Real Estate

Direct investment in Thailand’s hotel sector reached THB10.7 billion in the first half of 2017, according to JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group.

This figure is attributed to four major transactions, comprising five hotels in Bangkok and Pattaya.

“As a comparison, 2016’s full-year investment volume was only THB 9.6 billion,” says Mike Batchelor, Head of Investment Sales Asia, JLL Hotels and Hospitality Group.

“The robust investment activity recorded in the first half reflects investors’ continued appetite for hospitality assets in Thailand and confidence in the long-term outlook for the country’s tourism industry.”

“Buyers comprised of both domestic and regional investors, with the latest hotel acquisitions being made by Carlton Hotel Group and Hotel 81, both from Singapore. This reaffirms Thailand’s position as one of the region’s most attractive hotel investment destinations,” adds Mr. Batchelor.

In June, JLL facilitated Hotel 81’s acqui…

The self storage industry has a brief history in Asia compared with that in the more mature markets in Australia, Europe and North America, but evolution is following to this part of the world as the notion of storing personal belongings elsewhere catches on.

Self storage also provides a flexible alternative for businesses that do not want to sign long- term leases and prefer to rent an appropriately sized space from a service provider, instead of a large warehouse where much of the space may go unused.

Outside of Australia, the industry is most established in densely populated regional cities such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo.

However, the concept is also catching on in China and Taiwan, and in very early development stage in India and parts of Southeast Asia.

Self storage markets in Asia Pacific are quite diverse and facilities on offer may vary substantially from one market to the next.

In the broadest classification, facilities ar…

A youthful population. The highest regional economic growth in the world. A technologically savvy population that is rapidly modernising. All these are characteristics of Southeast Asia – making it an ideal test bed for concepts in real estate.

JLL recently launched its Future of Work model, a framework for looking at the future of the workplace and its impact on real estate.

The model includes factors that property occupiers – and investors – should consider when creating workplaces or physical environments.

Ideally, these should be workplaces and environments that support individuals achieving their ambitions in an ever-changing, uncertain operating environment, and can be applied across asset classes.

Our recent report, ‘New Urban Models in a Youthful Southeast Asia’ showcases new urban concepts that demonstrate the Future of Work in practice.

They provide inspiration for both occupiers, developers and investors about what is really pos…

Singapore capital group Trillion Global Pte. Ltd. invests over 1.6 billion baht in Singha Estate Condominium Projects, signaling high confidence in Thailand’s property industry

In one of the latest developments that underlines foreign investors’ great confidence in Thailand’s property industry, Singapore company Trillion Global has invested more than 1.6 billion baht in 2 of Singha Estate PCL’s condominium projects: The ESSE Asoke and The ESSE at SINGHA COMPLEX.

Singapore’s leading real estate investment company Trillion Global, which has investment portfolios in many countries around the world, primarily in Asia and Europe, has given its stamp of approval to the property market in Thailand with continuing investments worth a combined 1.66 billion baht in condominium projects developed by Singha Estate.

Mr. William Loke, Managing Director of Trillion Global said, “Thailand has the potential to become a regional hub for ASEAN investment while…

On Wednesday June 14 the U.S. Federal Reserve boosted its key short-term interest rate by 25 basis points to between 1.00% and 1.25%.

The move, which marked the third hike since December last year, had been widely anticipated and is therefore not expected to have a significant impact on Asia Pacific.

CBRE Research retains its view that Hong Kong and Singapore remain most exposed to higher interest rates and are highly likely to experience further increases over the remainder of the year.

While other Asia Pacific markets are not expected to follow the U.S. in raising rates in the short term, they remain mindful of potential capital outflows as investors search for higher yields.

Bank lending for property in Asia Pacific remains tight in spite of the lack of movement in interest rates. While CBRE Research sees little immediate pressure for yield expansion on commercial property, the yield spread over the lending rate is expected to shrink over the…

With China’s residential market going into a centrally-ordered deep freeze, there are signs that Singapore may be an unexpected beneficiary, as news headlines this week carry stories of rebound in developer stocks and growing demand for housing sites.

Also in the news, a mainland developer wins with a suburban Sydney project, and there’s much more if you just keep reading.

Property Stocks Lead Singapore Market in 2017

Singapore property stocks are set for their best annual performance in five years, and strategists believe the rally is far from over.

With an expected pickup in real estate following the easing of housing curbs, developers are expected to be the bright spot in Singapore equities as gains in the city-state’s stocks may be limited for the rest of the year.

Singapore property stocks are set for their best annual performance in five years

Property stocks including City Developments Ltd. and UOL Group Ltd. are already driving gains in…

Five of the 10 costliest places in the world for expatriates are in Asia-Pacific, a new survey from Mercer showed, and Bangkok (67) jumped seven places from last year.

With its dollar-pegged economy, Hong Kong remains the most expensive city in the region for workers abroad, second worldwide, according to the 23rd Cost of Living Survey by the health, wealth and career consultancy.

Five of the top 10 cities in this year’s ranking are in Asia.

Hong Kong (2) is the most expensive city as a result of its currency pegged to the US dollar, which drove up the cost of accommodations locally. This global financial center is followed by Tokyo (3), Singapore (5), Seoul (6), and Shanghai (8).

“The strengthening of the Japanese yen along with the high costs of expatriate consumer goods and a dynamic housing market pushed Japanese cities up in the ranking,” said Ms. Constantin-Métral.

“However, the majority of Chinese cities fell in the ranking due to the weak…

On four man-made Malaysian islands, Chinese developer Country Garden is building a huge new city. In one of the ads, the company bills it as “a dream paradise for all mankind.” (more…)