Boutique developer and funds manager Match Group has made a foray into Asia in an effort to capitalise on increasing offshore interest in Western Australian property assets.
Match Asia will be based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and will specialise in the sale of apartment developments as well as offering funds management, syndication and property management services.
The office will open in partnership with one of the country’s largest privately owned accounting firms, Cheng & Co.
The outpost will act as a base to capture the broader Asian market, according to Match Group managing director Lloyd Clark, while the partnership with Cheng & Co will allow the group easier access to sell property assets, particularly in Fremantle and the inner city.
Mr Clark said WA property assets were increasingly being viewed as a safe and stable proposition by Asian investors.
“While investment elsewhere may seem more affordable, Australia is certainly among the most secure, and many Asian investors value this beyond anything else,” he said.
“While the Asian market may not quite understand Australia’s propensity towards coastal locations, they do appreciate the shift towards inner-city apartment living, and the investment prospects that represents.
“The partnership with Cheng & Co was established on the basis of Match’s performance in identifying sites with high yield potential and sustainable growth, and Match Asia represents an excellent platform to extend these opportunities to the Asian market.”
The move into Asia follows Match’s foray into funds management, which was launched in December with the purchase of a $4 million development site in Bunbury’s town centre.
Match aims to acquire three to four properties over the next year for syndication purposes.