MAREC’18 to focus on tackling challenges in the digital age

PETALING JAYA (Feb 23): More than 300 real estate industry players across Malaysia and overseas are expected to attend the upcoming Malaysian Annual Real Estate Convention 2018 (MAREC’18) on March 2 and 3 at Sime Darby Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur.

Organised by the Malaysian Institute of Estate Agents (MIEA), the annual convention will see real estate practitioners re-examine the way businesses are conducted in the digital age and identify new strategies in order to enhance their relevance, organising chairman Tan Kian Aun told EdgeProp.my.

“The conference will feature experts and prominent figures from different sectors of the industry to share insights and views on issues related to the future of real estate.

“MAREC’18 will be focusing more on the future landscape of the industry and how we can anticipate new challenges that are awaiting us,” said Tan, who is also on the MIEA Board of Directors and an associate director at Hartamas Real Estate Sdn Bhd.

According to him, the theme “Embracing changes with innovation” was chosen for the conference to reflect the challenges faced by the real estate industry brought on by new technology and rapid technological changes.

“The property landscape is rapidly changing and we have no choice but to embrace it. Technology continues to make great strides into the future. The change is so rapid that it will [soon] overtake us without us noticing. Embracing these ever-changing and evolving technology must be part of life.

“Changes happen not only in terms of technology but also in terms of our social lifestyle, our environment, legality issues, economic factors and investor appetite,” he added.

Beyond tackling digital transformation in the industry, MAREC’18 will also cover broader issues such as changes to Act 242, which now includes regulating and registering property managers under the Board of Valuers, Appraisers, Estate Agents and Property Managers (BOVAEP); the future of sustainable developments and buildings; opportunities in tenancy administration; and future hotspots in Malaysia.

Among the main speakers will be the Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association Malaysia president Datuk Seri FD Iskandar Mohamed Mansor who will be talking about “Rethinking and restrategising the housing and property sector — the way forward” and BOVAEP president Nordin Daharom who will touch on “Multi-level marketing in the real estate industry?”

EdgeProp.sg CEO Bernard Tong will also be speaking on the topic of “Leveraging on property data analysis to maximise productivity” on the second day of the event. Tong will share how industry players can harness data to benefit their businesses. 

Other speakers include Exastrata Solutions Sdn Bhd CEO Adzman Ariffin, Hartamas Real Estate group managing director and MIEA president Eric Lim, Institute of Estate Agents Singapore immediate past-president Jeff Foo, and Ho Chin Soon Research Sdn Bhd chairman Ho Chin Soon.

For more details on the convention, go to http://miea.com.my/marec-2018.

This story first appeared in EdgeProp.my pullout on Feb 23, 2018. Download EdgeProp.my pullout here for free.