The forthcoming Malaysian Annual Real Estate Convention (MAREC ’08) will for the first time, have a regional theme: Regionalising The Malaysian Market - The Reality of Getting There The event is expected to generate business opportunities for practitioners within the ASEAN region.
To be held at the Sime Darby Convention Centre from Jan 11- 13, the event will have the support of a large number of corporate bodies which have registered their executives as participants.
One of the most exciting features of MAREC ’08 is the all-new parallel sessions within the convention aimed at certified real estate negotiators (CREN), negotiators and support staff of real estate agencies. In previous years, the Malaysian Institute of Estate Agents (MIEA), designed and structured the convention mainly for real estate agents. Negotiators and other agency staff had to rely on other MIEA programmes to gain knowledge and information.

Learn how to carve out a successful career in real estate at MAREC '08Realising that attention to negotiator and support staff issues was lacking, MIEA decided to create a new session within the convention to cater to the needs of this group. Several speakers have been lined up to conduct these sessions. The speakers are senior members of the real estate fraternity and have been picked for their special skills and unique reputation in the market.
One of the topics to be covered in a parallel session is How To Be A Top Negotiator.
To guide and motivate participants, MIEA has managed to engage the services of one of its most illustrious members. Property consultant Stephen Tew has been involved in the real estate business for over 25 years.

He is a walking success story on how real estate can be a successful career if approached in the right manner. Tew started his career much like everyone else in the business, as a negotiator. Having worked hard and built up an impressive clientele, he decided to forge ahead with some partners and formed a real estate firm called The Golden Triangle. He again proved his calibre and helped built The Golden Triangle into one of the leading agencies of the day.
Several years ago, Tew decided to take on the challenge of forming his own sole proprietor-ship and ventured to form Hectares & Stratas. As principal, he has steered the company into a highly successful entity.

Steven TewTew will share with participants his secrets of carving out a successful career in real estate. He will talk about changing your mindset to achieve success and the need for discipline to make it.
“Although being a real estate negotiator is different from the average sales job, all negotiators should bear in mind that it is still a sales related job. To tap its potential and reap its rewards, negotiators have to approach the job with specific long-term goals,” says Tew.
More than 250 participants have registered for MAREC ‘08 and the MIEA expects a full house. Discounted rates of RM538 for members and RM638 for non-members are still available until Dec 31.

For negotiators intending to take advantage of the parallel sessions, MIEA is offering a special rate. For a discounted price of RM438, CRENs and negotiators will be able to participate in the entire convention and will also be eligible to attend the parallel sessions.
For information, contact the Malaysian Institute of Estate Agents Secretariat at 03-77277477 or convention chairman Siva Shanker at 019-3372852.

1.Malaysia offers a stable, freely-elected government
2.The country enjoys a stable economy with 7% GDP growth in 2004. Continued low inflation ensures the cost of living will continue to be one of the lowest in Asia
3.Kuala Lumpur has grown extensively since the Asian Economic Boom of the 1990s and is the regional headquarters of many of the world’s major corporations
4.It is one of the most vibrant cities in Asia and home to a number of stunning skyscrapers, most notably the Petronas Twin Towers and Menara Kuala Lumpur
5.The old town maintains some links to its colonial past with narrow and winding streets and a delightful hybrid of Chinese and European architecture
6.Malaysia practices a justice system based closely on the British legal system
7.Foreigners can buy up to 2 houses and are entitled to 60% bank loans
8.Kuala Lumpur continues to benefit from a growing tourism market helping to create a mature rental market
9.Kuala Lumpur is extremely well connected – major airlines fly to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and a high speed train service takes under ½ hour to reach the city
10.Kuala Lumpur’s education and medical services are some of the best in the Pacific Rim

No, whether you are a foreign or local investor, basically all are subject to and benefit from the same property rights. Malaysia’s land tenure is based on the
Australian system of land ownership – the Torrens system. A small percentage of lands mainly in the rural areas are reserved for the
indigenous people (Malay Reserve land) and cannot be owned or purchased by the non-native locals or foreigners. Most properties that are investment generating lie predominantly in the urban areas of the larger cities like Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Malacca and Johor Bahru (adjoining Singapore) and have no ownership restrictions.

Is financing available for investors who wish to purchase property? If so, how hard is it for foreigners to qualify for this financing?

Yes, financing is available for foreign investors and there is no hard and fast rule about it. For the potential purchaser to qualify he must show proof of possessing some source of income to enable repayment. For foreigners, the maximum loan normally allowed is 70% and the term of loan depends on the age of the purchaser.

Have you noticed any increase in the numbers of foreigners interested in investing in and/or moving to Malaysia recently?

Yes, there is an increase in foreigners interested in investing and moving to Malaysia. Some of them come under the Malaysia My 2nd Home (MM2H) Programme and others come in for investment purposes or move to Malaysia to take up a job.