Malaysian property developers to showcase products abroad

The profile of Malaysian properties in the overseas property market will be further raised this year, as local property developers begin showcasing their products in a series of exhibitions abroad.

Henry Butcher Malaysia (Penang) Sdn Bhd is spearheading an investment delegation to the UK in April, which will see the participation of 10 Malaysian developers.

The property consultant will be collaborating with Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and Kuala Lumpur-based The Expat Group.

"We are targeting affluent individuals and private equities in the UK," the company's chief executive officer Dr Teoh Poh Huat said after a half-day seminar on "Branding Malaysia as a Destination For Property Investment and As a Second Home" in Penang yesterday.

Teoh said the property mission from April 25 to 27 will be part of the "A Place In The Sun" property exhibition in London.

"A Place in the Sun" is a British daytime lifestyle programme about buying property abroad. It most often focuses on places in southern Europe, but in recent years has also featured a number of places in other areas of the world.

Spin-offs from the programme have included a magazine, which is now the most popular magazine advising on buying overseas property, and a live exhibition in London, also called "A Place in the Sun Live".

Teoh said apart from the UK, Henry Butcher is also eyeing markets like Germany, Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore to promote Malaysian properties.

"Our efforts in showcasing Malaysian properties in Indonesia last year had already seen about 40 buyers from Sumatera snap up RM10 million worth of Penang properties," he said.

Last year, MAS' holiday marketing arm Golden Holidays teamed up with Henry Butcher in Penang to launch the "Property Investment and 2nd Home" (PI2H) programme, which was aimed at drawing more tourists to Penang.

The programme, which is designed to lure more foreigners to invest in Penang properties is targeted to bring in 7,500 foreigners to Penang per year.

"We expect to double this figure within four to five years and eventually register an estimated 25,000 foreigners per year to Malaysia under this programme," MAS area manager (northern region) Wan Mohd Ebrahim Wan Hasnan said.

By New Straits Times (by Marina Emmanuel)