Photo shows participants and visitors at Sheda Property Expo 2016. Developers and property players at the just concluded Sheda Property Expo 2016 viewed it as a great platform for various players and the general public to convene and know more about the current property market.
KUCHING: Developers and property players participating in the just concluded Sarawak Housing and Real Developers Association (Sheda) Property Expo 2016 generally commended the establishment of the expo.
They viewed it as a great platform for various players and the general public to convene and know more about the current property market.
Organised at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK), the annual Sheda Property Expo was held throughout the weekend and it saw throngs of interested home buyers, investors and more, visiting the expo to survey or book their next dream property.
“The overall global economic market is slow now, but there is definitely still a demand for property especially here in Sarawak. And based on news reports, Malaysia’s economic performance is also improving.
“This expo is very positive for the property market and I believe that Sheda did a great job at gathering property buyers and sellers through this expo,” Jak Kwang Builders & Development Sdn Bhd’s sales and marketing manager John Kasoon Sia told The Borneo Post.
He further noted that while there is a slowdown in the global economic market, it is also a good time to invest or buy in the property market as the interest rate is currently still low, and developers and property sellers are offering promotions to entice the market.
“I believe Sheda should do more of this expo,” he added.
“This Sheda Property Expo is very good. It is a good platform for developers to promote their properties.
“It also allows the public to find out what projects are coming up and what is available for them. It helps the public know the current property prices in Sarawak and it widens their options,” said Borneo Development Corporation (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd’s assistant manager Annuar Firdaus Ong.
On the current property market, he commented, “With the current global economic situation and the banks’ stricter approvals for loans, the property market is slowing down but the demand is still there, just that the demand now is slightly slower than before.
“But I believe that after a while, the demand will recover.”
Aside from that, a sales representative of a major developer here also viewed that despite the slowdown in the property market, there is an increase of demand for landed residential properties from home buyers.
She noted that there is a growing number of home buyers, especially here in Sarawak, as they view it as a better investment in the long run.
Meanwhile, on their hopes for next year’s convention, Sia hopes that Sheda would do more of this property expo as it is the largest property expo in Sarawak.
He also hoped that there would be more exposure for the Sheda Property Expo through online medias.
Annuar hoped that more activities would be held to attract more people to the expo.
A few participants have also hoped that more financial institutions or government agencies would participate in the expo as there are several interested home buyers and investors looking for financial consultations specifically property purchases or investments.
The Sheda Property Expo is the largest real estate one-top event in Sarawak and this year’s expo was organised by Sheda, with the support from the Housing and Urbanisation and Urbanisation Ministry and Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB).
Held annually since 1998, the expo was established by Sheda as a proactive way to stimulate the recovery of the property industry during challenging economic times, as well as to give developers and purchasers a chance to gain leverage before the economy rebounded.