18/06/2026

PROPERTY THURSDAY | JUNE 18, 2026

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Smart home searches to shape market by 2030

also allows owners to optimise rental yields through multi-tenant or hybrid usage arrangements, while fully furnished units enable immediate rental activation with minimal setup, it said. According to the developer, OSK Ombak represents the third phase of a beachfront development corridor, following the take-up of Swiss Garden Resort Residences and TimurBay Seafront Residences. The indicative prices for the development start from RM380,000, it said. – Bernama Oriental Interest arm expands in Jenderam with Myra Embun DENGKIL: As homebuyers become increasingly selective in today’s residential market, demand continues to shift towards strategically connected suburban developments that offer greater liveability, practical layouts and everyday conveniences. Responding to these evolving preferences, Myra, the residential property arm of Oriental Interest Bhd, has unveiled Myra Embun, a new mixed development in Jenderam designed to serve the growing Putrajaya fringe. Set on 5.08 acres of freehold land, Myra Embun combines serviced residences, retail offerings and a boutique hotel within a single integrated development, making it among the first mixed-use developments in Jenderam, Dengkil. Located just 5km from Putrajaya and connected via major highways including MEX, PLUS and Lingkaran Putrajaya, the development is strategically positioned to benefit from the continued expansion and spillover demand from nearby townships such as Putrajaya, Cyberjaya, Dengkil and Sepang. Recent Q1’26 data from the National Property Information Centre points to a more selective residential market, particularly within stratified housing segments, as buyers increasingly prioritise connectivity, practical layouts and integrated lifestyle offerings. The data also reflects continued residential activity across Selangor and surrounding Greater Kuala Lumpur growth corridors. Myra Embun builds on Myra’s growing presence within the location, following the successful take-up of earlier residential phases at its nearby Myra Saujana township development. The continued expansion reflects the developer’s confidence in the area’s long-term residential growth potential and evolving buyer demand. Myra Embun features two residential towers with a total of 594 serviced residence units across two phases, offering five layout types ranging from 700 sq ft to 1,490 sq ft in two-bedroom, three-bedroom and four-bedroom units. Indicative pricing for Myra Embun starts from approximately RM250,000 for various layouts. Beyond the residences, Myra Embun integrates retail spaces, F&B outlets, a supermarket, EV charging facilities and a boutique hotel, creating a more self-sustaining environment centred around everyday convenience and accessibility.

o AI-powered matching, transaction transparency and deeper locality data set to help buyers make faster, more informed decisions, says MyRumahBaru CEO

Ű BY JOHN GILBERT sunbiz@thesundaily.com

business, with many internal workflows managed by a lean team supported by agentic AI tools. Rather than relying heavily on manpower expansion, MyRumahBaru views scalability as a matter of increasing productivity and employee leverage while maintaining a fast pace of execution. Further, Soh said the industry is also preparing for wider use of virtual reality technology, which is expected to become far more common by the end of the decade as production costs continue to fall. “By 2030, buyers and renters could be touring homes virtually before deciding whether to meet an agent in person, changing the way property transactions move through the sales cycle. “Industry observers say that would mean physical viewings are more likely to involve serious and qualified prospects, allowing agents to spend less time on unproductive appointments while improving conversion rates. “The shift could also improve efficiency across the sector, with fewer viewings needed to secure a deal and better returns for agents handling increasingly informed clients,“ he said. Soh also noted that blockchain technology, meanwhile, is still viewed as a longer-term project for the property market, particularly in areas involving land ownership and title management. He said progress in that space will depend largely on government agencies such as the National Property Information Centre and the Department of Director-General of Lands and Mines, rather than private property platforms alone. “The focus over the next two to three years is less about adding new features and more about building

KUALA LUMPUR: The next phase of Malaysia’s property market is expected to be driven less by flashy listings and more by data-driven solutions that help buyers make quicker, better-informed decisions. MyRumahBaru co-founder and CEO Melvin Soh said AI-powered property matching could become standard practice by 2027, but the bigger shift will come from greater transparency and easier access to critical information. He said details such as flood risk, crime rates, past transaction prices, and developers’ track records are increasingly seen as factors buyers want to know upfront before committing to a purchase or viewing. “Property platform MyRumahBaru is positioning itself around that changing landscape, focusing on what it describes as an ‘enrichment layer’ that gives buyers and renters a deeper context behind a listing. “The platform also uses AI tools to filter and qualify genuine interest early in the process, helping reduce unnecessary viewings and shorten decision-making cycles. “As the market becomes more data-driven between 2027 and 2030, the emphasis is expected to shift towards trust, efficiency and informed decision-making rather than simply widening the pool of listings,” he told SunBiz . Soh noted that MyRumahBaru platform provides transaction transparency and unit-level locality data including flood risk, crime rates and developers’ track records, giving buyers and renters deeper insight before committing to a deal. On the technology front, Soh said it has adopted an AI-native operating model across much of its

Soh shares how AI, transaction transparency and property data analytics are expected to reshape Malaysia’s property market over the coming years.

scale, or whether it breaks under pressure. “If we achieve that, it signals the model is working as a transaction infrastructure rather than just a pricing experiment,” Soh said. He said the bigger concern is the speed at which AI could commoditise the agent’s role before the industry has time to reprice it. “If buyers and renters increasingly self-serve through AI and bypass agents, commission structures will compress and the RM200-per confirmed-appointment model will come under pressure. “Our assumption is that agents remain part of the transaction as the human layer that closes deals; if AI shifts the closing point earlier in the journey, we will need to adjust quickly. “Other risks such as trust events or platform policy changes are manageable. The structural risk is agent disintermediation, and that is the one trajectory we need to stay aligned with, not react to after the fact,” Soh said.

trust within the ecosystem. “That means creating a better relationship between owners, tenants and agents, while reducing discrimination, misinformation and unnecessary friction during the transaction process. “If the trust layer is strong, growth will come naturally and scale over time. But without that foundation, even the best product features will have limited impact,” Soh said. He said that, as economic uncertainty and supply chain pressures continue to weigh on the broader market, platforms that can help users make confident and informed decisions quickly are likely to stand out. Soh pointed out that the milestone MyRumahBaru aims to reach is scaling from the current confirmed-appointment volume to more than 10,000 confirmed appointments per month, while maintaining a 90%+ show-up rate. “That is the real test of whether AI-qualified, performance-based matching can sustain its quality at

OSK Property unveils RM690m beachfront project in Kuantan KUALA LUMPUR: OSK Property Holdings Bhd has unveiled OSK Ombak, a RM690 million freehold beachfront development in Balok Beach, Kuantan, comprising 1,274 fully furnished residential units targeted for completion in 2030. podium leisure spaces and community areas,” it said. CEO Chu Wai Lune said OSK Ombak reflects the company’s continued commitment to creating thoughtfully designed developments that go beyond functional living. strong long-term potential in this market,” he added. The development is expected to benefit from Kuantan’s growing tourism sector and rising demand for flexible accommodation, as well as the ongoing industrial and to strengthen regional connectivity and support tourism and business activity in the state.

“Building on this established ecosystem, OSK Ombak benefits from proven demand patterns, increasing scarcity of new freehold beachfront supply, and a mature holiday destination environment,” it said, adding that its direct beachfront access and short-stay management readiness position the project to capture demand from domestic and regional travellers. The inclusion of dual-key layouts

infrastructure expansion, particularly within the Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park and the wider Gebeng industrial corridor. OSK Property said the expansion of Kuantan Port and the upcoming East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), scheduled to be operational in 2027, are also expected

Banking & Finance “With Kuantan’s growth trajectory supported by industrial expansion and infrastructure upgrades, we see He said OSK Ombak was designed to meet evolving lifestyle and investment expectations where flexibility, accessibility, and experiential living are increasingly valued.

In a statement, the property developer said OSK Ombak spans 2.42ha and comprises three serviced apartment blocks alongside curated retail units. “Residents will have access to more than 1.21ha of facilities including cascading pools, wellness zones,

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