Chart of the Day: Grade A rents fall 9.4%

Average was at S$9.20 psf per month in 2Q12.

Maybank Kim Eng reported:

Grade A rents down ~10% on-year. 12 months ago, we correctly identified the peak for office rents and expected Grade A and Grade B office rents to head for a 10% and 20% correction respectively in 2012.

We were spot-on for Grade A, where rents have already fallen by 9.4% to average at SGD9.20 psf pm in 2Q12. Grade B rents were however surprisingly resilient, correcting by a milder 5.3% YoY.

Lingering uncertainties affecting business expectations. The pace of rental decline may have moderated somewhat in the last quarter, but we do not think it has found a bottom.

The global economy remains anaemic, with major concerns surrounding the future of the Eurozone and questions being asked about the true state of China’s economic health.

Singapore, being such an open economy, cannot be immune to these market uncertainties, and business sentiments have been affected.

According to figures from the Department of Statistics, general business expectations in Singapore deteriorated in 2Q12, particularly for the financial sector. Our Chief Economist, Suhaimi Ilias, has a Singapore real GDP growth forecast of 2.5-3% for 2013.

If you've been wondering whether SBR could work for your company — yes, probably.

A lot of the companies we partner with started as readers. They'd been following our coverage for a while, saw their own customers and competitors in it, and eventually asked the obvious question: could we do something with you? The answer is usually yes. The shape of it depends on what you're trying to do.

The options are broader than most people assume — thought leadership articles, sponsored content, industry summits across Southeast Asia, regional awards programmes, podcasts, and media placements in print and digital. Some partners use one channel; most use a mix. We figure out the right combination by starting with your brief, not with our rate card.

So if the question has been on your mind, here's the easy way to ask it.

We'll tell you honestly whether we can help, and how. It's a better use of everyone's time.

Book a meeting

| Or download the media kit (PDF)

240,000 senior readers quarterly in print Top 1,700 Singapore companies reached

7 markets across Southeast Asia