The annual Property Market Outlook 2017 is designed to give you perspectives and intuitive insights into the property market as it moves into an era of rising global interest rates amidst plateaued market growth and downward trends in rentals and capital values.

The slowing economy, locally and on the global front has adversely affected the property market, with the residential sector reporting flat growth. The oversupply in the commercial market, comprising office, hospitality and retail sub-sectors is rapidly pressuring rents and capital values, furrowing investors' brows.

Amidst these bleak indicators, the global interest rates are set to take on an upward trend which would impact the property market in general and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) in particular. Recognising the need to address these shifting fundamentals the Association of Valuers, Property Managers, Estate Agents and Property Consultants in the private sector of Malaysia (PEPS) will be organising the Malaysian Property Market Outlook 2017 on February 23 at The Sime Darby Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur.

The summit aims to address the challenges of the property market while presenting opportunities that lie unattended in a bid to boost the industry and pave the way for investors and home purchasers to make the best of the market conditions.

"The highlight of the summit is a special interview with the Past President of the Real Estate Housing Developers' Association (REHDA), YB Datuk Ng Seing Liong which will give the participants an insight into methods to make homes more affordable and businesses better served" reveals organising chairman, Elvin Fernandez.

He also brings to attention that this year, the summit will provide an expert review of the hidden potential that lies in the Eastern Economic Region which will see a boost in transportation and infrastructure. Under Budget 2017, an estimated RM55 billion will be invested for the implementation of the new East Coast Rail Line project connecting Klang Valley to the East Coast and another RM100m to restore the East Coast railway line along Gua Musang - Tumpat.

The summit will open with an in-depth overview of the Malaysian Property Market by Sr. Dr Rahah binti Ismail, recently appointed Director General of Valuation and Property Services Department. Her session promises opinions in the property market based on the department's statistics and analysis that will entail an outlook and projection for the market based on actual up-to-date figures.

Other not-to-be-missed sessions include an analyst's perspective of the landed residential market which will include statistical projections and analysis for a more accurate outlook in the year to come.

With much a-buzz over the office market, the summit aims to bring participants abreast to the currents in yields, with an added advantage of gaining insight into the key reason trading rents are more important than trading values.

The summit will also cover retail market performance, the market performance in the northern and southern region and well as in Sabah and Sarawak.

According to Mr.Fernandez, the aim of PEPS in organising this annual summit is to ensure the quality of information and analyses disseminated into the market will contribute to an efficient market. "It is without a doubt that an efficient market allocates scarce resources the best" he adds, reinforcing the importance of top quality information and analyses.

He calls on market players to attend this summit to update and reinforce their knowledge in the property industry to ensure they can better recognise the opportunities that lay amidst the challenges as the industry rides out the trough of the economic cycle.

The Property Market Outlook has been organised by PEPS over the past 10 years, drawing a crowd of approximately 300 participants. It is a much-anticipated event in the property fraternity as the summit highlights the views of property experts from a good cross-section of the property industry, which includes property consultants, analysts, estate agents, government officials and developers.