Category: The Philippines

Philippines Real Estate Market Outlook 2020: A Complete Overview

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Philippines has become one of the hotspots for foreign property buyers in Southeast Asia. With favorable demographics and an increasing middle class, Metro Manila has undoubtedly seen the biggest interest.

Foreign corporations move to the region, setting up offices and operations in places like Cebu and Davao, where labor costs are low.

In this article, I explain how the Philippine property market has performed in the past years. I’ll also share my predictions on how I believe that the market will perform in 2020.

Keep in mind that foreseeing how a market will perform in the coming years is not the easiest task on hand. If you have any information you would like to share, you can share a comment at the end of the article.

Topics covered in this article:

The Property Market in Previous Years

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Investing in Philippine Commercial Property: A Complete Guide

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The Philippines has emerged as one of the fastest-growing countries in Asia. Foreign investments in its Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) sector is one of the main driver.

Not only Metro Manila grows fast, but there are dozens of cities located outside of the capital and categorized as so-called next-wave-cities and upcoming emerging markets.

If you look for investment opportunities in the Philippines, you have plenty of options. Don’t only look for condo units in Manila.

In this article, we review the following:

  • Can foreigners buy commercial property in the Philippines?
  • The Commercial Property Market in the Philippines
  • Best Cities to Buy Commercial Property in the Philippines
  • Commercial Property Taxes

Can foreigners buy commercial property in the Philippines?

Philippines has reasonable foreign ownership regulations by Southeast Asian standards.

Here, foreigners can buy strata-title units such as condos on a freehold basis. The only thing you need to pay attention to is the foreign ownership quota which is set to 40%.

You can also own the physical structures built upon land, like bungalows and villas.

Buying commercial property, on the other hand, is a completely different undertaking and more regulated. Whether you can get access to commercial property or not depends on if you buy as an individual investor or through a local company. Continue reading Investing in Philippine Commercial Property: A Complete Guide

Top 14 Real Estate Developers in the Philippines

Posted on by Marcus Sohlberg — 3 Comments

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We’ve seen a big increase in prime real estate in the Philippines recently. Many local developers build these projects and target foreign buyers aggressively.

In fact, nowadays developers often hire in-house salespersons to bypass estate agents. They have good connections with banks, property lawyers, and can sometimes even offer help with financing.

That said, it’s important that you get a good knowledge about local property developers beforehand, before buying off-plan. Late completions and quality issues are just a couple of problems you might come across if not doing enough research.

In this article, I’ve listed some of the biggest and most popular property developers in the Philippines.

1. Ayala Land, Inc.

Ayala Land, Inc. is one of the biggest real estate developers in the Philippines, with its headquarter located in the famous business district, Makati.

It’s a real estate division of Ayala Corporation, which is a century-old company, but has operated independently since 1988. So, they have a long history and experience under their belt.

In 2016, it was the second-largest developer in terms of yearly revenue and its net income reached around PHP 21 billion (USD 400 million). That’s a 15% increase compared to 2015.

Property types

Ayala Land is involved in landbank management, build and manage shopping centers, hotels, and resorts.

Maybe most importantly, they also build plenty of residential buildings, focusing on condominiums and housing projects.

Current projects

Continue reading Top 14 Real Estate Developers in the Philippines

Buying Condos in Manila: The Ultimate Guide

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Suggestion: Watch the 5 minutes video tutorial before reading this article

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Philippines is one of the fastest-growing countries in the world and continues to attract foreign investors and companies in vast numbers.

Metro Manila deservedly gets the most attention as it’s the capital, business hub, and accounts for a third of the countries GDP growth. Simply put, most things happen here.

Looking at investment preferences, buying newly built condos is undoubtedly the most common option among foreigners. Yields can be exceptionally high at the same time as the buying process is simpler and involves less paperwork.

Still, it’s important that you learn about the property market, the most promising areas, and what prices you can expect to pay when buying condos in Manila beforehand.

In this article, you’ll learn about the following:

Continue reading Buying Condos in Manila: The Ultimate Guide

Condos for Sale in Manila: 10 Interesting New Projects

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Philippines is one of the fastest-growing countries in Asia, attracting foreigners in vast numbers. It’s not strange as the living costs are low, the quality of life is great, and you have a number of long-term visa options.

In this article, you’ll learn about some of the most interesting new condo projects for sale in Manila. We cover places like Makati, Taguig, Bonifacio Global City, Quezon City, and Pasig City.

The article is updated on a continuous basis, giving you the latest news about interesting investment opportunities.

Viewing the projects and surrounding areas in Google Maps (Street View)

To check the projects and surrounding areas in Google Maps Street View, simply zoom in the area of the marker and pull the orange-colored Pegman to the marker, or nearby areas. You can track the marker/project in Street View as well.

To go back to Google Maps, press the arrow in the top left corner.

Latest Update: 2020-01-16

Continue reading Condos for Sale in Manila: 10 Interesting New Projects

How to Buy Property in the Philippines: A Complete Guide

Posted on by Marcus Sohlberg — 11 Comments

Suggestion: Watch the 5 minutes video tutorial before reading this article

Do you plan to buy property in The Philippines?
Click here to get in touch with an experienced agent

Philippines has become a preferred destination when foreign investors buy real estate in Asia. It’s not strange as it has low living costs, cheap real estate, many long-term visas, and a quickly growing economy with preferable demographics.

Still, investing in real estate in a developing country like the Philippines always bring some risks. You must have a good knowledge of local regulations beforehand.

In this article, you’ll learn about foreign property ownership regulations, property taxes, visa options, and which places that should be of interest when you buy real estate in the Philippines.

Can foreigners buy property in the Philippines?

Philippines is similar to other Southeast Asian countries in terms of foreign property ownership. Here, individuals can buy and legally own condominiums and houses, but not the land that these structures are built on. Simple as that.

Continue reading How to Buy Property in the Philippines: A Complete Guide

The 3 Best Places to Live & Buy Real Estate in the Philippines

Posted on by Marcus Sohlberg — 2 Comments

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The Philippines is big in terms of population. Still, there are not as many options available when buying property, compared to Thailand or Malaysia, for example.

Investors tend to go to the capital Manila, while other foreigners look for more relaxing places, located more towards the South. You’ll notice that the real estate market and prices differ much between different areas.

If you plan to buy property in the Philippines, but not sure where, this article is a must read, where I list the 3 best places to buy property.

1. Metro Manila

manila-property

Continue reading The 3 Best Places to Live & Buy Real Estate in the Philippines

A Foreigner’s Guide to Property Loans & Financing in the Philippines

Posted on by Marcus Sohlberg — 4 Comments

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Philippines is a one of the favorite spots among foreign retirees and investors who wish to buy property in Southeast Asia. It’s one of the fastest growing countries with a young population, we’ve seen many foreign corporations move in over the years.

When many investors look for property, they also want to know what financing options they have. Even if some are able to afford to buy property with cash, it can be a better option to leverage some of the money by applying for a loan.

In this guide, I explain what it takes to get a property loan in the Philippines as a foreigner.

Can foreigners get property loans in the Philippines?

It was virtually impossible for foreigners to get property loans in the Philippines previously. Similar stories have heard of in other developing countries like Vietnam and Cambodia, just to mention a few.

With an economy that’s growing with 7% yearly, and a property market that’s hot among foreign investors, banks have become a bit more relaxed and you have a handful of options to choose among in the Philippines. Unfortunately, many of the banks require that you have a visa status, where a tourist visa is not accepted.

Common visas (or residential status) accepted when applying for loans often include:

Continue reading A Foreigner’s Guide to Property Loans & Financing in the Philippines

Top Property Management Companies in the Philippines: A Complete Guide

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Philippines is becoming an increasingly popular investment destination for foreigners. Along with this, we see a greater demand for property management services.

Places like Manila and Cebu have plenty of property management companies, but you rarely find summarized information about them.

In this article, I list some of the biggest and most popular property management companies in the Philippines.

Manila property management companies

Below you can find property management companies located in Manila.

The Lead Realty Co.

Notice: Even if we only select reputable agencies, this is a sponsored listing

The Lead Realty Co., founded in 2017, may be fresh to the market but is already among the strongest and most credible companies in the field.

Just a year after it was established, it was awarded as the Top 1 Broker and Top 5 brokerage firm by Megaworld Infinite. And within two years, it has garnered both local and international awards.

The Lead Realty Co. caters both local and international markets of mid to ultra-high-end properties. Its office is conveniently located at the posh business district of Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

Company Awards

  • Top 1 Broker (2017) by Megaworld Infinite
  • Top 5 Brokerage Firm (2018) by Megaworld Infinite
  • Best Premier Realty and Property Consultancy Firm (2019) by Global Awards for Marketing and Business Excellence

International Awards

  • Bronze for Best in Ecommerce Brands Home and Living category (2019)
  • Bronze for Best Ecommerce Marketplace (2019)
  • Silver for Best in Ecommerce Classified P2P Award (2019)

Individual Awards

  • Michael Kingsu (COO): 9 Years in real estate industry, Top 10 Megaworld Agent (2010), Top 1 Megaworld Agent (2011), Top 4 Megaworld Agent (2012)
  • Iris Mae Meana (CEO): 12 years in real estate industry, Top 8 Megaworld Agent (2011), Top 1 Broker (2017), Top 5 Broker (2018)

Property Types

  • Residential lots, houses and lots, condominiums
  • Commercial spaces/retail properties
  • Warehouses, industrial lots
  • Office spaces
  • Farm lots
  • Buildings
  • Condotels, hotels

Services

  • Buying, selling, and leasing
  • Property management, assessment and appraisal
  • Property loan assistance
  • Notarization of document
  • Processing of title and transfer
  • Home/ office cleaning services
  • Interior design and construction
  • Property- and life Insurance
  • Airbnb, co-working space and staff house
  • Other real estate services

Special Services

  • Free consultation before, during, and after-sale
  • Free project briefing/ viewing/ ocular

Office Address

905, One Park Drive, 9th Avenue corner 11th drive, Bonifacio Global Center (BGC), Taguig City, Philippines

CBRE

CBRE is expanding its Property Management solutions in the Philippines, continuing to leverage global best practices, platform, real-time data, and integrated digital solutions to improve building operational performance and increase the asset’s value.

CBRE is the world’s leading commercial real estate services company providing solutions to property owners, investors and occupiers. The company is ranked 146th on the Fortune 500 and has been included in the Fortune 500 in every year since 2008.

The company serves more than 90 of the top 100 companies on the Fortune 100.

Property Types

  • Buildings
  • Office spaces
  • Commercial spaces/retail properties
  • Warehouses, industrial lots
  • Hotels

Services offered

  • Property audit and Advisory services
  • Accounting services
  • Security and Insurance Services
  • Maintenance, Technical, and Technology services
  • Pricing and Purchase management
  • Sustainability consultancy

Office address

15th Floor M1 Tower Bldg,
141 H.V. Dela Costa,
Salcedo Village,
Makati, 1227 Metro Manila,
Philippines

Santos Knight Frank

Santos Knight Frank was founded by Rick Santos in 1994 as a full-service real estate agency. In 2017, the firm formed a partnership with one of the oldest and largest real estate companies, Knight Frank.

After, the new company was re-branded as Santos Knight Frank. At the moment, Knight Frank has more than 400 offices in more than 60 countries. Santos Knight Frank, on the other hand, has more than 1,200 employees and was recently recognized as the Philippines’ best real estate agency at the Asia Pacific Property Award.

Services offered

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Top Conveyancing Lawyers in the Philippines: A Complete Guide

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There are a number of conveyancing lawyers who operate in the Philippines, I bet they are (and will be) busy in the coming years, as the Philippines continue to be a sought after place for foreign buyers.

But there are many pitfalls you can stumble upon, hiring a local conveyancing lawyer should one of your top priorities. You rarely find summarized information about the top conveyancing lawyers, therefore I decided to write this article where I list some of the most popular firms.

Let’s take a look.

Introductory remark

The firms are listed in a random order.

1. Picazo Buyco Tan Fider & Santos

Picazo Buyco Tan Fider & Santos is a full service law firm based in Manila. The law firm was founded 25 years ago, and considered as one of the most well established law firms in Manila.

The team at Picazo Buyco Tan Fider & Santos consists of dozens of partners (31), special counsels, senior associates, and junior associates. In total, they have more than 50 lawyers.

The partners at Picazo Buyco Tan Fider & Santos are senior bar members, with co-founder Mr. Antonio A. Picazo also a member of Philippines bar since 1964. He also co-founded other law firms like Cayetano Bautista and Reyes in 1983 and worked as General Counsel at Union Bank of Philippines.

The company provide legal services to mostly corporate clients, as many financial institutions, large banks, real estate developers, and many other multinational companies are on their client list.

Services offered

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