Chinese homebuyer enquiries in Malaysia rise to fourth globally in first half of 2026

Malaysia has climbed to fourth place among destinations for Chinese overseas homebuyer enquiries in the first half of 2026, up from seventh in 2024, according to Juwai IQI. Industry executives cite freehold property, English and Chinese use, and prices closer to Thailand's than Singapore's as key dr

Malaysia ranked fourth among destinations attracting enquiries from Chinese property buyers in the first half of 2026, up from seventh in 2024 and sixth in 2025, according to data from Malaysia-based Juwai IQI. The property portal, which carries 7 million listings across 111 countries, reported that Malaysia accounted for 7.3 per cent of all Chinese overseas homebuyer enquiries in the period, compared with 4.5 per cent in 2025 and 2.8 per cent in 2024.

Chinese investors were Malaysia's largest group of foreign property buyers, completing 329 transactions worth 834.6 million ringgit (US$204.3 million) in the first half of 2025, the latest official figures show. Hong Kong buyers completed 15 transactions totalling 30.3 million ringgit in the same period, making them the fourth-largest group of foreign property investors in the country, according to The New Straits Times.

“Malaysia is a very popular destination for Hong Kong and mainland Chinese buyers, especially as a lifestyle, education, retirement or residency-linked investment,” said Kashif Ansari, co-founder and group CEO of Juwai IQI. Ansari noted that non-local buyers can acquire freehold property, including some landed homes, which is prohibited in Thailand. Malaysia's long-term residency programme, Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H), brought in US$1 billion in foreign inflows in 2025, he added. The programme approved 3,172 applications in 2025 and attracted 9,038 participants, including dependents.

Interest rates of 2.75 per cent are “supportive” and economic growth is “fairly good,” said Neil Brookes, head of Asia-Pacific capital markets at Savills. Malaysia's economy grew 5.7 per cent in the first half of the year. The data centre market is also expanding rapidly: capacity in Johor Bahru, the Malaysian city closest to Singapore, has increased 132 per cent since 2024, according to Savills.

Kingston Lai, founder and CEO of Asia Bankers Club, said factors driving demand include lifestyle preferences, improvements in the economy, the use of Chinese and widespread use of English, and a common-law legal system. “For Hong Kong and mainland families, the pitch is simple. You get good-quality, freehold property in a Chinese-speaking, English-friendly, common-law country at a fraction of what you'd pay at home,” he said.

Price is a key factor. A suburban Hong Kong apartment of 50 square metres (538 square feet) could cost five to seven times as much as an average home in Malaysia, Ansari said. “A good condominium in the Kuala Lumpur City Centre or Mont Kiara costs what you'd pay for a car park space in some parts of Hong Kong,” Lai added. Newer apartments in Kuala Lumpur's premium locations cost 16,150–23,680 ringgit per square metre, while apartments in prime Bangkok neighbourhoods cost around 200,000–350,000 baht (US$5,970–US$10,440) per square metre.

“Malaysia gives you Singapore-style comfort at close to Thai prices. That combination is hard to find anywhere else in the region,” Lai said. “The one thing buyers should accept is that it's a steadier, slower-growth market, not a place to flip property.”