By Chong Qi Hui, Head Of Research 
Date: 7 May 2020

I have shared in a private “live” webinar organised by Far East Organisation on 5 May 2020 that Singapore’s CDB area such as Tanjong Pagar, Anson Road and Cecil Street will be a rejuvenated mature area due to URA’s Master Plan 2019 to encourage building owners to convert their buildings from commercial to residential and integrated usage.

Hence there is no surprise to me that on the next day, the news reported that Alibaba Group has bought over 50% stake in AXA Tower, and the building owners have secured regulatory approval to further increase its floor area to 1.55 million sqft to integrate hotel and residential usage under the CBD Incentive Scheme.

This is what we like about property investment which is very predictable if you have the knowledge to understand the fundamentals and identify the next hot spots. The good thing about Singapore is that the government has already provided the answer to astute investors through the URA’s Master Plan, which guides Singapore’s land-use development for the next 10-15 years.

In times of crisis, there will be a transfer of wealth from people who know and ready to others who do not know what to do and unmotivated to take massive actions. The key is to invest in yourself while you stay at home so that you have the knowledge to identify opportunities and avoid potential pitfalls caused by FOMO syndrome or hear-say.