Swee Yong - Real estate realities : accommodating the investment needs of today’s society

In an increasingly crowded environment, where an overload of data and computer programmes are attempting to displace human intuition and analysis, this book reminds us that data is only helpful when used properly, and that intuition and a good understanding of real estate issues from walking the ground and smelling the earth are still important parts of real estate investment.

TAN KOK KEONG
CEO, REMS Advisors Pte Ltd

Having worked with the author, his passion for real estate is evident. He does both his homework and legwork. He is a competent practitioner and yet remains an enthusiastic student of the subject, consistently exploring opportunities and offering insight with a multi-dimensional approach that goes beyond the bricks-and-mortar of the subject matter.

TAN LI FONG
Banker and ex-colleague

Given the current world situation, the word globalisation not only applies to the global economy but also to the world of real estate. Interest in properties in Asia will always see global appeal and demand and Real Estate Realities is that ideal textbook for professionals and investors alike. I have been looking forward to Swee Yongs new book for a long time and am really happy to have read this third book.

MAKOTO KOJIMA
Director, HN CAPITAL Pte Ltd

From rich data applied with rigorous analysis and synthesised with insightful connectivity to practical information from ground experience, this book is the go-to reference for an understanding of the local and international real estate scene. A must read to help you on your journey to leverage real estate as part of your wealth accumulation portfolio.

WOON LAI HAR
Investor and ex-finance director

One of the many challenges in real estate investing is selecting the right tools and information for investment. Swee Yong enlightens us on the fundamental errors, assumptions and interpretations that occur in reports made by educated individuals, therefore making us aware of how we interpret what we read. He opens our mind to consider changing public policies and cooling measures, and breaks down to what statistics really mean. Real Estate Realities I believe this book has achieved its goal.

RALPH NUNIS
CEO of property development firm Sunfire Asset Pty Ltd
(Perth, Western Australia)

Swee Yong views the property market often in interesting ways few others ever contemplate. His views are based on research, backed by facts, logic and reason. He is not afraid to ask the right questions. The book provides examples of his honest thoughts, with added practical considerations for the reader to better appreciate the market.

ALVIN MAH
Chief investment officer in a real estate investment fund

There are many books on property investment some guarantee you success, others promise to make you a millionaire, and most are hot air blowing in the sky. Swee Yongs book would put you on the solid ground of hard facts and fundamental data. His pragmatic approach and critical analysis of the current issues would give investors better insight into the upcoming developments of the property market. Anyone who is serious about property investment should take note of the findings; you may not agree to all the points but it helps to set the framework, a sound base approach, to investing in properties.

LUKE KAI MAN NG
Executive Director, 21 Holdings Limited;
CEO, Century 21 Hong Kong and Macau;
Owner and Director, Century 21 Singapore

Swee Yongs previous books are an insightful read both for casual readers as well as investors in the Singapore property market. This book continues the trend.

UMA SHANKARI
Ex-property journalist, The Business Times

2014 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited

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National Library Board Singapore Cataloguing in Publication Data

Ku, Swee Yong, author.

Real estate realities : accommodating the investment needs of todays society / Ku Swee Yong. Singapore : Marshall Cavendish Business, [2014]

pages cm

ISBN : 978-981-4516-39-6
eISBN : 978 981 4634 89 2

1. Real estate investment Singapore. 2. Aging Economic aspects Singapore. I. Title.

HD890.67.Z63

Printed in Singapore by Fabulous Printers Pte Ltd

To architects, builders and developers
who design and build buildings that last
for generations and centuries.

A senior gentleman recently asked for my opinion on the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) Master Plan 2014. We discussed the aging population and I suggested we offer first-line healthcare to our senior citizens and retirees at the neighbourhood level, so that instead of placing our seniors into old folks homes, the services, software and heartware available in such homes are incorporated into each neighbourhood. This means that we need to start training many caregivers across a wide range of qualifications starting today.

We also discussed the population growth numbers and while growing the population to support jobs to grow our economy is a good plan, I wish for Singapore to build up the necessary infrastructure first as Mr Lee Kuan Yew and the nation builders did in their day. They had embarked on the ambitious Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) train system when our population was scarcely 3 million. They built Changi Airport before competition from other regional air-traffic hubs came in. They developed Jurong Island and then attracted billions of dollars worth of inward investments, which not only solidified Singapores position in the oil and petrochemical world, but also created many high-value jobs for Singaporeans.

Like then, we need to build that capacity before we bring in more jobs. We also need to bring in more jobs to bring in more people. So the key to success is infrastructure capacity. Similar to Singapore Airlines very successful strategy to order sufficient aircraft to sustain eight to ten years of traffic growth, if we build the pipes and the trenches in Jurong Island, the multi-national petrochemical firms will come.