With change comes opportunity. It is a statement that has echoed across various industries and it has remained a constant variable especially in today's society. The change, in this case, would be the transformation brought about by the development of Pan Borneo Highway to the real estate sector in Sabah.

It seems that there is always something valuable to be derived out of any change. One just has to look for it with an open mind. Same can be said from a property/real estate standpoint. Dozens of statistics have shown that a development of a highway project will inevitably provide more benefits, expressly to the development of a country and its income.

In relation to property/real estate, there is no certain answer to the question of whether a particular highway will adversely affect the property value at any one district. It's a complicated topic that begs the consideration of various parties and plenty of working papers. Other factors play a role in determining the value of any property. Again, this is just a general consensus.

Being appointed as the implementing partner of Phase One of the Pan Borneo Highway Sabah project, Borneo Highway PDP Sdn Bhd have reassured the public in several of its engagements and events that the development of Pan Borneo Highway will bring immeasurable amount of benefits to the community as a whole, as well as the industries that place high reliance on transportation in their operations.

First off, we talk about accessibility. Many real estate agents when trying to persuade buyers to purchase residential properties, predominantly high-rises, start their pitches with how conveniently positioned their projects are to an array of amenities, facilities and or places of interest. With the existence of a highway, residents' time on travelling to banks, hospitals, supermarkets or recreational parks etc is drastically reduced.

Developers in the areas of Papar, where Pan Borneo Highway Sabah will make its route, have seen an increase in interest and sales of their projects since its launch by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on 24 April 2016.

Benefits Pan Borneo Highway Sabah will bring to the existing commercial properties, such as those in the areas of Beaufort (Beaufort Square etc.) and Kimanis (Kimanis Centro etc.) for instance, that have limited access would come in way of increase in economic activities. Its commonly known that when more people pass through areas in the vicinity of a highway, it will cause more attraction to their establishments. Indubitably, this rise in exposure will hence lead to increases in profits for businesses located at these locations.

With regards to the value of new and or future commercial real estate along the Pan Borneo highway Sabah, it will rise in terms of demand. Each and every business wants their location to be easily and safely accessed. With several junctions put into the development of Pan Borneo Highway Sabah, existing and new corporations in the State can rest easy as their approachability will be remarkably secured should they open shop or relocate in the vicinity. On top of that, they will also see a drop in operating costs and rise in productivity.

Now we discuss the development of rural areas. As most might know, the construction of Pan Borneo Highway Sabah will generate more access and opening to existing and new areas for residential development such as Bongawan, Membakut, Tuaran, Telupid, Beluran and many more, thereby stimulating housing construction by property developers. Highways make land that previously was too far out from the urban centre more suitable for residential development by bringing it within travelling distance of shopping, work and other activities. In turn, by improving access to markets and reducing transportation costs, the highway may encourage an increase in commercial development. These effects may result in stimulating the economy in Sabah, ultimately Malaysia, and increase the capability of the people in Sabah to afford better housing.

Honestly speaking, the development of Pan Borneo Highway Sabah is a trade-off between accessibility and traffic growth. While a rise in traffic due the construction of the highway may be deemed undesirable to some, the same can be argued for the construction of any type of roadway. Furthermore, the effects of traffic form the basis for the positive changes in property values - as might be expected for commercial establishments servicing a mobile population. For highway users, the Pan Borneo Highway Sabah development will confer benefits in the form of reduced transportation costs. Whether a particular road is classified as a highway or a local street may not be as important as the volume of traffic carried.

More in-depth assessments of the net effects of Pan Borneo Highway Sabah on nearby property values are limited due to the fact that antagonism to such a development has typically been the impetus for further research. However, in recognizing that the highway is simply another means of carrying traffic, the analysis shifts to the benefits and costs of the ‘road system' in general. However, what is definite is the changes that will follow the Pan Borneo Highway development, through the hard efforts of Borneo Highway PDP Sdn Bhd will undoubtedly bring more opportunities for Sabah's economic growth.

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.” - Winston Churchill