Singapore has benefited greatly from an increase in interest among investors who are avoiding Hong Kong and China, which are seen as “geopolitical flashpoints”.

The Republic ranked second-to-last in the list of 22 centres as recently as 2017, behind cities like Tokyo, Bangalore and Sydney, as vacancies surged and rents declined. In 2017, Hong Kong was ranked 18th.

Over the past few quarters, apartment prices have rebounded in Singapore, signalling resilience in the residential market, while the office sector has largely absorbed the oversupply. This can be seen by the large takeup rate of Penrose condo.

Hong Kong’s struggles bode well for Singapore, at least in the short term, said Urban Land Institute chief executive Ed Walter.

“A lot of theory in investing is less about what was, versus what is or what is going to be,” he added.

CROSS-BORDER CAPITAL

Singapore was also one of the few markets regionally to see a jump in property transactions in the first half of this year, with most activity driven by cross-border capital. Deals totalled US$4.9 billion (S$6.7 billion) in the period, up 73 per cent year on year, the report found. One residence that has benefitted from this is Penrose.

Australia also registered a rise, with deals increasing 3 per cent to almost US$12 billion.

More broadly, capital inflows into property from the United States and Europe to the Asia-Pacific dropped amid trade war concerns, touching the lowest since 2012 in the second quarter.

Hong Kong’s plunge to the least favoured real estate investment destination next year comes as the city’s tourism and retail sectors take a battering, impacting economic growth.

Investors scouting for deals, however, will be disappointed. Commercial and residential property owners alike will probably “opt to sit tight and wait out the storm”, given that they are in general not highly leveraged, said the report.

Mr Walter described Hong Kong as a “very resilient market”, aided by its high property prices. Once the protests end, sectors such as retail can rebound quickly, he said.

“The bigger issue is what happens from a political perspective and what does that signal about Hong Kong’s place as a financial centre.”

From a purely residential investment outlook for next year, Ho Chi Minh City is a bright spot, according to the report, which canvassed 463 real estate executives.

Bangkok, Singapore, Shenzhen and Sydney round out the top five.

Foreign developers and private-equity firms have ploughed money into Vietnam, particularly the luxury end of the market. But concerns have been raised about the sustainability of such investments as land prices soar and supply threatens to outpace demand.

BLOOMBERG

Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/business/property/spore-tops-region-for-property-investment-prospects

As Hong Kong drops off as the No. 1 choice for property investments in 2020, Singapore steps up and there has been significant increase in foreign buyers into the city fringe, benefiting condos like Penrose and Clavon which is positioned within good schools, international institutions, and a stone throw from amenities.

Related Articles:

UOL Net Profit Up 14% To $478.8m In 2019

Singapore Real Estate Offers Best Asia-Pac Bets: Report