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Hong Kong mortgage approvals continue to decline

mns@rfpmagazine.com (Administrator) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 03:26:06 GMT

This week, some key economic numbers in Hong Kong are released. This will help determine the health of Hong Kong’s economy at the start of 2012. January CPI numbers are released on Monday 20th, followed by employment data on Tuesday 21st. Economic performance in Hong Kong continued to show signs of moderation over the second half of 2011 as the growth momentum slowed amid the global downturn and ongoing eurozone fears. Housing market sentiment has turned cautious over recent months due to several rounds of macro-prudential measures and a deteriorating external environment. House prices have continued to rise, but at a slower pace. The results of the residential mortgage survey for December from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority indicated that the number of mortgage approvals continued the downward trend, declining 15% (from 4,885 in November to 4,158). Alongside this, new loan applications fell by 15% to 6,039. These findings confirm that the sentiment is softening in response to the decline in transactions. Looking forward, transaction volume and prices are likely to continue easing, reflecting the effectiveness of cooling measures and a softer growth outlook.

Compass Offices -- Asia's Fastest Growing Serviced Office Provider Announces Expansion into ...

mns@rfpmagazine.com (PR Newswire Asia) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:31:56 GMT

After conquering Hong Kong Island and becoming Hong Kong's largest Serviced Office provider in only 2 years, Compass Offices is now turning its attention towards Tsim Sha Tsui. The new centre, located in the China Minmetals Building on Chatham Rd South, will be the first location in the area for Compass Offices, and will continue to expand their network in Hong Kong. In addition to this site, Compass will also be opening another centre in Sheung Wan at Yardley Commercial Building early in 2012.

RICS全球主席贏得「年度傑出人士大獎」

mns@rfpmagazine.com (Administrator) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 01:25:00 GMT

香港2012年2月16日電/ -- RICS（英國皇家特許測量師學會）全球主席王書燐從馬來西亞建築業界獲得最崇高及光榮的讚譽，並於馬來西亞建造業優秀獎（MCIEA）2011贏得「年度傑出人士大獎」。該項一年一度之獎項是由馬來西亞公共工程部轄下的機構 -- 建築業發展局（CIDB）舉辦，旨在嘉許出類拔萃並在建築行業中有優秀成就的人士和機構。

王先生的提名是讚揚他於過去三十五年中，他積極參與和給予國家級的建造業委員會的持續貢獻。他對建造業的抱負和努力受到行業的高度讚揚和認可。

RICS President Is Named as Construction Industry's "Prominent Player of the Year"

mns@rfpmagazine.com (Administrator) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 01:24:00 GMT

HONG KONG, Feb. 16, 2012 -- RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) Global President See-Lian Ong received the highest and prestigious accolade from Malaysian construction industry and is named as the "Prominent Player of the Year" at the Malaysian Construction Industry Excellent Awards (MCIEA) 2011. The Awards are organised annually by the Consturction Industry Development Board (CIDB), which is a statutory body under the Ministry of Works, Malaysia, to recognise the achievement of individuals and organisations who have excelled in the construction industry.

Lanson Place and Beijing Capital Land to Sign Management Contract for Serviced Residence ...

mns@rfpmagazine.com (PR Newswire Asia) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:49:42 GMT

Lanson Place Hospitality Management Limited ("Lanson Place" or the "Company"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wing Tai Properties Limited (SEHK stock code: 369), is pleased to announce that it has signed a new contract to manage a Serviced Residence as part of the Xanadu Project in Beijing.

More Office and commercial Buildings Get Connected to Next Gen NBN

mns@rfpmagazine.com (Administrator) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:52:26 GMT

More occupants of non-residential buildings can look forward to powering up over the Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network (Next Gen NBN). As of December 2011, the network has been deployed to over 19,000 commercial buildings and offices.

Besides faster broadband speeds, occupants of Next Gen NBN connected buildings and offices can look forward to improved productivity as they can subscribe to more innovative and customised services that tap on the larger bandwidth offered over the network. Some of the buildings that are already connected to Next Gen NBN include Suntec Office Towers, HarbourFront Centre, Shaw House and Shaw Centre.

To help occupants and the public identify which commercial buildings and offices are connected to the Next Gen NBN, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) will be rolling out the Fibre Ready! Mark for non-residential buildings.

Mr Ronnie Tay, Chief Executive Officer of IDA, said, "Today, we have 12 service providers offering more than 40 fibre connection packages to cater for both residential and enterprise needs. However, not all enterprises are aware if their premises are fibre ready. With the Fibre Ready! Mark for buildings which have been connected to the Next Gen NBN, enterprises located in those buildings can be kept informed and therefore prepare their premises to be powered by Next Gen NBN."

On the residential side, OpenNet's free fibre installation offer received growing response from homeowners, as evidenced in the increase in take up among winning constituencies of the "Most Fibred-Up Constituency Contest". Bishan North constituency, the winner of the latest instalment, achieved over 70% sign-ups, compared to over 60% achieved in the Chua Chu Kang constituency, the first instalment winner awarded in November 2010.

Sharing on how the constituency members had spread the message to sign-up through word-of-mouth and notices on Resident Committee notice boards, Mr Phang Weng Onn, Chairman of Bishan North Zone 3 Resident Committee, also thanked the residents for their support, "On behalf of the constituency, I would like to express our gratitude to the residents for their support which enabled Bishan North constituency to win the first prize in the third round of the Most Fibred-Up Constituency Contest.".

The "Most Fibred-Up Constituency Contest" seeks to encourage homeowners to take up free installation of optical fibre for the Next Gen NBN. It is part of IDA's public outreach effort to inform and promote the adoption of Next Gen NBN. Other upcoming public outreach efforts include the iExperience Carnival on 3rd and 4th March which will feature various booths and activities related to Next Gen NBN. Members of the public can find out more about the technology behind the network and the available Next Gen services they can now subscribe to. They can also sign up for Next Gen NBN fibre connection plans at the Carnival.

Global Revenues for Commercial Building Automation Systems Will Reach $146 Billion by 2021, ...

cs@rfpmagazine.com (Claire Saeki) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:23:07 GMT

Because commercial buildings consume roughly 23% of all electricity globally, the automation systems that ensure efficient performance are a critical part of energy management. Until the mid-1990s, modern building automation consisted of little more than individual systems with simple control panels for switches, timers, and alarms. Today, the market for commercial building automation systems is in the midst of revolutionary change in terms of technology and utility. In the last several years, the focus has shifted from an individual system view to a more holistic view so that the “building system” can be defined to include virtually any device or data source within the building. The amount of data created by automation systems can be overwhelming, but real competitive and economic value exists in using the data to monitor performance and uncover trends. According to a new report from Pike Research, the market for commercial building automation systems will double over the next decade, increasing from $72.5 billion in 2011 to $146.4 billion by 2021.

ause commercial buildings consume roughly 23% of all electricity globally, the automation systems that ensure efficient performance are a critical part of energy management. Until the mid-1990s, modern building automation consisted of little more than individual systems with simple control panels for switches, timers, and alarms. Today, the market for commercial building automation systems is in the midst of revolutionary change in terms of technology and utility. In the last several years, the focus has shifted from an individual system view to a more holistic view so that the “building system” can be defined to include virtually any device or data source within the building. The amount of data created by automation systems can be overwhelming, but real competitive and economic value exists in using the data to monitor performance and uncover trends. According to a new report from Pike Research, the market for commercial building automation systems will double over the next decade, increasing from $72.5 billion in 2011 to $146.4 billion by 2021.
“Automation systems have long provided the core technologies to ensure that buildings are safe and energy-efficient”
“Automation systems have long provided the core technologies to ensure that buildings are safe and energy-efficient,” says research analyst Eric Bloom. “Recent advances in automation technology, particularly relating to their integration with information and communication technologies, are dramatically increasing system capabilities and enabling deeper levels of energy management than ever before, thereby generating a surge in demand.”
This surge is being driven by two important trends that are transforming the building industry. The first is aggressive energy efficiency goals within the building stock, which is undergoing tremendous growth, particularly in developing Asia Pacific nations. Second is the fact that building automation controls and field devices, which communicate via a range of protocols such as BACnet and LonWorks, are starting to be fitted with Internet Protocol capability so as to utilize the same protocols and infrastructure equipment as the IT network. As a result, the silos that IT, property management, software, and traditional BASs occupied within companies are disappearing.

高緯環球：環球樓市龍年仍有不明朗因素，惟北京商用物業市場領先全球

mns@rfpmagazine.com (PR Newswire Asia) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:23:26 GMT

私有商業房地產服務公司高緯環球 (Cushman & Wakefield)今日公佈2012年全球最昂貴的商用物業地段。高緯環球研究資料顯示，北京寫字樓市場租金按年增長全球最大，?升超過七成。而於2011年，香港連續成為全球最昂貴的商用物業地段。2011年全球商用物業平均租金增長為百份之三，比2010年的百份之一為高。亞太區則錄得全球最大的租金增長。

Continued appetite for London property by Asian investors

mns@rfpmagazine.com (Administrator) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:35:33 GMT

SINGAPORE - 6 February, 2012- Redrow announces the global sales launch of One Commercial Street, an iconic mixed use development set within a prominent 21 storey tower, incorporating over 200 residential units set above Aldgate East tube station, East London. One Commercial Street will feature spectacular views across London’s historic skyline and over 100,000sqft of Grade A retail and office space. Sales for the property launch will take place in Singapore on the 18^th and 19^th of February, at the Shangri-la Hotel. Prices start from £330,000 for 379 sq ft, studio apartments, to £985,000 for 1,025 sq ft two bedroom apartments. Expected rental returns for One Commercial Street are between 4-6%.

Marsh: Asia Property Insurance Rates to Climb in 2012 for Disaster-Hit Areas

mns@rfpmagazine.com (PRNewswireAsia) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:28:22 GMT

Commercial insurance rates in Asia are expected to climb in regions affected by natural disasters following record insurance losses in 2011, according to a comprehensive report published today by Marsh. The report also predicts that as competition among insurers for market share in many other lines of insurance remains strong, rates will continue to decline.

Substantial catastrophe losses prompted many insurers to seek rate increases in 2011, most notably in the property market, Marsh said in its report, Navigating the Risk and Insurance Landscape: Asia Insurance Market Report 2012. In disaster-hit regions, rate increases of over 30 percent are being experienced for natural catastrophe and some property risks, especially flood risk.