Rehda Institute’ Regional Housing Conference 2026 to push for housing policy reforms ahead of 10-year national blueprint

PETALING JAYA (July 14): The Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association (Rehda) Institute will bring together policymakers, regulators, industry leaders and international experts at the Regional Housing Conference 2026 later this month to discuss reforms aimed at building a more equitable and sustainable housing ecosystem, as Malaysia prepares its National Housing Policy 3.0 (2026–2035).

Organised in strategic partnership with the Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT), with EdgeProp as media partner, the conference will be held alongside the Asean Real Estate Conference (Arec) on July 29. 

The conference, themed “Housing Impact on Sustainable Urban Development & City Planning”, follows a preview today of Rehda Institute's latest research publication, Housing for All: Co-creating a Needs-Driven Framework, which will be officially launched on July 28. Developed with KPKT's support, the report examines Malaysia's housing policies, demographic trends, stakeholder perspectives and international best practices before proposing a more needs-driven framework for housing delivery.

Review housing quota policies

Among the report's recommendations are regular reviews of housing quota policies to better reflect local market demand, greater transparency in the release of quota units, stronger enforcement of eligibility requirements for price-controlled housing, improved integration of housing data, and a shift towards incentive-based policies that balance social objectives with long-term market sustainability.

Speaking at the report preview, Rehda Institute chairman Datuk Jeffrey Ng Tiong Lip said Malaysia's housing policies have helped expand homeownership over the years, but need to evolve to reflect changing demographics, household structures and income distribution.

He said the country's housing focus is increasingly centred on ensuring homes are delivered in locations, price points and configurations that match actual demand, rather than simply increasing housing supply.

Unsold housing data highlights market mismatch

The report said Malaysia recorded 49,223 completed but unsold residential units worth about RM33.2 billion at the end of 2025, highlighting a structural mismatch between housing supply and effective demand.

Ng also cited more recent figures showing 32,800 completed unsold homes worth RM16.37 billion as at the first quarter of 2026, with nearly 47%, or about 18,400 units priced below RM300,000.

Ng said the figures showed affordability should not be assessed solely by purchase price, adding that location, transport connectivity, household needs and access to financing also influence housing demand.

He also called for greater integration of housing, demographic, income and transport data across government agencies to support evidence-based policymaking, saying better data could help identify supply-demand mismatches earlier and improve planning outcomes. He added that artificial intelligence (AI), integrated data platforms and digital twin technologies could eventually support forecasting of housing demand, project phasing and infrastructure planning, provided reliable and integrated national datasets were available.

AI, TOD, financing reforms

These themes will be explored further at the Regional Housing Conference, where local and international speakers will discuss modernising housing affordability measures, the use of AI and digital technologies in planning, and policy reforms to improve housing delivery.

Conference sessions will also examine joint-venture and value-capture models for delivering affordable housing around public transport nodes, alongside governance frameworks, blended financing mechanisms and regulatory reforms to support transit-linked developments.

Bringing together experts from Malaysia and abroad, the conference will also explore how integrated data platforms and digital twins can help detect supply-demand mismatches earlier, optimise project phasing and support more efficient housing planning. 

Ahead of the conference, Rehda Institute will convene a closed-door Senior Leadership Circle Roundtable involving policymakers, regulators, state government representatives, financial institutions, developers, academics and industry experts to discuss housing affordability, supply-demand planning, data integration and TOD.

KPKT Minister Nga Kor Ming is expected to attend the roundtable together with senior ministry officials. The discussions are intended to generate practical policy recommendations that will inform broader conversations at the conference and contribute to Malaysia's future housing agenda.

(More to come)

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