The Malaysian property market is now proving more popular with buyers from China as opposed to those from Singapore, a recent report has revealed.
Real Capital Analytics has released figures which show that, during the last three years, buyers from mainland China have spent around £1.68 billion on Malaysian property. Meanwhile, investors from Singapore only spent £785 million.
The research, which is based on completed transactions of £8 billion and above, has cited the affordability of Malaysia as the main reason for the influx of Chinese buyers, a belief that Cushman & Wakefield shares.
“The Chinese investor today has a lot more options and has become more comfortable going to Europe and the US, but not everyone has the same options – Malaysia is much more affordable,” explained Sigrid Zialcita, managing director of Asia-Pacific research at Cushman & Wakefield.
“If you compare prices, even between Malaysia and China, you are looking at a significant difference.”
The Malaysian government actively encourages international investment via its Malaysia My Second Home scheme, a programme that allows foreigners to live in the country on a long-stay visa of up to 10 years providing that they have good health and enough funds to invest into the local economy.