Property tourism and the facilitation of investment -migration mobility in Asia

Authors

Koh Sin Yee

Publication Date

2017-01-01

Abstract

This paper examines the ways through which real estate developers and their agents facilitate the investment-migration mobility of middle-class investor-migrants in Asia. Drawing from ongoing research conducted in Brunei, Singapore and Iskandar Malaysia, this paper argues that the property marketing industry can be conceptualised as a transnational mobility industry. Th is is because this intermediary industry (1) exposes potential investor-migrants to the idea of transnational investment-migration; and (2) educates and facilitates the investment-migration of its clients and their capital, especially through the use of subtle marketing strategies such as social activities and exploratory property tours – what I call “property tourism”. As most sales rely on repeat and referral clients, these intermediaries in turn facilitate diverse and multiply overlapped migration mobilities amongst investor-migrants (e.g. tourism, temporary, transnational, retirement). Th is paper concludes by highlighting the implications of this transnational mobility industry on our understandings of transnational mobility and the perpetuation of inequalities.

DOI

10.58837/CHULA.ARV.30.1.1

First Page

27

Last Page

45

Recommended Citation

Yee, Koh Sin (2017) "Property tourism and the facilitation of investment -migration mobility in Asia," Asian Review: Vol. 30: No. 1, Article 3.
DOI: 10.58837/CHULA.ARV.30.1.1
Available at: https://digital.car.chula.ac.th/arv/vol30/iss1/3