as real estate loans make up a sizeable portion of total loans.

As of February 2020, Erhan notes that real estate loans in the banking system stood at RM836bil or 47% of total loans.

“This staggering amount needs better data to manage the portfolio, especially when industries are cutting jobs. A 10% downward correction will affect up to 5% of the total loan portfolio, depending on the age of the loan asset. That’s a huge amount.”

While the movement control order (MCO) has hindered some of its plans, Red Angpow has been fortunate to have raised enough capital to weather the course for the next two years.

“So, we are going to stay the course. The MCO allows us to hunker down and complete our work. We planned to launch a subscription for property analytics dashboard by July. But we are confident that we will hit the ground running once again after the MCO is lifted, ” he says.



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