MRT interchange stations give greater boost to property values, says Ho

KUALA LUMPUR: Immediate areas surrounding the interchanges between the upcoming mass rapid transit (MRT) stations are poised for better growth compared with other transit stations, said cartographer Ho Chin Soon.

According to Ho, there were three sites tipped as the MRT-to-MRT intersections.

He said an area in Bangsar, downhill from Bangsar Shopping Centre was tipped as one such MRT-to-MRT station.

Another area tipped for the interchange is the carpark of HELP University at Pusat Bandar Damansara, he added.

"The MRT Circle line must also intersect with the Sungai Buloh-Kajang MRT line," said the director of Ho Chin Soon Research Sdn Bhd.

The last interchange would be at the proposed Kuala Lumpur International Financial District (KLFID), he added.

Ho also said residential property investors could still enjoy good rents from their properties which are close enough to suffer the inconveniences of the MRT such as noise without being within walking distance from the stations.

These properties would still be sought-after by students and foreign workers who would appreciate the relative convenience afforded by the location, he opined.

"They won't mind the sound, it will be like a wake-up call for them," he quipped.

Ho was speakingduring his presentation titled 'MRT: Real estate hotspots' at The Edge Investment Forum on Real Estate 2011 on Saturday, April 9 at the Sime Darby Convention Centre.

Themed 'Buy, Sell or Hold?', the forum featured six speakers who covered the residential and commercial property markets, the MRT's effects on the market and the build-then-sell model of development.

The forum is into its fifth year and continues to be well-received, attracting a crowd of well over 500. It is organised for The Edge readers and presented by UOB Malaysia with the support of S P Setia Bhd.

For the full coverage of The Edge Investment Forum on Real Estate 2011, read the April 18 issue of City & Country, the property pullout of The Edge Malaysia.