Investors need to adjust themselves accordingly – Shareda president

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KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Housing and Real Estate Association (Shareda) president Datuk Francis Goh said that investors in property business need to adjust themselves accordingly to the current market conditions.

“Banks are stricter now given the policies of Bank Negara and the global economic sentiments. Developers are also having to cope with the higher costs and thinning margin and the higher compliance costs, coupled with the shrinking ringgit in consuming the imported materials and labours and the lack of liquidity in the market, property investors now need to adjust accordingly,” he said.

Goh gave the statement at the PH Expo held at Sabah Trade Centre on Sunday, in conjunction with the launching ceremony of the new property guide book, “BLT Property Investment.”

Written by renowned property experts in Malaysia – Miicheal Yeoh, Chris Tan and Richard Oon, the book is filled with advice and recommendations to help investors maximize their returns from the perspective of bank, law and tax.

Goh also said that investors should learn to be prudent in cutting wastage from the abundance of the past to “squeezing water out of the stones” of property investment.

“Learning the tricks in getting more leverage from the banks, generating investment options and revenue generation models through law as well as planning an optimum tax structure are all features of a committed property investor,” said Goh, referring to the acronym of BLT which stands for Bank, Law and Tax.

He also reminded the public that property investment in Malaysia has gone from an offensive asset class and maturing to a defensive asset class just like the path of those developed nations as Malaysia is now clearly in the last lap before eventually joining the ranks of the first and the developed nations.

In a related matter, invited speaker Dr Daniele Gambero also emphasized that people should avoid playing the “sit and wait” game when it comes to buying property as now will be the best time, before Malaysia becomes a high-income, fully developed nation.

“Malaysia is not as bad as you think, and I am basing my point of view as a foreigner. Be confident, because this country is still one of the best in Asia,” he said.

“You would think that all of these political things are bad but I have seen worse than what is happening in Malaysia,” he added.

Dr Gambero also launched his book “Malaysian Propenomy” at the PH Expo on Saturday. The book is based on his experience on the property business, focusing his views on the four main questions on property investing – why, what, where and when.

Organised by the publisher of Property Hunter magazine Maxx Media (S) Sdn Bhd, PH Expo is an annual tour designed to create awareness to the public on the latest properties in local and international markets, as well as provide insightful talks and advice on the property market for free.

Over 10,000 people visited the three-day event which started on Friday, a 20 percent increase compared to last year’s PH Expo in Kota Kinabalu.

Radio and TV personality Wong Chui Ling also gave a talk during the expo, sharing her personal experience with property investment in Malaysia, as well as looking for a better “Feng Shui” when it comes to buying a property.