Property360Digest E-MAGAZINE Issue#4 | Page 15

NEWS & HAPPENINGS THE RESIDENTIAL MARKET IS MAKING A By Rachael Raymond SLOW COMEBACK January 2020, Malaysia – Knight Frank Malaysia launches the latest research report, Real Estate Highlights 2nd Half of 2019 today which highlights the property trends and outlook in key markets of Malaysia. 2019 saw the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) taking shape with the completion of Menara Prudential and Exchange 106. Complementing these commercial developments, Core Previous Development Sdn Bhd, a joint-venture between China- based China Communication Construction Group (CCCG) and Malaysia’s WCT Holdings Bhd, seized this opportune time to launch Core Residence @ TRX. Other notable residential projects unveiled during the second half 2019 are Conlay, a joint development by Eastern & Oriental Berhad and Mitsui Fudosan Group, and Agile Embassy Garden, the third project of Agile Group Holdings. “ the prime areas of Kuala Lumpur City – Bukit Bintang, Ampang Hilir / U-Thant, Mont’ Kiara, Bangsar and Damansara Heights / Kenny Hill. In addition to these prime areas, there are also some established neighbourhoods / upcoming hotspots that are drawing the attention of the upper-income population and high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs). They include Desa ParkCity, Taman district of Imbi / Pudu - Tun Razak Exchange (TRX).” In the general residential segment, several key policies as announced under the National Budget 2020 such as lowering of foreign buyer price threshold from RM1 million to RM600,000 for unsold high-rise properties in urban areas, introduction of Rent-to-Own financing scheme, revising the base year for RPGT to January 1, 2013 for assets acquired before the date, from January 1, 2000 previously amongst others are expected to further stimulate the market. These new launches are selling between RM1,900 per sq ft and RM2,200 per sq ft on average. Sarkunan Subramaniam, Managing Director of Knight Frank Malaysia, says, “The Kuala Lumpur high-end residential market is believed to have bottomed out mid-last year and this has set the right mood for the segment to make its way back slowly evident by the higher number of launches in the second half of 2019. Furthermore, we observed an increase in foreign buyer interest in Malaysian properties from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, China, Singapore, USA, Australia, UK, Germany and other European countries.”“Moving into 2020, we expect to see more new launches and transactions in ” PROPERTY360DIGEST 15