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With the office market continuing to face significant challenges as working from home is expected to remain widespread and a rise in retrenchments resulting in a number of firms giving up spaces, many investors are wondering – are office REITs still a viable investment? 

The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the pace of technological adoption across the built environment, and especially within facilities management. 

The Singapore office market has steadily shifted from a landlord-friendly to a neutral tenant-friendly market as leasing activity continues to soften.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a material and unprecedented impact on the global economy, radically disrupting work environments right around the world. Work from home has prompted corporate occupiers to seek more flexible work arrangements and technology is enabling companies to allow remote working.

The demand for new office space in Singapore in the near term is likely to remain weak because remote working is continuing to be the default mode of operation, even after the circuit breaker. 

Private residential prices in Singapore rose by 0.3% qoq in Q2 2020, differing from earlier flash estimates of -1.1% qoq. The change in trend can be attributed to increased sales activity post circuit breaker in June, after two consecutive months of muted sales in April and May. 

Office prices in Singapore continued to decline in Q2 2020, marking the fourth consecutive fall in office prices since Q3 2019. Meanwhile, Central Region retail prices and rents fell by 1.5% qoq and 3.5% qoq respectively in Q2 2020, reflecting the disruption of COVID-19 on tenant sales and footfalls.

Latest Q2 data from JTC show that industrial rents in Singapore fell by 0.7 per cent quarter-on-quarter (qoq) in Q2 2020. 

Adjusting and maintaining HVAC systems during Singapore’s Circuit Breaker.

As Singapore is headed for its worst recession since independence, the authority has decided to err on the side of caution, releasing only 1,370 residential units through the Confirmed List in the 2H 2020 GLS programme. 

We helped convert an apartment complex in Singapore into temporary housing for COVID-19 patients.

Helping our clients across the globe combat COVID-19.