“Among other things, the RTS project is causing the market in JB City to move toward commercial landbanking. Due to the projected demand in JB resulting from the ongoing infrastructure initiatives, developers are aiming to construct mixed-use or serviced apartment buildings.”
–Tan Wee Tiam, head of research at KGV International Property Consultants-
JOHOR BAHRU : The Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link and the development of a brand-new urban oasis next to the RTS Link station in Johor Bahru have been acclaimed by stakeholders as game-changers.
The Johor real estate market causes excitement among property developers due to its rapid infrastructural development, including the construction of the JB-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link.
They claim that property values in select JB neighborhoods are starting to rise before the RTS project is finished by the end of 2026.
“There is now a lot of buying interest in the Johor real estate market. Both Singaporeans and Malaysians employed in Singapore are purchasing high-rise flats in sought-after locations, particularly in the Johor Bahru city center and Iskandar Malaysia region”, they said.
According to iProperty.com.my’s top 10 most searched areas by homebuyers in Malaysia this year, Johor Bahru secured the third spot, one position higher than in 2022. According to the report, Johor Bahru is seeing an increase in property sales as buyers look for bargains before the RTS opens.
Furthermore, the decision to loosen the requirements for the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) program and the increase in Singaporean rental prices may encourage more sales of Johor real estate.
Trellis Residences (521.6%), which is located at the intersection of key roads and close to the CIQ complex, JB Sentral, and the Bukit Chagar RTS access station—which provides a direct access to Singapore—is one of the most sought-after properties this year.
70 percent of the units at Astaka Holdings Ltd.’s upscale residential complex, The Astaka @ One Bukit Senyum, were purchased by individuals from fifteen different nations, including Singapore, Indonesia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Germany, Brunei, and Finland.
The forthcoming Aliva Mount Austin residential project in Mount Austin, Johor Bahru, marks the developer’s temporary return to the real estate development industry. With 499 apartments and an estimated RM254 million gross development value (GDV), Aliva is expected to be finished by the end of 2026.
During the 10th Singapore-Malaysia Leaders’ Retreat in October, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore expressed confidence that the project is on pace to be finished by the end of 2026.
With the launch of the rail shuttle service, traffic congestion on the Causeway—which has long irritated hundreds of thousands of daily commuters and day-trippers—is expected to improve.