The Henley Group -aboutus

At Intellectual Property we are more about the statistics than the scenery when it comes to buying property. Occasionally however, we believe that the two can work together. We are pleased to inform you that Niseko Phase 1 sold out within 3 weeks of launch. The main attractions to this project were the yen exposure, payment terms and the Niseko story which has seen the area grow as a popular all-season resort. Due to the demand for Phase 1, Phase 2 was launched on 20th June - just one month after Phase 1 was officially released.

By way of a quick update, our recent projects in Kuala Lumpur, Krakow and Ho Chi Minh City have all sold out and capital prices have markedly improved in all of these markets. Currently we have investment opportunities in Danang (Vietnam), Bangkok and Romania as well as a new release coming up in Kuala Lumpur which we believe is an excellent project and features in July's 'Property of the Month'.

Our first German project is getting closer and we are also making steady progress on an affordable mortgage structure to enable us to launch a development in Tokyo. In addition to all of this, the Managing Director, Tim Murphy, managed to get to Brazil in May for 4 days - work not pleasure he tells us! He was very impressed by what he saw and believes that Brazil has the potential for significant growth.

Please find below some commentary on a few markets that we have been very active in recently:

Already the 3rd largest economy worldwide, 2006 saw an expansion of 2.8%, which in turn has boosted demand for property, particularly condominiums, in the major cities. After a decade and a half of a declining property market, 2006 finally saw a 4.1% increase in land prices in the 6 major cities. Additionally, we have seen further gains in 2007 with a 7.75% rise from mid-2006.

The property market in prime central London continues to rise, particularly for in-demand areas such as Kensington, Chelsea and Belgravia. 2006 saw the highest annual growth rate since June 1979 with 28%. The demand is largely fuelled by Russian consumers who account for more than 20% of transactions of £6-8million and above.

There are numerous reasons to be bullish about the Polish property market; a strong economy, improved employment rates, a growing mortgage sector and increasing investment and speculative demand are just a few. This bullish source is already being supported by the statistics with gains of 27% in 2005 and 33% for 2006. Furthermore, we expect prices to continue to rise due to EU membership, population growth and foreign investment all pushing prices up.

The Singaporean property market has seen a marked increase in activity in the luxury end of the market, particularly for units valued at SGD 5million and above. Capital values remain strong due to high demand and short supply, and it is still Singaporean buyers that dominate the market. Additionally, recent launches of new-builds have seen very strong benchmark prices.

The above commentary has been provided independently by Intellectual Property Ltd and is for reference only. As with any market, conditions do change and of course personal circumstances vary from client to client. You are therefore advised not to rely on the information above, but instead to meet with one of IP's team before deciding to follow any course of action. The Henley Group Limited shall not be responsible or liable for any damage or loss caused by the use or reliance on the information provided.