Tag Archives: Malaysia

Top Conveyancing Lawyers in Malaysia: The Definitive Guide

malaysia-conveyancing-lawyers

Malaysia is one of the prime spots when foreigners decide to buy property in Southeast Asia, it’s not strange as it’s probably the most foreign friendly country in the region, when it comes to buying property.

Even if you’re not legally required to hire a property solicitor, also referred to as conveyancing lawyer, it’s highly recommended to assure that the process works smoothly and to avoid unforeseen issues later.

But it’s virtually impossible to find summarized information about conveyancing lawyers in Malaysia, therefore I’ve written this article where I present some of the biggest and most popular firms.

Introductory remark

The firms are listed in a random order.

Kuala Lumpur

Below I’ve listed conveyancing lawyers located in Kuala Lumpur.

1. Azman Davidson & Co

In 1981, in Ipoh, Perak, Azman & Co., and the Ipoh office of Lewis & Co., merged to form Azman, Davidson & Co. Lewis & Co. was named after its original senior partner JMM Lewis. The firm was known for representing the major players in the mining industry. On the other hand, the firm of Azman & Co was named after its founder, Dato’ Syed Azman bin Syed Mohamed.

Right after the merger, the firm opened the branch in Kuala Lumpur. Over time, Azman Davidson & Co in Kuala Lumpur emerged from a one person company to one of the biggest mid-size firm in the country with 40 lawyers and 50 supporting staffs. Most of the partners in the firm are from Southeast Asia.

The current managing partner is HY Chong, who has been with Azman Davidson & Co since 1991. He specializes in real estate, corporate, commercial, and insolvency.

Services offered

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Top Real Estate Agencies in Kuala Lumpur: The Ultimate Guide

kuala-lumpur-real-estate-agencies

Kuala Lumpur is the heart of Malaysia’s economic and business development, the urban landscape features many office skyscrapers and shop-offices that attracts many foreigners to invest here.

There are many real estate agencies located in this modern city, but it’s not that easy to find the information about them, in a summarized way. Therefore, I decided to write this article, listing some of the top real estate agencies in Kuala Lumpur.

Today, you’ll learn the following:

Introduction about the companies
Property types & areas served
Recognition and awards
Projects managed
Address of the offices

Introductory remark

The real estate agencies are listed in a random order.

1. Knight Frank Malaysia

Knight Frank is headquartered in London, UK, with 418 offices across 60 countries, including Malaysia, The company employs more than 15,000 professionals, spanning over five continents. You’ll be able to find many services offered, for example

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Top Real Estate Agencies in Johor Bahru: A Complete Guide

real-estate-agencies-johor-bahru

Johor Bahru becomes increasingly interesting, with much investment planned the coming decade, this rich city will continue to thrive. You probably even know that JB is located with proximity to Singapore, therefore, many people even decide to live in Johor Bahru, while working in Singapore.

Being one of the major hubs in Malaysia, you’ll also find a number of real estate agencies here, catering both locals and foreigners. Therefore, I decided to help you on the way, saving you some time, and writing this article where I list some of the most popular agencies in JB.

Let’s have a look.

Introductory remark

The real estate agencies are listed in a random order.

1. Propmex Realty 优产业

Propmex is one of the biggest real estate agencies in Johor Bahru and was established in 2006. The company has grown much over the years and currently has two office locations.

The company has dozens of persons working for them and they’re able to communicate in both Chinese and English.

Property types

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Top Real Estate Agencies in Penang: The Ultimate Guide

real-estate-agencies-penang

Penang has been ranked as one of the most livable and price worthy places to be in the world. Naturally, a lot of foreigners, like American retirees, Asians, Europeans and Australians decide to relocate here.

If you decide to buy property in Penang, you’ll see that you have a number of agents to choose among. That’s why I decided to make things a bit easier and wrote this article.

Let’s have a look at some of the biggest and most popular agencies in Penang.

Introductory remark

The real estate agencies are listed in a random order. I’ve focused on agencies that have Penang as their prime location of doing business (for example, the location of their head offices).

1. Penang Properties

Penang Properties has been in the real estate industry for years and is one of the biggest real estate agencies in Penang. The company has 25 employees and is currently headed by Jeffrey Yeoh Jin Hau, that has over 25 years of experience in real estate.

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Top Real Estate Agencies in Malaysia: The Ultimate Guide

real-estate-agencies-malaysia

Malaysia is one of the preferred choices when foreigners decide to buy properties in Asia. It’s not strange as it’s probably the most foreign friendly place in the region, when it comes to buying property.

But before you buy, you also need to find a reputable real estate agency who can help you to find a property and closing the deal. There are a number of real estate agencies out there, that’s why I’ve written this article where I list some of the top real estate agencies in Malaysia. Let’s have a look.

Introductory remark

The agencies are listed in a random order.

1. Knight Frank Malaysia

Knight Frank Malaysia is a subsidiary of Knight Frank which is a global real estate agency based in London, UK. Founded in 1896, Knight Frank is one of the oldest real estate agencies in the world with 418 offices in 60 countries including Malaysia. Knight Frank has more than 15,000 employees.

They have four offices in Malaysia. The head office is based in Kuala Lumpur, while three additional offices are located in Kota Kinabalu, Johor, and Penang.

Property types and areas

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Buying Commercial Property in Malaysia: A Complete Guide

buying-commercial-property-malaysia

I’ve already written a complete article about how you can buy residential property in Malaysia as a foreigner.

Buying commercial property is less spoken about, especially in the media, but it can bring you great yields.

The regulations differ a bit from buying residential property, there are also some key considerations you need to understand before buying, for example the importance of location.

In this article, I explain how it works when buying commercial property in Malaysia, one of the most developed countries in Southeast Asia.

Can foreigners buy commercial property in Malaysia?

Malaysia is famous for being one of the most foreign friendly countries when it comes to buying property in Asia.

You have no particular restrictions to buy residential property and commercial property, you only need to deal with some minimum investment requirements, there are also some land types that are reserved for Bumiputera only.

When it comes to commercial property, the minimum investment doesn’t apply to the whole of the country whatsoever, but in places where the buying pressure is slightly higher, like in Kuala Lumpur.

Even if there’s Bumiputera reserved land, you have a number of other land types available.

What kind of commercial property can I buy?

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Buying Property in Sabah: The Basics You Need To Know

buying-property-sabah

Sabah is located on the Eastern shore of Malaysia and one of the biggest states.

Many foreigners haven’t heard about Sabah, nor have they heard about its growing capital, Kota Kinabalu, often referred to as KK. The economy is growing fast in Sabah, especially in the capital, still prices are comparably cheap to many other countries in the region.

With investment pouring in and great growth potentials, you shouldn’t ignore Sabah if you plan to invest in Malaysia. In this article, I explain the basics when investing in Sabah property.

Sabah property market outlook

Sabah has a number of major cities, two of the most renowned are Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan. Even if the province has a population of almost 4 million and a number of other cities, the main focus will be on these two cities in this article.

Kota Kinabalu (the capital city) draws the most attention where property has been cheap in the past, but prices have doubled in a time period of just a couple of years.

Sabah is predicted to do well in the long run, but the property market has cooled off a bit, the price-to-income ratio has simply become too unreasonable and some developers have put projects on hold.

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A Glimpse at Malaysia’s Property Market: By AVID Estates (interview)

u-kian-chong

Malaysia is a great place to invest in property, in fact, it’s also a place where you could actually consider residing long term.

Most people know that KL is the capital and where things “happen”, while Penang is the place where foreign retirees flock in masses.

But I think it would be great to invite a local expert, so he can give his thoughts on the most promising areas in Malaysia.

Therefore, I contacted U Kian Chong.

He’s the CEO of Avid Estates, a boutique real estate agency in Malaysia with a team of almost 30 people, which is focused on high-end properties in Kuala Lumpur.

Let’s see what he has to say.

U Kian, you’re an engineer like myself who decided to engage in the real estate business instead. Can you tell us more about yourself and your current business?

Although I obtained a first class honours degree in Chemical Engineering from the UK, I worked as a commercial engineer upon my graduation and spent about 8 years in the Oil & Gas construction industry in Malaysia.

I was really exposed to the estate agency business by accident and was coaxed by a friend to join. However, due to my love for architecture and interior design, and my natural interest in property investment, it was an easy decision to make.

This was 13 years ago now and I’m still as passionate about real estate and the agency business as I was on Day 1.

How has the Malaysian property market performed recently? Is now the right time to buy, or should people wait?

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Top 10 Property Developers in Malaysia: A Complete Guide

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

If you’re planning to buy property in Malaysia, it’s recommended to invest in properties built by well-known and recognized developers.

Preferably, they should have a number of finished projects under their belt.

Fortunately, you can find many internationally recognized developers to choose from. Most of these are known for having innovative projects, high-end infrastructure and mega housing complexes.

Most them also assist foreign buyers directly, you can often buy from them without involving a real estate agent.

Below I’ve listed some of the top developers in Malaysia.

1. Eco World Development Group Berhad

Eco World Development Group Berhad (EWDG) is a big award winning developer in Malaysia. The head office of the company is situated in Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan.

The company has completed 18 high-end projects till now, including green business parks, high-rise apartment buildings, integrated commercial developments and townships.

Some well-known projects include:

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How to Buy Property in Ipoh: The Definitive Guide

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

Malaysia is one of the top choices when foreigners decide to buy property in Southeast Asia.

It’s not strange as you’ll be able to obtain a 10 year visa, own land and buy property that’s comparably cheap with other countries in the region.

You’ve probably heard of places like Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor Bahru, still, one of the most overlooked cities is Ipoh.

In this article, I explain how you can buy property in one of the most affordable cities in the world.

Ipoh explained

Ipoh is the capital city of the state Perak and located beside Kinta River. The distance from Kuala Lumpur and Georgetown is also short and a mere 2-3 hour drive away (200 km and 160 km respectively).

In fact, Ipoh is located right in between these two cities, putting it in a great position, as it’s closely located to the most popular places in Malaysia.

A lot of transportation also runs through Ipoh, making it into a transportation hub. Both the North-South Expressway road link and the Malayan Railway’s West Coast Line passes through the city.

Interestingly, Ipoh is the 3rd biggest city in Malaysia in terms of population, still, many foreigners haven’t heard of it.

The reason is probably mainly due to that tourists don’t have Ipoh as their first choice, when going to Malaysia. I think you agree when I say that Ipoh is a bit overlooked when looking at the following info:

a. In 2016, International Living Australia rated Ipoh as the friendliest city in Malaysia

b. In 2015, Lonely Planet ranked it as one of the top 10 destinations in Asia

c. In 2014, US media ranked the city as one of the 9 best places to retire

d. In 2014, it was ranked as one of the 9 most affordable cities in the world

Not surprisingly: in recent years, the number of foreigners has increased in Ipoh due to the above mentioned reasons.

buying-property-ipoh

Ipoh property market

Malaysia has a slower economic growth and has faced a drop in GDP per capita the past years.

With a lower purchasing power, the domestic demand for Malaysian property has been affected as well. The state of Perak (where Ipoh is located) has not been an exception.

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