Category: The Philippines

Top 5 Countries With Asia’s Highest Yields

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Buying property overseas needs thorough consideration and planning. The rental yield is one of the most important aspects of many investors. Future outlook, capital appreciations, living standards, and personal preferences are important to others.

A frequently asked question is in which countries foreign buyers can find the highest rental yields in Asia. I’ve done some vast research but found little information, most websites pointing to one source.

Therefore, I decided to write about this topic myself. In this article, I list the countries with the highest rental yields in Asia.

Introductory remark

I’ve intentionally excluded Cambodia from this article, as I couldn’t find sufficient data and sources.

CBRE Cambodia claims that residential rental yields ‘can’ reach between 5-7% in Phnom Penh, a general number which makes it hard to compare.

Continue reading Top 5 Countries With Asia’s Highest Yields

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

Continue reading Top Property Management Companies in the Philippines: A Complete Guide

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

Continue reading Top Conveyancing Lawyers in the Philippines: A Complete Guide

Top Real Estate Agencies in the Philippines: A Complete Guide

Posted on by Marcus Sohlberg — 16 Comments

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

Philippines is one of the most popular investment destinations in Asia at the moment. Here, many foreigners mainly buy property in Manila, thanks to its rapidly growing economy and quickly developing infrastructure.

Fortunately, you’ll be able to find plenty of international franchised agents, as well as local agents, who help foreigners to buy real estate on a daily basis.

Yet, it’s not easy to find summarized information about the top agents and what properties and services they offer.

Therefore, I’ve written this article where I present some of the most popular real estate agencies in the Philippines. Let’s have a look.

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

KMC Savills, Inc. (KMC MAG Group)

KMC MAG Group was founded in 2009 and an associate of one of the biggest real estate agencies in the world, Savills. Continue reading Top Real Estate Agencies in the Philippines: A Complete Guide

Buying Property in Davao: The Definitive Guide

Posted on by Marcus Sohlberg — Leave a comment

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The Philippines is on the rise and one of the fastest growing countries in Southeast Asia.

You’ve probably heard of Manila and Cebu, but there a number of other cities in the Philippines that grow even faster, where the real estate markets are pointing upwards.

A few people have heard about Davao, one of the biggest cities in the Philippines, where more and more investors and developers look for opportunities, maximizing yields and profits.

In this article, I explain the crucial information you need to know when buying property in Davao.

Davao real estate market

With an economic growth that’s been stretched to almost double digits, Davao is one of the fastest growing places in the Philippines, naturally, this has affected the property market positively.

Yes: the country’s economy is one of the regions fastest growing. And with much investment in infrastructure, the entry of foreign companies and a focus shifting from the capital Manila, smaller places like Davao, Iloilo and Bacolod will reap their gains.

Continue reading Buying Property in Davao: The Definitive Guide

How to Buy Property in Palawan: By Jonabe V. Daquer

Posted on by Marcus Sohlberg — 6 Comments

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

Palawan is one of the most beautiful islands in the world, located in the Western parts of the Philippines.

As many retirees, especially from the US, decide to go to the Philippines, Palawan is definitely a point of interest.

Here, you’ll not only have the option to buy a house, condo or land, but also parts of islands (sounds amazing, right).

Today, I have Jonabe V. Daquer with me, the founder of Palawan Real Property, to explain the details you need to know before buying property in Palawan.

It’s one of the biggest real estate agencies in Palawan that helps both locals and foreigners.

Jonabe, can you tell us about yourself and your current business in Palawan?

Yes, I’m Jonabe V. Daquer, 32 years old, a licensed real estate broker and founder of Palawan Real Property. I was born and raised here in Palawan and I lived here my entire life. I’m in love in this place because it’s a paradise!

I started the business with my brother, Jeb and my common law husband, Voltaire. We built this Real Estate Agency to help clients get the property they need, reduce hassle, making the purchase headache free.

My mother is the one who thought me the real estate industry and she is part of the team as a consultant for property documentation. At the time we started, basically no one had an office to help clients not only to buy properties, but sellers who wanted to sell their property.

So, that’s how Palawan Real Property was born.

Continue reading How to Buy Property in Palawan: By Jonabe V. Daquer

Buying a Condo in Cebu: A How To Guide

Posted on by Marcus Sohlberg — 2 Comments

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

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If you ever plan to visit the Philippines, you’ll probably see that Manila, Palawan (El Nido), Cebu and Boracay are the most popular areas.

The 1st choice for many foreigners is Cebu.

Compared to Manila, Cebu has 167 islands located in the region, making it a great place for scuba diving, golf and other activities.

There are also many direct flights from countries like Korea and China.

Many cities in Cebu are urbanized, developed and caters locals and foreigners who are engaged in commercial trade and other businesses.

It’s “cleaner” and more relaxed, suitable for families, retirees and people who want to be close to the golf courses.

Not to neglect, Cebu has the biggest harbor after Manila and many travelers need to make a transit here, before continuing to any of the beautiful islands in the region.

Thanks to this, Cebu offers a great amount of condos to foreign buyers.

Continue reading Buying a Condo in Cebu: A How To Guide