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| S.K. Brothers Realty Sdn Bhd general manager Chan Ai Cheng. |
“Cyberjaya offers selected developments there are beautiful in concept and way of life such as the Symphony Hills development,” said Ai Cheng, who is S.K. Brothers Realty Sdn Bhd general manager.
Nevertheless, she agreed that the top places to live and to own property would still be KLCC, Bukit Tunku/Taman Duta, Ampang Hilir / U Thant, Damansara Heights, Bangsar and Mont’ Kiara. But not every part of such areas, offer the best in terms of the “quality” of living.
Situated 50km south of Kuala Lumpur, Cyberjaya spans an area of about 2,833 hectares (7,000 acres) and the development site was primarily undeveloped land and oil palm plantations. Located in the district of Sepang, Selangor, the township of Cyberjaya was launched in 1997 by then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. It forms a key part of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) plan and it was touted as the new Silicon Valley of Malaysia.
Since the launch of Cyberjaya, there has been extensive building activities including a boutique hotel, commercial buildings and offices for MSC-status companies. There are also universities, a community club and the headquarters for the local authority. Award-winning developers like UEM Land and SP Setia have cutting-edge projects there.
Ai Cheng literally grew up learning everything about real estate from her father, Charlie Chan, the founder of S.K. Brothers Realty and a distinguished veteran in the property industry.
Prime areas
While Cyberjaya as a top residential enclave is still a work in progress for many, there is no doubting that wealthy property buyers looking for a prestigious address to purchase an upmarket home, would still look at the established neighbourhoods mentioned.
“The prestigious locations cited are only the broad areas but within them are niches of better places to live,” said Ai Cheng, a graduate of the University of Auckland, majoring in property valuation, investment and development. She attained the prestigious title of Certified Residential Specialist in 2010 from the US National Association of Realtors (NAR).
“The wealthy will come with them a wealth of experience in buying properties that best suit their needs and wants. For which area to live, it would be based entirely on their preference. And we, as estate agents will source for properties based on their requirement and negotiate the transaction. However for investment properties, we can advise them based on the investment returns and recommend the options.”
In considering an ideal residential area, the following criteria should be on the wish list when narrowing down the property choices:
- Road system, basically, the ease of getting in and out of the area and avoiding traffic congestion
- Security issues
- Neighbourhood amenities, i.e. parks, playground, open space, proximity to shops, shopping centres, schools, etc.
- Composition mix, i.e. preference for similar property type clusters (eg. bungalow precincts and semi-detached property precincts)
- Development concept and landscaping (of growing importance in Malaysia)
- Capital appreciation potential
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Cyberjaya, Malaysia's premier cybercity and National ICT Hub.
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Over-priced
Are properties in areas like Bukit Tunku/Taman Duta, Ampang Hilir/U Thant, Damansara Heights or Bangsar, over-priced?
Are properties in areas like Bukit Tunku/Taman Duta, Ampang Hilir/U Thant, Damansara Heights or Bangsar, over-priced?
Said Ai Cheng: “If property buyers already own property in those areas and plan to upgrade within the same area, then it is not too expensive. The important thing about property buying - is to get into it - so that as other properties increase in value so will yours and thus, enabling you to buy in.”
Apparently, there is still a strong demand for properties in neighbourhoods with an established reputation for prestige and exclusivity, especially for investment.
‘Bite-size’ properties
While less “exclusive” areas like KLCC and Mont’ Kiara - due to its high density - may still appeal to those who want to live in trendy neighbourhoods with plenty of dining and entertainment outlets and which offer shopping convenience. For such residents, contemporary living is about having a good time, enjoying fine dining and buying chic accessories. And in order to better sell residential units in such areas, they are built smaller for obvious reasons.
While less “exclusive” areas like KLCC and Mont’ Kiara - due to its high density - may still appeal to those who want to live in trendy neighbourhoods with plenty of dining and entertainment outlets and which offer shopping convenience. For such residents, contemporary living is about having a good time, enjoying fine dining and buying chic accessories. And in order to better sell residential units in such areas, they are built smaller for obvious reasons.
“Areas close to the Kuala Lumpur city centre and within the centre, such as Mont’ Kiara, are being developed at a rapid pace. And most projects are of high density in nature, with quite a number of residential units, being small such as studio units,” pointed out Ai Cheng, who has been in the real estate industry since 1999.
“Some term it as ‘bite-size’ properties. Virtually all projects in Mont’ Kiara are high-rise in nature.”
While some wealthy property buyers want a prestigious home that makes a statement there are equally rich home buyers who do not wish to draw any attention to themselves. But all who wish to live in the best places that money can buy, inevitably want security yet money can’t guarantee peace of mind.
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