BUTTERWORTH (Nov 3): The construction industry in Malaysia must find a new approach to reduce dependency on foreign workers following the economic growth in their countries of origin.

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 3): Conglomerate Sime Darby Bhd and Sunway Group's property division are likely to jointly develop townships in Iskandar Malaysia in Johor, industry sources said on Thursday.

The source said the government was allocating land for the joint development and that the companies were buying the concession land at a good rate.

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 3): A low and medium-cost housing project on Bukit Antarabangsa here, which stalled during a landslide in 2006, will be fully completed in February next year.

For the buyers, they will finally be able to move to new homes after an eight-year wait.

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 3): Iskandar Investment Bhd, the catalytic project developer of Iskandar Malaysia, has secured a RM1.8 billion real estate investment from China-based company Qingdao Zhouyuan Investment Holdings.

SINGAPORE (Nov 3): Singapore's Second Chance Properties Ltd , which started out as a retailer of traditional Malay clothes and gold jewellery, has set its sights on real estate to fuel its next phase of growth.

LONDON (Nov 3): Nearly two-thirds of securitised European property loans maturing in 2012 may fail to repay, potentially sparking more refinancings, restructurings and special servicing situations, Standard & Poor's said.

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 2):  Asia-Pacific rated real estate investment trusts (REITs) and real estate operating companies are well prepared to face higher volatility in global conditions, says Standard & Poor's Ratings Services (S&P).

CHANGSHA (Nov 2): Just last year, the government's land auction centre in this sprawling city buzzed with activity, with investors fighting to buy plots in the town center and pushing prices to record highs.

Now, the centre is eerily quiet, as moves by the national government to rein in the country's once-roaring property market have taken hold.

LONDON (Nov 2): European property deals in 2011 will likely near €140 billion (RM601.41 billion) in total value, the highest since 2008, driven up by a string of big-ticket shopping centre deals against a bleak economic backcloth, research showed.

HONG KONG (Nov 2): A land auction for a major new development in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou was abruptly cancelled by the Chinese authorities, as developers feel the squeeze from tight financing and continuing property sector curbs.