Recent blog posts - Property Launches & Investments

Singapore’s Developers Move From Best to Worst: Southeast Asia

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Monday, 30 December 2013 in Property News

Singapore's developers posted the worst performance on the benchmark Straits Times Index FSSTI this year after recording the biggest gains in 2012 as property curbs drove home sales lower and slowed price gains.

Property stocks in Singapore, ranked the most-expensive city to buy a luxury home in Asia after Hong Kong may further languish next year after the government took measures to cool prices. Home sales may decline 10 percent in 2014 while prices are expected to drop for the first time in two years, according to broker Chesterton Singapore Pte.

Asia to see positive implications after Fed taper move

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Monday, 30 December 2013 in Property News

Asia’s real estate markets are expected to see positive implications following the US Federal Reserve's announcement that it will reduce monthly acquisitions of mortgage-backed and treasury securities from US$85 billion to US$75 billion starting in January 2014, revealed CBRE Research.

The market has been plagued with uncertainty since the Federal Reserve announced that it might start tapering at some point in 2013. Perceived as business friendly, last week’s announcement clarifies that the extent and rate of tapering will both be moderate.

TripleOne Somerset sold for $970m

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Monday, 30 December 2013 in Property News

A consortium led by Perennial Real Estate Holdings has finally secured TripleOne Somerset. The price is understood to be $970 million in a deal concluded over the weekend.

This is $10 million less than the $980 million amount that Perennial, headed by Pua Seck Guan, was earlier doing due diligence to buy the asset under a letter of intent granted by the building's owner, a fund managed by Pacific Star. However, in late September, Perennial aborted the proposed transaction after the fund raised the asking price to $1 billion.

US Data firm set up Asia-Pac HQ in Singapore

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Sunday, 29 December 2013 in Property News

Singapore was ranked the third safest place in Asia to site data centres, according to a Data Centre Risk Index report released in June. The ease of doing business here is one reason for Singapore's rank.

The American tech firm IO will sharply increase its investment here as it moves to make Singapore the centre of its operations across the Asia-Pacific - and eventually the world.

Chief executive George Slessman said on Wednesday that it is ready to spend up to S$70 million (US$56 million) more in developing its base here.

That expenditure will come on top of the S$30 million (US$24 million) it has already put into a new data centre that it officially opened in Ang Mo Kio on Wednesday.

JR East set Asia Pac- Hub in Singapore

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Thursday, 26 December 2013 in Property News

ONE of the biggest railway giants in the world, the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) will use Singapore as its Asia-Pacific hub to tap on the region's plans to set up high-speed inter-city and inter-country railway networks. JR East opened its Singapore office in March this year, its first outside Japan in Asia, as well as a European hub in Brussels in Belgium in November 2012.

JR East is the largest passenger railway company in the world with revenues of about 2.5 trillion yen (S$32 billion). It employs 72,000 people and runs all the high-speed trains (called Shinkansen) north of Tokyo, the Tokyo Metropolitan area railway network and local rail networks in East Japan. It also owns the railway infrastructure, including 1,700 stations, rolling stock, tracks, etc.

IDT's new facility in Singapore to meet Asia demand

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Thursday, 26 December 2013 in Property News

IDT, the World’s Lagest Supplier of Custom Nucleic Acids, leader in custom nucleic acid synthesis, Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT) has expanded its manufacturing capabilities to Singapore. IDT is now able to provide locally-manufactured oligonucleotides to researchers in Singapore and throughout the region from the company’s first synthesis facility in Asia.

In January of 2012, IDT acquired the oligo business of Singapore’s top supplier, 1st BASE Pte. Ltd. Shortly thereafter, IDT began work to create a state-of-the art hub for oligo manufacturing and support dedicated to the Asian market. IDT completed the nearly SGD 6 million project in spring of 2013, and the Singapore company’s synthesis and other processes are now fully integrated with IDT’s operations in the US and Europe.

More Japanese firms relocating here in Singapore

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Thursday, 26 December 2013 in Property News

SINGAPORE – A growing number of Japanese companies have moved some of their headquarters or key functions to Singapore, an air and marine logistics hub in Asia, viewing the city-state as a strategic location where they can oversee a new wave of investment in Southeast Asia.

Panasonic Corp. and Mitsui Chemicals Inc. recently moved some key functions, including a portion of the central purchasing function, from Japan to Singapore, while Hoya Surgical Optics Inc.also establish its headquarters in Singapore. The operational shifts entails personnel relocations. About a dozen of people, including the directors overseeing the procurement and logistics operations, will move to Singapore to spearhead the business strategically on a global scale.

Property market faces higher risk of correction

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Tuesday, 24 December 2013 in Property News

SOME analysts are warning of the rising risk of a property market correction in the next two years owing to global macroeconomic trends and a possible oversupply of homes in Singapore.

However, others argue that any decline in property prices is unlikely to be large, because of soaring land bid prices and keen interest from foreign investors.

Expected higher interest rates could coincide with a big rise in housing supply over next year to 2015, said Barclays economist Joey Chew in a note on Thursday. "A macroeconomic shock or a policy misstep could also trigger a market correction."

Govt land sales tapering 'helps buyers and sellers'

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Tuesday, 24 December 2013 in Property News

Analysts say it will help balance price and supply in property market

Buyers and sellers could both emerge as winners from the Government's move to scale back land releases for public and private housing, say analysts yesterday.

They believe the easy-does-it shift on residential land signals that prices will ease moderately rather than plunge, which will come as a relief to many in the market.

Malls popping up all over the suburbs

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Tuesday, 24 December 2013 in Property News

Growing population, govt’s decentralisation plans driving surge

Malls rentals likely to hold firm despite surge in supply

Malls have been springing up all over the suburbs but shoppers continue to be hungry for more.

Experts say the Government's decentralisation plans and demand from a growing population are underpinning this surge.

Rabobank inks lease at South Beach Tower

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Tuesday, 24 December 2013 in Property News

At MBFC Tower 3, Booking.com takes 45,000 sq ft in fresh sign of office buzz

[SINGAPORE] A steady stream of office leasing deals has been inked of late in the CBD, showing that demand in the market still has legs.

In what is believed to be the first leasing deal at South Beach Tower, Rabobank is said to have signed a lease for about 26,000 square feet. It will be moving out of 77 Robinson Road. DTZ is said to have advised Rabobank.

Traiana opens new office in Singapore

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Tuesday, 24 December 2013 in Property News

Traiana, a provider of pre-trade risk and post-trade processing solutions, has created a hub for its Asia Pacific business by opening a new office in Singapore, which has been designated as a hub for its Asia Pacific business.

Andy Coyne, chief executive of Traiana, says: “Opening an office in Singapore is very exciting for us as it underlines our commitment to the region. We will be better able to support our growing client base of global and local financial institutions by providing best in class client services and capitalizing on the new opportunities for growth that we see in the region.”