The main theme of the Annual Property Developers Conference 2018 (organized by REHDA, Malaysia), other than the usual economic forecasts and the key note address by the Minister of Finance (YB Lim Guan Eng), was actually on Co-Living Space and Co-Living Community and Proptech which could include, soft-ware-wise, Co-Living Space and Community (and even Tokenization of real estate). A wide of issues was covered respectively by:
(1) Proptech in Real Estate…… by Mr. Lewis
(2) Student Accommodation…. by Ms. Caroline
(3) Co-Living Space in Hong Kong …. By Mr. Denis
(4) Co-Living Community ….. by Mr. Luca
The Panel Discussion that followed was also very enlightening on many relevant issues, such as legal, management and scale of operation, licensing, taxation, ease of conversion etc.
In fact, a life-cycle of property investment / consumption was even proposed as “from Co-Living (Student Accommodation) to Primary Home (Private Conspicuous Consumption) to Co-Living (Retirees Home) or short-formed as Co-Living 1.0 –Prime Home –Co-Living 2.0. This is very apt as it depicts how Co-living Space and Community could span a person’s life-time
To my surprise, my book “THIRD CHOICE” (and its supplement on AFFORDABLE HOME: GAME CHANGER) was, by coincidence or epiphany, built around almost identical themes, even including some of the key words used throughout the presentation and Panel Discussion. This prompted me to write this piece immediately.
I was thus tremendously encouraged to spend more time and money on this prototype project on Sharing Economy (Co-Working / Co-Living and related communities) which I called the THIRD CHOICE (Buy, Rent or SHARE) as in Collaborative Consumption.
Incidentally, the REHDA would be organizing yet another Housing Conference on 9th October on “Reinventing Affordability” which should include “CO-LIVING” as a way to lower the threshold of affordability or SHARING which is the THIRD CHOICE as depicted in my book.