The 2016 Sony World Photography Awards has shortlisted the submissions for its competition, which include some stunning architectural photography..

Real estate agency heads said Malaysia’s current political uncertainty remains among the biggest challenges to the real estate industry.

While changing the perception of auction properties as forced sales by banks is a daunting task, agents with the right skills can also sell non-distressed assets through auction and even encourage buyers to raise their bids in the process, said experienced auctioneer Lim Boon Ping of Kim Realty.

Despite concerns about oversupply of retail space in urban areas -- with many shopping mall projects nearing completion -- retail consultant Tan Joon Kai sees great prospect for suburban shopping malls in maturing neighbourhoods in the Klang Valley.

According to CBRE, Asian outbound real estate investment reached another record high in 2015, reaching US$62.4 billion (about RM254 billion) -- a 37% increase from 2014.

FJP Marketing Sdn Bhd managing director Dr Frank J Peter noted that 92% of property buyers will research their preferred location or property types through Internet search engines for more information before they go to real estate agents.

Iconsiam Superlux Residence Corp Ltd (Iconsiam Superlux) unveiled the first Mandarin Oriental branded residence in Bangkok – a 52-storey tower that sits on 1.9 acres of freehold land and is part of the 20-acre RM5.89 billion Iconsiam integrated development.

Despite developers scaling back on new property launches, the number of new bungalows and garden villa units launched in 2H2015 have jumped to 312 from 24 units in 1H2015, according to the Real Estate Housing Developers Association of Malaysia (Rehda) Property Industry Survey 2H2015.

Close to a third of 159 respondents to the Real Estate Housing Developers Association (Rehda) Property Industry Survey 2H2015 agree that the main issue with affordable housing is the increased overall cost of doing business.

‘Gen-Y are more open-minded and willing to embrace change, while the Gen-X are more steady.’