<p><img alt="Tolerance and acceptance toward gay rights grows in Southeast Asia. lazyllama/Shutterstock" src="/documents/10204/0/shutterstock_1089826724-compressor.jpg/6d576ba9-a985-4b2e-8e45-279879429fe3?t=1535446653641" style="width: 1000px; height: 666px;" />The power of pink money cannot be denied. With tolerance, diversity and acceptance winning important battles in the culture wars, targeting property marketing efforts toward people who identify as LGBTQIA+ is paramount.</p> <p>Being sensitive to property buyers across the full spectrum of sexual orientation&nbsp;is even more exigent in Asia where 90 million LGBT consumers⁠ reside in China alone, making it the world’s third-largest pink economy&nbsp;after Europe and the US. LGBT Chinese commanded an annual purchasing power of USD938 billion last year, their household savings hovering at USD1.5 trillion. Despite such massive disposable incomes and wealth, LGBT property hunters are still ignored by marketers in popular investment destinations.</p> <p>Southeast Asia is becoming more tolerant, if not welcoming, on this front. Increasingly inclusive attitudes, combined with a cavalcade of residential properties at low initial purchase prices, position several cities in the region as sanctuaries for LGBT property seekers:&nbsp;offering them an escape from less accepting locales.</p> <p>We count down to some of the gay-friendliest property markets in Asia, as determined by leading Chinese property portal <a href="http://www.juwai.com/" target="_blank">Juwai.com</a>. These cities better <em>slay</em>:</p> <h3>5. Ho Chi Minh City</h3> <p><img alt="HCMC, Vietnam. saiko3p/Shutterstock" src="/documents/10204/0/shutterstock_1098284417-compressor.jpg/339f787a-a4dc-4a21-987d-10247b7c8185?t=1535448871784" /></p> <p>In 2015, the Law on Marriage and Family was implemented, effectively decriminalising same-sex weddings in Vietnam. Although it technically does not offer legal protections to the unions, the measure foreshadows a mellowing in Vietnamese attitudes toward the LGBT community, many of whom have found sanctuary in Ho Chi Minh City. Chinese LGBT buyers, for one, believe investment prospects in Ho Chi Minh City are good; yields reach up to six percent through eight percent, according to Juwai.com. Foreigners can acquire up to 30 percent of new condominium projects in Vietnam’s largest city.</p> <p>Like pre-boom Shanghai, HCMC is undergoing a wave of infrastructure projects set to give land values a windfall. Yet premium home prices in HCMC are still about half the value of similar properties in the number one city on this list, Juwai.com reported.&nbsp;Competitively priced premium units begin at less than USD150,000.</p> <h3>4. Phnom Penh</h3> <p><img alt="Phnom Penh-based NGOs have pioneered LGBT-friendly initiatives. khlungcenter/Shutterstock" src="/documents/10204/0/shutterstock_715830691-compressor.jpg/f38f4609-2a60-4e8c-9e98-22d37e6b17d6?t=1535448610879" /></p> <p>In 2004, King Norodom Sihanouk made public statements in support of laws extending marriage rights to same-sex couples. Cambodia, especially its capital, has since become one of the more progressive safe spaces for LGBT Asians. A nongovernmental organisation, Rainbow Community Kampuchea (RoCK), introduced the Declaration of Family Relationship (DoFR) initiative, allowing for civil contracts between people of the same sex to share family responsibilities,&nbsp;even own joint assets.</p> <p>“When I read about that, I thought, 'Wow, this is so compelling,'” recounted Janet Minard, founder and president of Canadian firm&nbsp;<a href="http://www.torontohomerealty.com/" target="_blank">Toronto Home Realty</a> which is developing an 843,000-square-foot (78,317 square metres) site in Phnom Penh. "It's a young nation [that] basically is slowly adopting what the western society has had to fight so hard for.</p> <p>“Here's a country doing things that are right rather than dealing with mistakes that perhaps the first-world nations have made to get to the point of acceptance and tolerance.”</p> <p>Phnom Penh today is a far cry from the war-torn city that the Cambodian-born Minard left when she was all but 21 days old. The Khmer metropolis currently has 8,942 luxury apartments, expected to number around 22,828 units by the end of 2018, Juwai.com reported, citing industry sources.⁠</p> <h3>3. Manila</h3> <p><img alt="View of the skyline of Makati, Metro Manila. Jon Bilous/Shutterstock" src="/documents/10204/0/shutterstock_382605847-compressor.jpg/e190f6d5-ae1d-479a-b2a4-8baa8a17ebbb?t=1535448207443" /></p> <p>While Catholic conservatism reigns in the Philippines, many denizens in the capital have overcome&nbsp;religious beliefs enough to accommodate the fast-changing milieu. Marriage equality is still not legal in the Philippines, but Manila made history in 1994 for hosting Asia’s first gay pride parade. More recently, firebrand President Rodrigo Duterte has made some of the strongest pronouncements by an incumbent leader in favour of same-sex marriage.</p> <p>Prime homes in Manila have seen prices rising in each of the past three years, with rents growing by five percent to 10 percent per annum, Juwai.com reported. Starting prices are still low, at least by LGBT Chinese standards. A one-bedroom apartment listed on Juwai.com in Quezon City has an entry price of about USD62,000. Chinese buying inquiries about Manila properties on the site were up 122 percent quarter-on-quarter in the first three months of 2018.</p> <h3>2. Phuket</h3> <p><img alt="Phuket Sunday Walking Street Market. BREEZY STOCK/Shutterstock" src="/documents/10204/0/shutterstock_1012024294-2-compressor.jpg/8973cfa0-1d3f-40ae-84d0-9208127d7b4f?t=1535447795324" /></p> <p>For LGBT buyers seeking sand and surf more than skyscrapers, Phuket is one of the better locations in the world to purchase great holiday homes. Members of the LGBT community seeking to fulfill both lifestyle and investment goals are well-served in the city and island of the same name.</p> <p>Dozens of LGBT-oriented venues dot Phuket, especially in the Patong resort area. Every April, tourists flock to the island for a weeklong Pride festival. LGBT buyers most commonly purchase new properties, with developers dangling rental guarantees; many home owners go on to rent out the&nbsp;units when they are out of Phuket. A fewer others come to live full time, enjoying boltholes far removed from the noise of the intolerant crowd.&nbsp;</p> <h3>1. Bangkok</h3> <p><img alt="Rainbow over Sao Ching Cha (Giant Swing) and Wat Suthat in Bangkok, Thailand. Natapat2521/Shutterstock" src="/documents/10204/0/shutterstock_514854469-compressor.jpg/2cb19fa6-3647-453e-8c86-46c97f4b835c?t=1535447299820" /></p> <p>While Thailand currently does not recognise same-sex marriages, it is the de facto gay capital of Asia. Same-sex intercourse is not punishable by law in the kingdom, unlike certain Asian countries; Buddhist monks even officiate same-sex weddings. Many nightspots and hospitality businesses are unabashedly geared toward gay visitors.</p> <p>It is little wonder then that many LGBT Chinese would love to call Bangkok home. According to Juwai.com, 45 percent of buyer inquiries from LGBT Chinese for Bangkok properties are for the purchasers’ own use.</p> <p>For gay people escaping parochial attitudes in their home&nbsp;countries, Bangkok property is relatively within reach. At USD4,500 per square metre, the typical new luxury condominium in Bangkok sells for one-sixth the price of similar homes in Hong Kong, according to Juwai.com estimates. More affordable luxury condominiums start from USD130,000 — low for a major Asian metropolis. Keen on investing? Land values have <a href="http://property-report.com/detail/-/blogs/30-years-of-bangkok-real-estate-land-prices-skyrocket-100-4" target="_blank">climbed 1,000 percent over the past 30 years</a>, while centrally located condominiums have doubled in the last five years.</p>

<p><img alt="jamesteohart/Shutterstock" src="/documents/10204/0/shutterstock_1021433272-compressor.jpg/9bb1c476-2328-45c5-aed6-a0e9629f9bf8?t=1535367343258" style="width: 1000px; height: 666px;" />Spending on technologies that enable smart city&nbsp;initiatives in Asia Pacific will reach USD30 billion this year, according to the latest Worldwide Semiannual Smart Cities Spending Guide by IT market intelligence firm IDC.</p> <p>The study, which excludes Japan, further found that spending in the region will accelerate in the next few years, reaching USD54.4 billion in 2022.</p> <p>"Cities in the Asia Pacific are challenged to continually deliver smart, livable, and sustainable urban ecosystems by harnessing technology innovations and widespread collaborations,” said Gerald Wang, head of public sector at IDC Asia/Pacific, in a statement.</p> <p>"This also requires clarity around implementation policies that are focused on the building and financing of city infrastructures as well as new city digital services in the long-term," he added.</p> <p>Tech related to fixed usual surveillance, advanced public transit, intelligent traffic management and smart outdoor lighting will mark more than 35 percent&nbsp;share of the overall spending in 2018.&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://property-report.com/detail/-/blogs/5-key-things-to-learn-about-smart-city-cybersecurity-following-singapore-s-data-bre-16" target="_blank"><strong>More:&nbsp;5 key things to learn about smart city cybersecurity following Singapore's data breach</strong></a></p> <p>In China alone, the use of fixed visual surveillance will account for 17.3 percent of spending this year. A need to track down the movement of citizens is fuelling the demand for video information sources in the mainland.</p> <p>Around 20 million security cameras, facilitated by artificial intelligence (AI) technology, have been deployed to locate and track criminals across China.</p> <p>"City governments need to continually analyse the impact of rapid advances in technologies on city transformation goals and create outcome-based metrics for future smart city investments. This approach requires a rethink of the way governments traditionally procure for technologies and innovative solutions," Wang added.</p> <p>Data-driven public safety and intelligent transportation&nbsp;are the two priority investments in the region due to its growing urban population, reported Malini Swamy, market analyst at IDC Asia/Pacific. “However, we are also finding significant spending and growth in platform related and smart lighting related use cases, which are less often publicised but increasingly happening in cities around the region.”</p>

<p><img alt="Luxury homes set the scene throughout Crazy Rich Asians, the film based on the Kevin Kwan novel of the same name, which hit cinemas this week. Image: Warner Bros. Pictures" src="/documents/10204/0/Crazy-Rich-Asians-lead-compressor+2.jpg/9429920f-1a1d-48c4-86a9-f7b3efbf6b67?t=1535094559006" style="width: 1054px; height: 667px;" />If you had infinite funds, which slice of Singaporean real estate paradise would you choose to call home?</p> <p>This week sees the release of the highly anticipated movie Crazy Rich Asians, set in Singapore, and&nbsp;as you would expect, a number of luxurious homes form the backdrop for many scenes.&nbsp;</p> <p>Off screen, all that glitters is not necessarily gold, and Singapore’s luxury <a href="https://www.propertyguru.com.sg/singapore-property-resources/singapore-buy-property-guides/step-by-step-guide-to-buying-a-condo">residential market</a> has had a blow this year in the form of government-introduced cooling measures.</p> <p>“The stamp duty imposed on foreign buyers of 15 to 20 percent is certainly being felt at the upper end of the market,” Dave Loo of <a href="https://www.christiesrealestate.com/eng/office/170-b-78517-br65980/singapore-christies-international-real-estate-residential-pte-ltd">Christies International Real Estate </a>in Singapore told Property Report. “However, we’re still experiencing interest from UHNWIs from around the world, proving that Singapore is still very much a key destination for luxury property seekers.”&nbsp;</p> <p>We’re guessing that if you’re "crazy rich", piffling concerns such as a bit of extra tax will be batted away with a perfectly manicured hand.&nbsp;</p> <p>Here are five properties where you can drop some serious SGD:</p> <p><strong>1. Oceans Drive, Sentosa</strong></p> <p><strong><img alt="" src="/documents/10204/0/Crazy+Rich+Asians+list+Oceans+Drive.jpg.JPG/a3c082dd-37bf-4504-acbf-a3683b366b3a?t=1535098329676" /></strong></p> <p>Sitting on a unique 23-acre seafront plot in the popular Sentosa beach area, this masterpiece from architect Chan Wai Kin of Timur Design has everything a Crazy Rich Asian&nbsp;could wish for. With five generous bedrooms, the property also features a spa, library, boat facilities, and not to mention that glorious pool.</p> <p><strong>Price tag</strong>: SGD36 million&nbsp;(USD26.3 million)&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>2. Marina Bay Residences</strong></p> <p><strong><img alt="" src="/documents/10204/0/Crazy+Rich+Asians+list+1.jpg/c08989c8-8f82-4922-954b-d72e464e56bd?t=1535095381624" /></strong></p> <p>If a fabulous city skyline and central location is what you’re after, then look no further than this luxury four-bedroom penthouse with unobstructed views of the world-famous Marina Bay. Designed by one of the world’s leading architects, Gene Kohn of Kohn Pedersen Fox, Marina Bay Residences offers the ultimate waterfront city living.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Price tag:</strong> SGD15.8 million (USD11.6 million)&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>3. One Shenton</strong></p> <p><strong><img alt="" src="/documents/10204/0/Crazy+Rich+Asians+list+One+Shenton.jpg/1e524f90-bc2f-44f4-8051-c1a00b5df4cb?t=1535095353524" /></strong></p> <p>The&nbsp;striking gold façade of One Shenton cuts a dashing figure against the Singapore skyline. Situated in the heart of the new city centre on the edge of Marina Bay, this five-bedroom home lets the lucky owner enjoy close proximity to landmarks such as the Integrated Resorts Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay.</p> <p><strong>Price tag:</strong> SGD25 million (USD18.3 million)</p> <p><strong>4. Bishopsgate Residences</strong></p> <p><strong><img alt="" src="/documents/10204/0/Crazy+Rich+Asians+list+Bishopsgate.jpg/30a10514-61d8-4b64-8d72-4f959da0494b?t=1535095325572" /></strong></p> <p>What could be grander than the prestigious and highly coveted District 10, surrounded by embassies of the United Kingdom, China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei?&nbsp;As the only condominium project in a Good Class Bungalow area, this is a perfect place for "crazy&nbsp;rich" expats to snap up a slice of the action.</p> <p><em>Price upon request</em></p> <p><strong>5. Copper House&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><strong><img alt="" src="/documents/10204/0/Crazy+Rich+Asians+list+Copper+House.jpg/b8898eef-3d75-41f0-999d-54902978fb27?t=1535095296266" /></strong></p> <p>This six-bedroom, seven-bathroom home on Sentosa Island is surely one of the most extravagant homes on the market right now in Singapore. So named due to the unusual <a href="http://property-report.com/detail/-/blogs/5-of-the-quirkiest-luxury-homes-you-can-own-right-n-8">copper façade</a>, this property offers&nbsp;9,500 square feet of fabulousness, with honey and white onyx flooring and a 2,000-bottle wine cellar.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Price tag:</strong> SGD48 million (USD36 million)</p> <p><em>Photos courtesy of <a href="https://www.christiesrealestate.com/eng/office/170-b-78517-br65980/singapore-christies-international-real-estate-residential-pte-ltd">Christies International Real Estate</a></em></p>

<p><img alt="Revolution Precrafted had been hoping to break into the North American market. Chones/Shutterstock" src="/documents/10204/0/shutterstock_633629336-compressor.jpg/36ba8204-3554-4136-843a-4d8b3d0ad815?t=1535021931277" style="width: 1000px; height: 666px;" />Filipino prefab home supplier Revolution Precrafted has struck a USD210-million deal with American developer Imperial Heights LLC to assemble lavish luxury villas in California.</p> <p>Sixty villas, valued at USD3.5 million each with a minimum size of 450 square metres, will be built on a 24-acre property within the gated development Imperial Heights Estates in San Bernardino County, Revolution Precrafted announced yesterday.</p> <p>The contract marks the first stateside project for the Manila-based company, valued at over USD1 billion in 2017, making it one of the region's first&nbsp;unicorns.</p> <p>“We are proud that through our extensive partners network, we have finally broken through the United States, which is one of our primary target countries,” said Revolution Precrafted CEO and founder <a href="http://www.property-report.com/detail/-/blogs/robbie-antonio-bags-2018-philippines-real-estate-personality-of-the-year-awa-3" target="_blank">Robbie Antonio</a>, who won this year's prize for Real Estate Personality of the Year at the PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards.</p> <p><a href="http://property-report.com/detail/-/blogs/a-philippine-startup-is-making-incredible-prefab-homes-from-your-favourite-architects" target="_blank"><strong>More: See some of Revolution Precrafted's designs here</strong></a></p> <p>“This is one of the most premium developments we have,” he added.</p> <p>Designs for the villas will be finalised in time for start of development by the first quarter of 2019.</p> <p>Imperial Heights LLC will oversee both land and site development. “We are confident that they will deliver the design and quality we want in order to attract the more affluent homebuyers from California,” CEO Tru Lee said, calling Revolution Crafted “one of the best real estate companies in the world.”</p> <p>Launched in 2015, Revolution Precrafted has been rapidly expanding, gaining lucrative partnerships over the last year including <a href="http://property-report.com/detail/-/blogs/a-philippine-unicorn-is-building-prefab-homes-in-dubai-s-world-islan-4" target="_blank">a USD3.2-billion deal for The World Islands</a> in Dubai.</p> <p><img alt="Revolution Precrafted's Robbie Antonio accepting the award for Real Estate Personality of the Year at the 2018 PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards" src="/documents/10204/0/Revolution-Precrafted-lead-compressor.jpg/cb96067f-4c4c-43ab-9413-d1da90e2a817?t=1535014105130" /></p>

<p><img alt="" src="/documents/10204/0/MPA+2018_Group+Photo.jpg/803218b2-899f-4000-b91e-9994223ffc8a?t=1534229653477" style="width: 1000px; height: 563px;" /></p> <p>The festive PropertyGuru Myanmar Property Awards 2018 gala dinner has unveiled this year’s crop of Winners and Highly Commended companies in an exclusive ceremony held on Friday evening (10 August) at the Sedona Hotel Yangon to honour the country’s building sector.</p> <p>Bagging the top award for Best Developer is Mottama Development Group Co., Ltd., which was also honoured with the new Special Recognition in Design &amp; Construction.</p> <p>“With more than a dozen accolades earned this year for current projects ranging from office to retail, condominium, mixed-use, and educational facilities, Mottama Development Group is a promise of a new era for the local real estate sector,” the independent panel of judges said.</p> <p><a href="http://www.property-report.com/detail/-/blogs/triumphant-winners-of-the-propertyguru-myanmar-property-awards-2-14" target="_blank"><strong>More: Full list of Winners and Highly Commended companies at the 2018 PropertyGuru Myanmar Property Awards</strong></a></p> <p>“The company’s superior attention to detail in design and construction is worthy of emulation by other builders in the country, as well as praise from consumers.”</p> <p>Its chairman, U Yang Ho, a widely respected construction magnate, was also honoured by the editors of PropertyGuru Property Report magazine as the 2018 Myanmar Real Estate Personality of the Year – the sole recognition not chosen by the judges.</p> <p><img alt="U Yang Ho, chairman of Mottama Holdings, accepts the 2018 Myanmar Real Estate Personality of the Year award from PropertyGuru's director of agent and developer product Jason Gregory." src="/documents/10204/0/MPA+2018_Real+Estate+Personality+of+the+Year.jpg/2ebeb5a1-c70e-48be-85c1-a2d5c39cbb4a?t=1534229673177" /></p> <p><strong>Multi-award winners</strong></p> <p>Mottama shares its Design &amp; Construction gong with double winner IGE Co., Ltd., which also collected a golden trophy for the Special Recognition in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) – this time shared with four-time victor Golden Land Real Estate Development Co., Ltd.</p> <p>SCW Development Group Ltd took home a pair of Design nods for Skysuites Luxury Condominium, whilst Mother Construction &amp; Greenhub (a subsidiary of LHN Limited) bagged the gongs for Best Serviced Apartment and Best Hotel Interior Design for the same project.</p> <p><strong>Expanded scope of recognition</strong></p> <p>The panel of judges introduced this year the Special Recognition in Customer Care award, presented to the tandem of City Properties Co., Ltd and Universal City Company Limited. The duo also received two Retail honours for their City Mall St. John project.</p> <p><img alt="One of the biggest winners of the evening, Golden Land Real Estate Development Co., Ltd., collecting the Special Recognition in CSR from Terry Blackburn, founder and managing director of the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards" src="/documents/10204/0/MPA+2018_Special+Recognition+in+CSR.jpg/3b3828a6-6833-4f4c-bc56-8210c7a9cef1?t=1534229663459" /></p> <p>Best Renovated Property – previously dubbed a special award – is now a main category won by The Pegu Club, which was gloriously transformed by KT Club Development Project Co., Ltd<strong>.</strong></p> <p>The inaugural Best Developer winner from 2015, Yoma Strategic Holdings won the new Best Educational Development award for Dulwich College Yangon – Star City Campus.</p> <p><a href="http://property-report.com/detail/-/blogs/mottama-holdings-u-yang-ho-to-receive-myanmar-real-estate-personality-20-1" target="_blank"><strong>More: U Yang Ho named the 2018 Myanmar Real Estate Personality of the Year</strong></a></p> <p><strong>Highest levels of standards</strong></p> <p>Hari V. Krishnan, CEO of PropertyGuru Group, said: “We are proud to recognise all the winning and highly commended companies in Myanmar. The fact that the local real estate market has slowed down in activity in the past couple of years did not hinder these worthy developers from producing projects to the highest level of standards, whether they are new residential or commercial buildings, mixed-use, renovated property, and educational facilities. We celebrate their hard work and dedication to all types of consumers in the country.”</p> <p>Terry Blackburn, founder and managing director of the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards, said: “The purpose of the Awards is to set a benchmark for recognising quality real estate in Asia. Healthy competition helps improve standards especially in a developing market like Myanmar. Whilst the local property market has undoubtedly had a challenging 24 months, we are pleased that we are once again able to come together to celebrate the best of Myanmar's real estate.”</p> <p>Top winners in Myanmar now qualify to compete at the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards Grand Final to be held this November in Bangkok for a chance to be crowned the ‘Best in Asia.’</p> <p><img alt="Chairman of the judging panel Richard Emerson of Emerson Real Estate (Myanmar) poses with the Winners and Highly Commended companies at the end of the ceremonyt" src="/documents/10204/0/MPA+2018_Richard+Emerson.jpg/4c2bf19f-a672-4842-bb64-b6441becb30b?t=1534229666305" /></p> <p><strong>Tremendous support from the industry</strong></p> <p>The 2018 PropertyGuru Myanmar Property Awards gala dinner was the programme’s biggest yet, attended by around 370 guests and members of the media.</p> <p>The event was supported by co-sponsors Beko, Nippon Paint, Porcelanosa, Pro1Global Home Centre, and Sonder Living; official hotel Sedona Yangon; media partners Myanmar Insider, ShweProperty.com, iMyanmarHouse.com, and PropertyGuru Property Report; supporting associations European Chamber of Commerce Myanmar and British Chamber of Commerce Myanmar; official supplier LSM by LightSource; and official supervisor BDO Myanmar, part of the world’s fifth largest accounting and auditing firm.</p> <p>Richard Emerson (Managing Director, Emerson Real Estate) led the judging panel joined by: Andrew Moraes (Country Manager, Beca); Ben Hickson (Senior Associate, Stephenson Harwood LLP); Charm May Thu (Managing Director, Your Property Finder Company Ltd); Lee Leong Seng (General Manager/Managing Director, Surbana International Consultant (Myanmar) Co Ltd); Mark Horton (Designer, Doh Eain); Mya Myitzu (Creative Director, M.Interiors (M.ID) Design and Design Management); and Stephen Zawmoe Shwe (Principal Architect, SPINE Architects). The BDO supervising team consists of Joe Yew Chi Jee (Director, Advisory), with Hong Shi Ying (Senior Manager) and Nang Hnin Thet Htwe (Executive).</p> <p>For more information, email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:awards@propertyguru.com">awards@propertyguru.com</a>&nbsp;or visit the official website:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.asiapropertyawards.com/myanmar-property-awards/">AsiaPropertyAwards.com/myanmar-property-awards/</a></p>