Grand Phnom Penh International City has just unveiled their wet and wild Water Park, the biggest and best water park that the Kingdom has ever seen! With an enchanting medieval theme, the 8000 square meter water park has a series of slides, inner-tube rides, mechanized water buckets, forts and play areas, and is surrounded by a slow moving moat. If you get tired splashing around, take a break in the café, work out in the gym or, if you really don’t like getting wet, just enjoy the wide open, natural grounds of Grand Phnom Penh International city. Thousands have already visited the water park over Khmer New Year, an oasis during the long hot days of the nation’s biggest festival. The Grand Phnom Penh water park is now open to the general public every day! With tickets costing $4 for children and $5 for adults from - Monday to Friday; and $5 and $7 on the weekends. The park is open to the public from 9am to 6pm.Learn more today!

Realestate.com.kh is extremely proud to be working together with Hong Leong Bank of Cambodia to make your dreams of owning a home a reality. We want to help all Cambodian’s leverage their finances effectively to improve their life, and the life of their families, today! Through this unique partnership, we want to help all Cambodian’s manage their finances effectively to afford the things most important in their lives, ensuring sustained prosperity for businesses, households and the families within - and help you spend less time worrying about money, and more time enjoying your life. Hong Leong Bank (Cambodia) Plc. or HLBCAM is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hong Leong Bank Berhad – one of the leading banks in Malaysia. HLBCAM further cements Hong Leong Bank’s legacy of meeting the evolving needs of customers by offering a broad range of banking and specialized financial services in Cambodia. Relating to their home loan product range, HLBCAM has a 20 year home loan and home investment loan, a 10 year home equity loan and a 10 year commercial mortgage loan all allowing you to borrow up to 70% of market value. Living up to the Group’s tagline of “Reaching Out to You”, the Bank reaches out to its customers in Cambodia through its inaugural head office branch and Priority Banking lounge, strategically located in the heart of the city and 4 other supporting branches throughout the busy Phnom Penh districts. Hong Leong’s vision in Cambodia is to become Cambodia’s ‘preferred’ financial services provider among the leading banks, and our mission is to partner with our targeted business community. Hong Leong strives to help create better value as we fulfill our customers’ financial needs with the highest level of integrity and professionalism, where our highly capable people make the difference. A standout feature of Realestate.com.kh is being able to apply for a home loan directly – and you can even use our clever home loan calculators to work out how much you will likely need to loan, based on the price of the property you are considering. Once you know the value of your dream house or commercial property, with Realestate.com.kh you can apply for a loan directly to Hong Leong with the click of your mouse. This process makes getting a home loan easier than ever before – all from the comfort of your home, office and even from your mobile phone! Find out more today about how you can finance your dream home with Hong Leong and Realestate.com.kh, Cambodia’s home of real estate.

With over 30 years of experience in the property development business, the Taiwan-based TC Royal Manor Co., Ltd. steps back into the Cambodian prime development’s market with their latest project: TK Royal One. TK Royal One started construction in early January 2015 and is slated for completion by the end of 2017. The project is located along the city’s main artery street, Russia Boulevard - well positioned in front of the renowned Royal University of Phnom Penh. The new project is also conveniently backed onto street 122, meaning easy access off the main road for those using the extensive car parking facilities.On your doorstep, find great cafes and eateries, such as Brown Cafe, the Pizza Company and the TK Avenue shopping plaza and cineplex. And for International buyers and those that work in Phnom Penh, TK Royal One is just a 10 minute drive to the Phnom Penh International Airport and the Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone. The project offers both office and residential units, providing state-of-the-art amenities suited to a modern urban lifestyle. Freehold ownership is available to both local and foreign buyers, with prices starting from $2,800 per square meter. And there are more than just condos and offices in this new project - all tenants will enjoy fully managed services such as the gym center, swimming pool and rooftop garden overlooking the entire city. Luxury, security, privacy are the hallmark features of the International Grade TK Royal One project.Taste a life that is defined by modern living - and don’t miss out on this great investment opportunity. Inquire with the professional sales consultant team today!

Realestate.com.kh is extremely proud to sponsor and support the BritCham & IBC Luncheon and Panel Discussion on Property Valuation in Cambodia: "Addressing the Gaps." The development of the Cambodian valuation industry is a core factor is creating a sustainable real estate market. BritCham and IBC in partnership with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Cambodian Valuers and Estate Agents Association (CVEA) would like to welcome you to a focused business luncheon on the topic of valuation of property in Cambodia: "Addressing the Current Gaps."Join us on Tuesday 19th April with our panel of experts who will share their perspectives, followed by an open discussion with the audience on the state-of-play of valuation in Cambodia. SIGN UP NOW

Realestate.com.kh is extremely proud to be working together with Infinity General Insurance (Infinity) and Cambodian Life Insurance (CamLife) to provide peace of mind to all Cambodian families.Through this unique partnership, we want to help all Cambodian’s leverage their finances effectively to secure their assets and secure their lives, ensuring sustained prosperity for businesses and families - and keep the things that are most important in your life safe from harm.Infinity provides the protection you need for your home, your vehicle and your business.Infinity is proud to be the largest Cambodian owned insurance company offering you the best service, the best security; all at the best price - fully backed by global reinsurance partners and with the largest customer focused claims team in the Kingdom, meaning we can handle your claims in a fair and timely manner.Sound management skills, a passion for providing service which exceeds customer expectations, integrity and understanding, all ensure that Infinity will always be there for their valued clients.Cambodian Life was the very first Life insurance company in Cambodia and proud to be the largest Cambodian owned life insurance company.Cambodian Life is committed to providing excellent services and provide Cambodian families and employees with protection you need for your home repayments, your children’s education and financial certainty if the unexpected ever was to happen...Cambodian Life’s vision is that all Cambodians can have access to financial safety by providing affordable protection for you and your family.Realestate.com.kh is the number 1 property portal in Cambodia, with over 25,000 properties for rent and sale, and attracting 1000’s of visitors everyday! Naturally, we are thrilled to be working with Cambodia’s foremost Insurance providers, Infinity and Cambodian Life.Find out more today about how you can protect your what you have worked to achieve and secure your family’s financial future, with Infinity, Cambodia Life and Realestate.com.kh, Cambodia’s home of real estate.

Jum reap sour! And welcome to another weekly Real Estate News Report brought to you by Realestate.com.kh. The leader in real estate news in the Kingdom and the best place to find your new home.On this week’s show, we’re going to be speaking with Mr. In Sitha, Director of Business Development at VTrust Appraisal. Sitha has over 20 years experience in the real estate business in Cambodia and he now specializes in property development consultancy and real estate business development. He's also a renowned real estate teacher in real estate law and real estate practice. In this 6 Part series, we're going to get some tips for property developers and real estate businesses seeking to gain an edge when entering the Cambodian real estate market.PART 6: HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR REAL ESTATE AGENCY CAPACITY AND PROFESSIONALISM IN CAMBODIARealestate.com.kh: As a business development director at Vtrust Appraisal, obviously you do a lot of work helping real estate agencies increase their capacity. If you could give maybe the top four tips that you would give for real estate agency development? How to build a successful real estate business in Cambodia?In Sitha: Well, I think the four major factors that should be applied in order to make a successful real estate agency in Cambodia are Location, Human Resources/Training, Investment Capital and Marketing.Location is one of the key factors for a successful real estate agency business. Companies that are physically situated in the right locations for client’s easy access generally have the best success.Number two, human beings. Human Resources are crucial for any real estate agency. And this means the right people for the right jobs. Professional training for the agent shall be important and necessary too, and training should not stop during their career.Number three, Investment Capital. Any new real estate agency must be ready before starting at all for more than short term operational expenses. They need sufficient investment capital for at least three years. We have 2000 in real estate market in Cambodia and it is good. But in fact it's not enough. They have to pay a lot of operational expense. The staff salary, utilities, licensing, certificates, marketing etc etc. Be prepared before you try to start a business, because it won’t start generating money for some time.Number four is Marketing - you need to make your agencies known and respected. The best type of marketing these days is online. Learn more about choosing the right Cambodian real estate agent, on realestate.com.kh today!

Jum reap sour! And welcome to another weekly Real Estate News Report brought to you by Realestate.com.kh. The leader in real estate news in the Kingdom and the best place to find your new home.On this week’s show, we’re going to be speaking with Mr. In Sitha, Director of Business Development at VTrust Appraisal. Sitha has over 20 years experience in the real estate business in Cambodia and he now specializes in property development consultancy and real estate business development. He's also a renowned real estate teacher in real estate law and real estate practice. In this 6 Part series, we're going to get some tips for property developers and real estate businesses seeking to gain an edge when entering the Cambodian real estate market.PART 4: WHY PHNOM PENH BOREYS ARE PROVING SUCH A POPULAR MARKET FOR DEVELOPERS AND HOMEBUYERSRealestate.com.kh: We're seeing a real rise in new borey developments across Cambodia recently. Can you explain why property developers are particularly interested in the Phnom Penh Boreys market? Why build a Borey?In Sitha: Okay. This is a good question. In this industry right now are seeing two main types of major developments: Borey development and condo development.Realestate.com.kh: Sorry, I guess for the viewers, can you explain what a Borey is? - Because I know this word is  used a lot in Cambodia, but for people outside Cambodia, maybe they don't know what a Borey is.In Sitha: Essentially, a borey is a gated community of flat houses, twin villa houses and single villa houses, including public areas, gardens and full security services. Those who want to buy a borey home are looking for privacy, a safe place for their family to grow, areas where communities can develop, and a place where all modern amenities are assured. They are they prefered first home of newlywed Cambodian couples looking to start a new family.Most of the local developers choose to invest in Boreys. The reason is that developers themselves gain a lot of profit from investment in borey projects over relatively short investment periods. The customers themselves also buy into a good environment for family living. It is popular with Cambodian people who prefer landed buildings, or flat houses. In the Borey, it’s generally all some kind of a flat house, link house or villa home. It can be one story or two story maximum. They also generally have a common area and playground for children. Check out the Borey buyers guide!Realestate.com.kh: Like a neighborhood. Like a fenced neighborhood. In Sitha: Yeah, that's right.Realestate.com.kh: They have infrastructure, have water, have electricity.In Sitha: All included. Generally, for a home in the Borey, the market price increase yearly from 10-15%. This is a good investment to the buyer themselves. They can buy this year, and next year they can sell. If the market is good, it could be more than 15% appreciation. Compare the interest rate with the bank, it's much better than investing the bank. Realestate.com.kh: Because the Borey  buyer, they own the land right? They have freehold ownership of the land. In Sitha: Yes they own the plot of land that their home is situated on, hard title generally - but best to check!Realestate.com.kh: Now lots of local people move away from the city center to the Borey’s on the outskirts of town right?In Sitha: Yes, that's what you see. The Borey developments are long line investment development projects. Which means that the developer spends much more time on the investment, starting from the early master plans and filling the totally undeveloped land.Realestate.com.kh: Maybe fill the land.In Sitha: Yeah, up to the completion of the development projects. The marketing time also takes longer to promote and ultimately sell it. Borey means one community. And each household  shall pay the management fee. Management fees are reserved for the security, reserved for the public life, reserved for the street cleaning, pool and playground for children- garbage collection as well. Boreys offer great security to families.Realestate.com.kh: More of a community lifestyle too?In Sitha: Yeah, yeah.Check out the latest and greatest borey properties, on realestate.com.kh today!

Jum reap sour! And welcome to another weekly Real Estate News Report brought to you by Realestate.com.kh. The leader in real estate news in the Kingdom and the best place to find your new home.On this week’s show, we’re going to be speaking with Mr. In Sitha, Director of Business Development at VTrust Appraisal. Sitha has over 20 years experience in the real estate business in Cambodia and he now specializes in property development consultancy and real estate business development. He's also a renowned real estate teacher in real estate law and real estate practice. In this 6 Part series, we're going to get some tips for property developers and real estate businesses seeking to gain an edge when entering the Cambodian real estate market.PART 5: COMMON MISTAKES MADE BY PROPERTY DEVELOPERS IN THE CAMBODIAN MARKET, AND HOW TO AVOID    Realestate.com.kh: What are some of the most common mistakes that you see developers making when they first come to Cambodia?In Sitha: Well, the most common mistake that the property developer makes when entering the Cambodian market is moving too fast. Before starting any project a feasibility study is crucial. And they need to get recommendations from professional real estate agents.Realestate.com.kh: They're moving too fast?In Sitha: Before starting the investment, yes. That's why they could not identify the right location for the right project. Developing and selling are not separate. You need to consider your market before you even break ground. Which means that my recommendation, I would like them to use a professional real estate agent to teach the international developer about the local real estate market conditions. At VTrust Appraisal - we can do that. We are experienced and skilled in the real estate industry since 2004. We are the first to get developer and agent license from the Cambodian Security and Exchange Commission of Cambodia. Feasibility study is the most common service that developers request us to do before entering into this market.Realestate.com.kh: So many developers are coming in and doing everything too fast. They think the local market is the same as the Singapore market or Malaysia market and they're very surprised.In Sitha: Yeah, that’s true. First of all they need to do the market research. What is the best area for starting the project? The project is built based on the available investment capital. We would like to get the best return on that investment capital. Realestate.com.kh: The right property, the right price and the right market.In Sitha: That's right.CHECK OUT CAMBODIA'S SMARTEST NEW DEVELOPMENTS

Kampot native, Lun Vuthy, started his career in Phnom Penh working with a Vietnamese company importing secondhand freight containers into Cambodia.While his first employer focused on reselling the containers for storage purposes, Vuthy spent his early working years online on his smartphone surfing innovative container refurb projects around the world.As he surveyed condo blocks, cafes, office centers and recording studios in urban centers around the globe, he soon saw the architectural potential of the metal boxes his business was dealing.“Containers represent a kind of blank canvas. They are just a shell of of a building, but the artistic interior and exterior design possibilities are endless,” says Vuthy.Three years ago, Vuthy’s Vietnamese employer closed up shop in Phnom Penh and left the Cambodian market. Vuthy kept the list of container import contacts and launched his own startup business: Vuthy Container.Three years later, the 28 year old real estate entrepreneur has 15 staff and growing, and is involved in an eclectic mix of container-based real estate development projects.For the first year, Vuthy’s bread and butter was mobile office space. Vuthy buys the container shells from China, Vietnam or Korea at around $1000 per piece, and then sets about upgrading them for specific residential and commercial uses.Fully fitted office containers, complete with carpet, insulation and air conditioning sell for around $3000 for a 25 square meter unit. These have proven a hot ticket for construction and development companies, farmers, factory owners and those in need of supplementary business space. Some local TV stations have also implemented Vuthy’s containers as noise-proof recording studios.Yet, nowadays Vuthy isn’t just dreaming of more adventurous real estate projects.The most unique and extensive project to date is K-Race Container Pub on street 59, Daun Penh. K-Race Container Pub is a bar, restaurant and live music venue made from a set of 20 connected freight containers.For this project, Vuthy Container worked closely with the architect to create a creative but functional venue. K-Race, now open for business, plays on the industrial theme, waited by staff adorned in hard hats and overalls. The interior of K-Race is also defined by recycled features, such as the bottle windows and re-fashioned 40 gallon drum loungers.Another upcoming project will see Vuthy Container working closely with a German/Malay couple designing and building a Bungalow style hotel in Kampot, again consisting of a collection of recycled containers.A Singaporean F&B vendor in Phnom Penh is also working with Vuthy to launch an inner city cafe with a collection of six containers.Vuthy too sees significant opportunities for his enterprise to enter the Cambodian affordable housing market. For less than $6000 per unit, a 30 meter square container can be renovated into a 3 room abode, subdivided into a toilet, bedroom and livingroom/kitchen.The ease of stacking containers into blocks of apartments also create the potential for land-size-sensitive urban affordable housing projects using containers.By insulating with materials such as styrofoam and mineral based “rock wool” and installing vents, fans or aircon, as per the end user’s needs, Vuthy manages to create extremely price effective and highly livable spaces.Vuthy remarks that, “Containers are well suited to the Cambodian market - and especially in the cities. They are very affordable, they are structurally sound and weatherproof, they take up only a little space - and they are always available.”“By reusing and re-purposing containers there are a lot of winners.”Get in touch with Vuthy today: 089 / 098 / 068 822977

From 8:30AM on Saturday 12th March 2016, The Penthouse Residence proudly broke ground for their exciting new project onsite on Sothearos Boulevard. The ceremony was graced by the presence of most honorable guests, including H.E. Oknha Ly Hong and other key shareholders of the project.SEE THE FULL LISTINGAs expressed by Sunna Lee, Shareholder and Sales Coordinator for the Penthouse Residence, “For the first five weeks, we have already sold over 50% of our condominium. This is due to our unique location, design and the offering the best off-plan price for our customers.”Sunna continues, “This event marked our promised delivery to our valued clients because we want them to know that their investment starts from the moment that they signed their contract with us. Our projects started the groundbreaking/construction even before our showroom is finished. This illustrates how much progress we have made since the inception of The Penthouse Residence’s venture.” The Penthouse Residence are strategically located on Sothearos Boulevard and architecturally designed to meet the demand for luxurious condominium living within the contemporary city of Phnom Penh, Cambodia.With its bold and innovative architectural design, nothing has been spared in creating Cambodia’s first luxury condominium development. 36 floors of luxurious residences complemented by every amenity will result in nothing less than lavishing, from the spectacular panoramas of the city skyline to the attentive services of the concierge and dedicated management team.The Penthouse Residence comes with roof top terraces, infinity swimming pool, fitness center and the first and only world class revolving restaurant in Phnom Penh, giving you a 360 degree panoramic view of the city skyline while you drink and dine. Surrounded by conveniences of international standard, Penthouse is located next to premium residences and business centers such as the Sofitel Hotel, Aeon Shopping Center and ICAN British International School to name a just a few key venues. Learn more about this exciting project today on Realestate.com.kh: SEE THE FULL LISTING

Undertaking a robust development appraisal (feasibility study) can make or break a project. What Makes a Development Feasible? Understanding the inputs to a model and how these can be affected and manipulated is key. This is a full day RICS Training session. In the morning, participants will cover the key terminology, principles and inputs relevant to a Development Appraisal and in the afternoon, through case studies and a practical session, candidates will construct their own development appraisal model.This session focuses on Commercial, Retail and Industrial property. The session will be particularly useful for: Property Agents – seeking to better understand and market developments/land. Property Owners & Analysts – looking to sharpen their skills in development feasibility. Quantity Surveyors and Project Managers – looking to better interact with clients and developers. Property Valuers, Developers – seeking to construct a feasibility using best practice techniques. Banks & other financial teams – looking to manage risk better. By the end of the course, delegates should understand:  Underlying Principles & Terminology (DCF, NPV, IRR)  Key Property Development Performance Indicators  What makes a development feasible  Determining Land Values  Principles of Financing Modelling  Stages of a Development Appraisal  Development Preliminaries  Development Constraints  Case Studies  Building your own Development Appraisal Model About the Speaker: Tim Peisley, National Training Manager, Estate Master Tim has been working as a highly experienced training manager and technical writer for over 10 years with large commercial institutions. As a certified trainer and workplace assessor, Tim is responsible for training the Estate Master suite of products extensively in the Asia-Pacific region delivering content for all levels of property professionals. Having studied within the property industry, Tim works to bridge the gap between technology and the property industry across the Asia Pacific region. Tim is also the Estate Master Coordinator for the International University Partnership Program where Estate Master partners with universities around the world and assist them in educating their students on the principles of discounted cash flow, development feasibility and valuation. For registration, please email to Mr. Seyhak Bun at admin1@ibccambodia.com OR Ms Linda Kwok at LKwok@rics.org

The upcoming 19th Asean Valuers Association (AVA) Congress meeting will be held from May 4 to 7 in Phnom Penh at the Sofitel Hotel. Realestate.com.kh is proud to be the OFFICIAL PROPERTY PORTAL sponsor of this years Asean Valuers Association Congress. This will be the first AVA congress to be hosted in Cambodia, as the delegates of the eight ASEAN member countries, and representatives from Laos and Myanmar as observation countries, have been invited to the Kingdom by the new president of the AVA, Kim Heang. Heang is also the president of the Cambodian Valuers and Estate Agents Association (CVEA).SIGN UP FOR THE AVA CONGRESS TODAY! All Asean Valuers Association members shall come together to confer on matters regarding real estate and valuation regulations, standards and techniques adopted in the profession. The theme of this year’s congress shall be “One ASEAN, One Valuation Standard.” “The AVA will build a stronger, clear and transparent relationship with the government to make sure that we will become the leading center in future ASEAN,” said Kim Heang. AVA was established in 1981 with five founding members: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. AVA has expanded its membership to include Brunei in 1990, Vietnam in 1997 and Cambodia in 2009. Laos and Myanmar, the last two ASEAN countries yet to have been brought into the fold, are not officially members yet as they have no formal valuation profession in their countries. For this year’s congress, Laos and Myanmar retain an observer status in AVA. SIGN UP FOR THE AVA CONGRESS TODAY!

The latest Phnom Penh Land Price map has been released, for Q1 2016, by the CVEA.In December last year, over 20 CVEA Executive Committee and Members holding valuation certificates came together to discuss average Phnom Penh Land Price for the First Quarter of 2016. The group discussed average Phnom Penh land prices across all Sangkats of the 4 major Khans of Phnom Penh, namely Chamkarmon, Daun Penh, 7 Makara and Toul Kork. The meeting considered the growth of Phnom Penh land price as according to their proceeding 2015 report, with all members voting on reasonable increases on these statistics for the Q1 2016 report. The follow up from this meeting will include a consultation with Bank and Micro Finance Associations in order to ensure the land price survey includes all relevant stakeholders. Now - the Phnom Penh Land Price results have been released:

Even though the sounds of construction ring across Phnom Penh, the Cambodian real estate market still needs development in terms of consistency and quality to encourage a higher rate of FDI in real estate.  Nevertheless, in the eyes of many investors, Cambodia is demonstrating the political stability and consistent economic growth necessary for confidence in new foreign investments. The director of Khmer Real Estate, Mr. Kim Heang, said that the real estate development in Cambodia is showing great potential as the Cambodian economic sector is rising by around 8 percent per year for the last 20 years. Cambodia in becoming an increasingly attractive place for investors because Cambodia today has better infrastructure, low labor prices, and 70 percent of people are under 35 years old. These factors are the most encouraging for investors, believes Heang.    ​He went on to say that the growth of the construction sector is demanding more responsibility and respect, as it is becoming a crucial industry for the nation’s growth and people's’ wealth. “Now Cambodian valuers and agents are also rising in their abilities and professionalism in order to prepare for the Asean economic community integration” he said. “Cambodia is one the leaders in economic growth within Asean, and we will step forward into the future as a strong market”.   General Director of Century 21 Mekong, Chrek Soknim, said that he is optimism about the growth of real estate in Cambodia. “This should continue to grow sustainably until 2018 because the sector faces no impediments.” He claimed that there are three factors currently supporting the growth of the real estate market sector. First of all, good political stability is important to attract more investors. Secondly, the Asean integration at the end of this year will mean more commerce and cultural exchanges between Asean states, naturally supporting demand for accommodation, investment properties and office space. Thirdly, the increase in quality and variety of available real estate will allow investors more choice when they buy real estate in Cambodia. And Forth, the royal government of Cambodia will soon be able to grant loans to its citizenry on long repayment terms of 20 years and higher, meaning more people will have credit to buy their own homes. When the majority of people are able to buy a house, then the construction and real estate sector can only grow.   “Even though new development projects face some obstacles in the coming years, if they choose the right location, and build to the right quality standards, these problems will be limited,” he added. He mentions that the economic growth rates of 7 to 7.5 percent are ideal for business growth, and will also support the real estate market development industry. Sear Chaylin, general director of CL Realty Estate, said that the property being sold has decreased a little bit in a last few months, but this is normal when the rainy season is coming. During this period, buyer transactions are usually slower. It will increase when Cambodia is ready to integrate with ASEAN at the end of this year. Many Japanese companies are now flowing into the Cambodian market, bringing new challenges and opportunities to the market. “I think that the real estate market and property sector will continue to develop because the needs of the people are rising, strong economic growth is occurring alongside relative political stability, and security in the market is better than ever,” Mr. Sear Chaylin said. “Even though we are seeing increases in construction, it will be suitably matched to the current economic growth and the needs of the people”. Senior National Economic Counselor, H.E Mey Kalyan said that “for instance, when we buy fish, vegetables, and rice today, then we can eat. But, if we buy a house and property, we cannot eat the benefits immediately. We have to keep it for a long time and it represents a big risk. If you don’t have enough money, you can borrow that money from the bank in order to invest, and hope that it will gain profit in the future. However, if the house is not sold or rented, people will not have money to pay back to the bank and, if this happens to too many people, the bank will collapse. When banks collapse the financial system and national economy is in great jeopardy.”       “Be careful if you are building for rent or sale, then you cannot rent or sell upon completion - this is a big problem. So, control your risks and always try to limit your chances of failure.” H.E Mey said. “The royal government of Cambodia can see this risk. Be careful, because any sector growing so fast has risks like this.” H.E Kalyan went on to say that the government should manage the flow of money in the right way in order to control this growth risk. But when you prevent the flow of money, the growth of the economy can suffer. Therefore, the management of money flow must play a balancing role into the future. H.E Mey Vann, General Director of Financial Industry of Ministry of Financial and Economy, said flows of money into the real estate market sector have come with few risks thus far, but the ministry is being proactive in working with investors in order to manage the data of development, demands, and specific support for preventing risk in this sector. “Data management and money flow management in this sector is very important for us if we want real estate development sustainability” H.E Mey Vann said. Realestate.com.kh is proud to support the CVEA's Property View publication. Click here to get your copy, or if you are interested to join the CVEA today.

The Cambodia and other Asean member states will integrate into the economy and cultural community on 31 December 2015. This will open the profit of the entire economy to all of the 600 million people in this region, allowing more shared benefits and improved living standards for all. Dr. Sok Siphana discusses how this opportunity will challenge and benefit Cambodia.How does Cambodia prepare for the Asean economic community integration at the end of this year?Dr. Siphana: Cambodia has already prepared for the Asean integration but now we look back in the context of the last 10 years of Cambodian economics. Particularly, in the previous decades, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen pushed Cambodia to become a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). In the context of negotiation, Cambodia opened some policies such as tariff cuts, free flow policies for investors, and some freedoms within major industries.Cambodia has improved in the last 10 years and become very friendly to foreign investment. So, Cambodia has in many ways already prepared for the Asean integration, now we face the second phase of a deeper integration.    The regional economic integration is to join markets all over the region.Our problem is to communicate with the investors effectively because Cambodia has a medium to small market, only 15 million in population, and most of these people do not have enough money to invest. Therefore, Cambodia needs to tap into the biggest markets before the Asean integration. Cambodia will succeed in its goals and become the member of a region which has more 600 million people.   Our prime targets are not places such as Indonesia, Philippines, and Brunei - which have many islands and are a long distance from Cambodia. But when we think about our position in the sub-region with Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, and Myanmar, there are more than 200 million people easy to access. So, Cambodia has more opportunities when we open our policies to welcome investors to Cambodia. The investors always expect to sell their products to Europe, America, China, and Japan before coming here. But now, the investors come to Cambodia to tap into more markets within the subregion.Why do the investors come here? What special factors does Cambodia have?Dr. Siphana: Why? Because Cambodia has free policies for investors. Before negotiating to be a member of WTO, Cambodia had already opened its market. With this point, Cambodia’s policies were opened to permit investors to own 100 percent of their Cambodian-based company. Generally, if we run a business in any country, we want to manage and control that business entirely, and in Cambodia this is possible. We have one problem in that foreigners cannot buy land, but we have prepared and corrected some laws which permit foreigners to buy above the first floor of apartments.Therefore, some problems have not yet been solved because they relate to Cambodia’s constitution, specifically foreign land ownership limitations, but we can solve these problems somewhat by allowing them investment opportunities in Cambodia. Cambodia between the big markets such as Vietnam, Thailand, and Myanmar meaning we will see a lot of cross-economy traffic. And Cambodia is one of the joint regional product producers.How do Cambodian people and entrepreneurs catch this opportunity?Dr. Siphana: In the last 10 years, Cambodian entrepreneurs and intellectuals have a chance to gain more capacity and skills because of the free market. The development of the country is not only building the bridges and roads so that it is easy to walk, but also gaining knowledge and skills. The opening of free markets gives a chance for Cambodian youth to study abroad and apply equally in the global society. Learning from other countries is fundamental to their success when competing in the region. Local producers are worried they will lose their market share when Cambodia joins ASEAN - because only 2 percent of enterprises produce products to correct quality and safety standards.What do you think?Dr. Siphana: I would like to disagree with this. What have we achieved since the civil war ended? Take a look at new enterprises we are capable of, like Khmer TV series, movies or videos, and digital marketing.If we try to survive on only 2 percent of possible products, we will die. But in the last 20 years, Cambodia did not have 50 thousand different enterprises available. Today we do. Because of this growth in opportunities, we cannot say that Cambodia has only 2 percent of our businesses able to compete with others. Therefore, the important thing is providing technology and education that will allow Cambodian youth to compete on even ground.The opening of the economy has given abilities and new skills to Cambodian people and entrepreneurs for 20 years already. They grew the businesses and studied from them. There were not many entrepreneurs before, now we have two percent of 50 thousand enterprises which are able to compete. And what the Cambodian people are best able to compete in is technology. We did not have abilities to research the technology before, but now we have human resources who are quickly able to compete when we have the right technology.For example; we can produce a modern camera and use it very well. Recently, we can buy modern technology and packing machines for our factories. So, don’t think that we are lost in this sector. In the context of fast development where technology can step us forward faster than ever. Another example is Keo Mom, now the CEO of LyLy Food Industry. She had a dream for her business that went beyond making a stamp on the industry. Before her company produced a small amount of products and worked very hard to survive, but now her company can export to the United States, Canada, and other countries with modern technology. So that means we are able to import technology, and improve our industry fast.We were dependent on ourselves for the last 20 years. However, now our young generation are knowledgeable enough to tell their parents what technological systems they need to buy to improve their business. Therefore, a Thai company that has been around for the last 20 years is not automatically better than us. If the world has modern technology available, Cambodia can buy it, Thailand can buy it, and also Vietnam can buy it.That is why I want Cambodian enterprises to use technology as the power to overcome our competitors. The foreigners are not better than us, and we are not cleverer than them. But, technology makes the company and entire enterprise smarter. Now, Cambodia can build 20 storey skyline buildings. The ground breaking is done by Cambodians using machines and technology. This is just one example, but we can follow up with many others.What if all skilled Khmer labour is absorbed after the Asean integration and we don’t have enough human resources?Dr. Siphana: I think that if we don’t have knowledge, we have to look for the knowledgeable. If we are ignorant, we have to work with intellectual people. If we don’t have any money, we have look for those that have. We don’t think about the competition, at first, we think about the cooperation. After cooperating, we have some basic knowledge to learn and grow from.It doesn’t mean we steal skills from others, but we have worked with them for a few years, and now we can run the business ourselves.   Don’t think we cannot compare ourselves to others. We have already come a long way - because our country just finished the civil war only 20 years ago and since we have seen economic growth of 7 percent every year.There aren’t many countries that have done what we have done in 20 years. However, we have to recognize that we still have negative points as well. They know better than us in some cases, and have had more experience than us. With this in mind, it doesn’t mean we are unknowledgeable. We should not feel hopeless and jump off the bridge.We have to try our best to be better than others. There are so many technologies to study. Social networking (Facebook and Twitter) is fundamental knowledge today. But you do not take pictures of your birthday cake and post it on your business page - you must research about enterprises, talk about technology etc. These things will give more benefits than posting about useless things.During 1993, I worked as a law councilor of the UN. I was worried because there was no law documented, but now the government of Cambodia was asking me about the laws. I spent only a few days researching it. We went to cafés to research, because it had internet connection. Therefore, I think technology is crucial to modernization the economy.It is used it to strengthen our fundamental capacity. Then we have ideas and look for the partners who can understand. After that, we can do it by ourselves.   It is said that Cambodia has already opened to the global economy.So, is the economic integration at the end of this year really going to change much beyond the status quo?Dr. Siphana: We haven’t integrated into the Asean economic community yet. But we have already prepared for some investors who are surveying the market. Even though it has not been opened yet, the growth of the economy is still progressing. Even if you don’t want it to, it will go forward. When the market has not been opened, Cambodia only has a 15 million population cap. This is the psychology. But when Cambodia is integrated, it will not be analyzed as a market that has 15 million. It will be analyzed as a country with 600 million. Realestate.com.kh is proud to support the CVEA's Property View publication. Click here to get your copy, or if you are interested to join the CVEA today.Find out the best real estate news on Realestate.com.khLooking for real estate for rent in Cambodia or real estate for sale in Cambodia?

The ASEAN Integration came into effect at the end of 2015. However, Cambodians seem to lack an in depth understanding about the community and its influence on people's day to day lives. Consequently, to provide more knowledge about the ASEAN community, Property View Magazine raises key information to grant a greater understanding for our readers.The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) comprises a joint population of 622 million people and $2.6 trillion of overall GDP, which increased by 4.6 per cent in 2014, as according to a report from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. ASEAN took many measures in order to deeply integrate all member states and improve regulation, infrastructure and flow of goods, ease of trade tariff barriers and improved economic relationships generally. How do people describe the ASEAN Economic Community?AEC will make the 10 member states closer. This means that all the states will need to compromise to have one vision in the region with peace, stability, and security in perpetuity. The ASEAN Community is comprised of three pillars, namely the ASEAN Political-Security Community, ASEAN Economic Community and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. The ASEAN community hope to have a population of 620 million people with “One Vision, One Identity, One Community”.  This community officially came into effect in 31st December, 2015. What do we expect from the integration this year?The ASEAN evolution is still progressing, but it does not change quickly. To initiate this community, the member states implemented the three pillars vision, with the aim of becoming integrated deeply and comprehensively. More specifically, ASEAN leaders adopted the ASEAN Economic Vision 2025 which continues to integrate and strengthen their relationships over the next 10 years. How will the community influence the daily lives of people?The main goal of the ASEAN region is to promote people’s livelihood. The 2015 statement about the AEC, as issued by the ASEAN leaders on the 27th November, 2015, focused mainly on people and people’s power in the community. People continue to work together and gain benefits from ASEAN such as freedom, neutrality and seeking to find ways to strengthen solutions mechanisms. Can we travel across ASEAN by free visa or work in another country in ASEAN without any barrier?The agreement and ASEAN initiation has eased the travel restrictions throughout all the ASEAN countries and now many agreements confirming these rights are being prepared. For the working sector, an agreement that all the members acknowledge each other in ASEAN allows limited flow of labors such as engineers, nurses, architects, real estate experts, doctors, accountants, and tourism professionals. Some ASEAN countries have climaxed. How will the AEC resolve this problem? The ASEAN members have different perspectives on one particular subject and some members still have demarcation disputes. However, all the members are committed to obey the ASEAN Charter in principle and use this charter to guide them to resolve any dispute. In the ASEAN way, reconciliation and peaceful means of confrontation and solving problems, and neutralization, are implemented.  ASEAN have many agreements to promote peace, cooperation and the regional consolidation, including the 1971 statement which is about peace, consolidation, and aseanization. There are many ways to ease the free flow of goods, service, and people in the region which has highways, 47 ports, corridors, fast data, ASEAN energy supply systems, and infrastructure across the border Three transportation agreements will connect all the member states, and the three agreements also ease transportation across all the ASEAN countries and multi-transportations - which is aimed to reduce expense and boost transportation services across the borders. Lao and Vietnam, for instance, launched a checking system along Bao Danh Savanh border in 2015 in order to boost the bilateral trade in the east and west economic corridors.  The ASEAN members are easing the goods transportation across ASEAN countries’ borders and single gate mechanisms. In 2016, the single gate in ASEAN is ready to be implemented by all ASEAN members. ASEAN continues to implement a single airline and production base, and open investment inside and outside ASEAN. Many measures connect the institutions involved and ease the trade among the countries, such as the ASEAN trade data storage and national trade data storage systems. ASEAN is solving the tariff barrier to boost the trade and investment in ASEAN. Realestate.com.kh is proud to support the CVEA's Property View publication. Click here to get your copy, or if you are interested to join the CVEA today.

Flowing credit from banks in Cambodia have been increasing the rise of buildings and property in the last decades. The chief of purchasing and marketing of Borey Vimean Phnom Penh, Mrs. Chhay Sina, said banks have important roles to support construction and property in Cambodia. 90 percent of building buyers need lending money from the banks with the low interest around 8 percent a year. She added some buyers pay for building step by step and some need lending money with home loans from the banks. Most of young building buyers need lending money from the banks, especially, new couples but old building buyers don’t need home loans from the banks. They use cash to buy it for their self or for the children. Executive director of credit of ACLEDA, In Siphan, said home loans are not the first step of ACLEDA because its credit for property is only 7 percent and credit for repairing building is only 1 percent but buildings or property in Cambodia are increasing every year with 7000 credits from the banks with around 160 million dollars. He said the credit of the bank is important for new couples to buy a house or flat so buildings are increasing every year. After economic crisis 2008, the bank of Cambodia allow all banks in Cambodia give only 15 percent of its total money to the lenders to buy property on home loans. But after that the bank of Cambodia allow all banks to gives lenders buying property over 15 percent. In Siphan added that to be avoid of losing money or crisis, the bank is always careful for customers but sometimes the bank is wrong also for giving money to the home loans customers. So family and characteristic of customers are important. Consultant of national economic council, Dr. Mey Kalyan said if we buy food, we can eat immediately, but if we buy house or property, we can keep it for a long time and it isn’t easy to buy it and spend so much to buy it also. But we can sell and rent to get money easily. Dr. Mey Kalyan added that the banks should be careful with customers but credit of the banks are important to increase building or property. The buildings or property projects always need money from the banks so banks are important for this field. Director of finance industrial department of economic and finance ministry , Excellency Mey Vann said until now, he’s never seen crisis of buildings or property field but ministry is watching data project or planning of building or property to be avoid crisis. Excellency Mey Van added that it’s very important to control data, project or planning of building or property of the banks or companies in Cambodia. Realestate.com.kh is proud to support the CVEA's Property View publication. Click here to get your copy, or if you are interested to join the CVEA today.

It is no accident when foreign investors enter Cambodia and spend millions on highrise condo projects. Why do foreign investors invest in Cambodian condos? The answer relates to political stability, strong economic growth, and the free use of the US dollar.The Cambodian economy has increased so fast since the civil war’s end, and relative stability has been achieved in only two decades. Cambodia maintained a 7.8 percentage GDP increase every year since, which makes it the sixth fastest growing economy in the world.CEO of Eastland HK Development, Sam Yang, who has been building Cambodian condos and high office buildings in Phnom Penh, said that his latest project, East Commercial Center (ECC), will finish at the end of 2017. This building is 38 floors on Norodom Boulevard - with small, adjustable office spaces for sale and rent, with reason prices and a good location.​ He went on to say, “I think that 2018 will be ok. There isn’t any market which is unaffected by politics. You have to remember that Myanmar and Thailand will also have elections, and it will be the same type of situation we predict in Cambodia”. He added that there three main points in this market which make it very attractive. Firstly, we are sure that the next major international economic boom will occur in an Asean country. Secondly, Cambodia is the third country in Asean to have achieved relative political stability. Thirdly, investors can rely of the US dollar in Cambodia, and this is very attractive.” Yang also sees Chinese investment continuing to increase in the next few years, citing plans for a regional Chinese railway in the coming years.He added that thus far the Cambodian real estate market has only attracted relatively small investment pools, in comparison to international standards of major investments. Generally, new real estate investments in Cambodia are valued at around 5 to 10 million dollars only. The larger real estate investment funds of 200 to 600 million dollars have not yet come to Cambodia - but they will soon.  “The Cambodian condos market will continue to improve and Chinese investors plan to construct more roads and railway lines in 2018 to link the Asian markets together.” Mr. Sam Yang asserted “Even though the investment in Cambodia is growing fast, we should still think about the correct supply while this country is developing. This is why ECC is focusing on affordable office space.” The director of JS Land Limited, Koy Lesan, said that even though there are many condo projects being built recently, some of condos don’t respond to needs of customers and are too expensive. Prices per unit of around 80 to 100 thousand hundred dollars do not reflect Cambodian incomes. He went on to say that the needs for more housing for locals and foreigners is increasing, but most condo projects are still overpriced. This understanding has inspired JS Land’s new project. The Cambodian condos project is 19 storeys high and has 212 units. Each unit is priced at just $38,000. The important thing is that it will be easy for the customers to cooperate with Maybank, who has offered financing for the project. They can install payments on long terms from 20 to 25 years, allowing buyers to manage their investment alongside a low average income across the population. KH NIRON Investment’s executive director, Ms Lok Sovanna, invests in many condominium projects in order to resell the units. She said  “there is some risk but we observe that Cambodian people and foreigners demanding more and more condos and apartments and understanding the benefits of investment. She went on that KH NIRON INVESTMENT has spent a hundred million dollars investing in big projects. For example; units in Bodaiju Residences, DI Riviera, The Peak, The Bridge, and East One.    General Director of Century 21, Kevin Goos, said that the Kingdom is the most attractive market among Asean countries. The biggest real estate markets of Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan are decreasing in investment by around thirty percent. Hence, we can expect increased investment in Cambodia in the next 2 years.    He went on to say that the real estate market in Phnom Penh has affordable prices, if we compare to other countries in Asean. Cambodia is still growing fast across economic sectors, as it has been since 2001. If we compare the real estate market in Cambodia, it is the same as other countries such as Singapore, Taipei and Hong Kong during decades of the 1980s and 90s. Phnom Penh is growing fast and we also seeing some successful construction projects, such as the North Park Condominium project, which sold around 40 percent in the first phase of its inauguration last week. ​He went on to say that Cambodia granted a good opportunity for business expansion and the stand of the government on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is very attractive if we compare to other Asean member state policies. He added that the creation of the new construction law, and development in the country generally, will open the door for investors to invest more heavily in real estate,  and aid foreigners buying condos with greater transparency and consistency. Realestate.com.kh is proud to support the CVEA's Property View publication. Click here to get your copy, or if you are interested to join the CVEA today.

The construction sector has become the most dynamic engine of growth, partly due to the return of political stability and a revival in consumption, according to a recent report by the World Bank. Economic growth here is still led by construction, garment exports and tourism, the World Bank said in its report “World Bank East Asia and Pacific Economic Update – Staying the Course.” Construction investment increased nearly 3 billion US Dollar in the first 11 months 2015 if compared with the same period last year, according to the data from the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning, and Construction.According to Im Chhunlim, senior minister of the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning, and Construction, said construction investment capital reached about 2.9 billion US Dollars in the first 11 months in 2015 if compared with the same period last year, increased 27 per cent. A group of local real estate expert said the construction sector helps invigorate the economy as well as GDP growth. Kim Heang, CEO of Khmer Real Estate and president of Cambodian Valuers and Estate Agents Association (CVEA), said the construction sector took the biggest part in Cambodia’s GDP because most wealthy people gain benefit from the land and construction. He warned, “We don’t have to concentrate only on the construction sector because the prices can increase or decline depending on the situation as there are many sectors we have to focus on such as tourism, agriculture, as well as garment.” “People’s income does not meet the current residential, and number of tenants saw an increase, so the government must take action to make middle income people to be able to afford housing,” he said. In order to become a developed country with strong GDP, we have to depend on human resource. It is a long-term investment and the education system has to be improved,” Mr. Heang said. Chrek Soknim, CEO of Century21 Mekong, stressed the vital role of the construction sector in the Cambodian economy. “The economy talks about money. Currently as we can see, construction sector in Cambodia injected a lot of money into the economy. That’s the reason the construction sector took a big part in the GDP growth,” Mr. Soknim said. However, he said, “even though the Cambodia property sector is younger if compared with other countries, the Kingdom gains advantages from the sector.” “With people’s stable income bank sector in Cambodia also plays a vital role in boosting the property sector, and cash flow can help the economy,” he added. “To make the construction sector consistency, the government has to take care of investors by issuing laws to projects both investors and buyers,” Mr. Soknim said. In Sitha, vice-president of World Trust Estate, said currently there have been many construction sites popping up in Phnom Penh, and this creates many jobs for people as well as experts in the sector: “It means workers and experts in the construction sector earn more income from the construction, and many constructions boost the GDP growth and according to the current data from the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, the construction saw an increase, and this means it took a part in the GDP as well,” Mr. Sitha said. “Bank sector plays an important role in providing loan for people to have enough ability to afford home as many middle-income people use the loan to buy their own home,” he added. Return On Investment of condo investment in Cambodia is around 7.5 per year if compared to the same Asian markets, Cambodia’s investment provide more benefit as Thailand and Japan at 6.3 and 5.5 per cent respectively, China and Hong Kong are offering rent yields of only 2.7 and 3.3 per cent respectively, and Philippine at 7.1 per cent annually, according to a recent study of Century 21 Mekong. According to a report of real estate agency Century21 condominium development increased by 20 per cent annually from 2008 to 2014 with 13 projects successfully completed, which translates to 3,090 available units as of today. With another 17 projects currently underway, the report predicted that by 2018, when many of the current projects are slated for completion, the number will have more than tripled to over 10,000 available units across Phnom Penh. Cambodia’s per capita GDP is forecast to reach $1,220 this year, up from $1,123 last year, according to official data. This places the country near lower-middle income status. Its new forecast comes just a few weeks after the Asian Development Bank revised its March forecast for economic growth this year from 7.3 per cent to 7 percent. The construction sector has become the most dynamic engine of growth, partly due to the return of political stability and a revival in consumption; however, the tourism sector is underperforming, despite the initial recovery in tourist arrivals to Thailand. Tourist arrivals during the first six months grew by only 4.6 percent (reaching 2.3 million visitors), compared to 6.9 percent during the same period last year, the report from the World Bank said. Realestate.com.kh is proud to support the CVEA's Property View publication. Click here to get your copy, or if you are interested to join the CVEA today.

The official opening ceremony for the Camhomes’ Sihanoukville office was held last Saturday, March 26, graced by a host of honourable guests, including Oknha LAV Kang from the Sihanoukville Chamber of Commerce. With the launch of Camhomes’ Sihanoukville sales office, opening daily beside the 2 Golden Lion Roundabout, Camhomes can now provide investors close-proximity information about D’seaview and other upcoming Camhomes’ projects. It is also just minutes away from the buzz of the D’Seaview construction site... The D’Seaview construction is moving very quickly now. Already, 14% of the piling works are completed under the guidance of an international team of engineers, supervisors and construction professionals. Having accumulated more than 25 years of experiences in the design, construction and management of property developments in Singapore since 1988, D’Seaview will incorporate the latest in construction methods and modern building management concepts from Singapore.  The use of precast panels will allow for a smoother and more consistent finish throughout the complex; hollow core precast panels also allow service connections to be hidden within the wall therefore minimising the need for hacking and plastering or exposed ductworks; quality international standard fittings and fixtures will be used throughout, along with homogenous floor tiles, safety glass ( for windows which extends below 1m height), and a safe and quality assured elevator system; wall tiles to wet areas come standard, and beautifully-crafted roof terraces are provided for selected units; finally, all bathrooms have windows to allow for natural light and ventilation, and all enclosed kitchens have windows for ample ventilation. Naturally lighted and ventilated corridors, via cross ventilation, ensure a high level of comfort in all common areas within D’Seaview. As importantly, your new home will be a safe haven – with a high level of security via separate commercial and residential car park levels, card access and an integrated intercom service. Residential units will enjoy unrestricted sea views through design thanks to D’Seaview’s efficiently shaped floor plans. Prime units also include spacious balconies for outdoor enjoyment. Luxurious amenities shall fall at your doorstep, with subscription facilities such as a pool cafe, swimming pool, kid’s room, yoga room, library, and fully equipped function rooms. Realise your housing and commercial dreams now; and visit Camhomes’ D’Seaview showrooms in Phnom Penh at the Canadia Tower, level 3, or in Sihanoukville, Golden Lion Roundabout 2.Or check out the full listing information online at realestate.com.kh.And if you're in Sihanoukville this weekend, call the local sales team for a tour of the site and showroom.