Retirees drive home demand in Southeast Asia with search for value

Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia are key destinations for buyers.

Buyers seeking retirement homes are driving residential property demand across Southeast Asia, according to Marciano Birjmohun, managing editor of Marciano&Co.

"We see that there is a lot of shift in the West, people are looking to retire, not only in a warmer climate, [they are] also looking for a destination that offers them a great value for money," Birjmohun told Real Estate Asia on the sidelines of the Global Property Expo held in Singapore from 18 to 20 June.

"Retirees choose Southeast Asia for affordability," he added.

Beyond affordability, what makes Southeast Asia attractive to homebuyers is how developments across the region are increasingly lifestyle-driven.

In markets like Vietnam and Thailand, developers are focusing on holiday homes with functionality, standout design, and lifestyle-oriented features.

Thailand and Vietnam have emerged as key luxury home markets in Southeast Asia, Birjmohun noted.

"Thailand attracts real estate investors through tourism. It offers a lot of variety. This is a market that also has one of the highest rates of tourism influx, which contributes, of course, to the rental market in general," he said.

"Vietnam draws buyers with lifestyle and growth, and they're doing so in a good way," he added.

Malaysia also stands out as a key market in the region, Birjmohun said.

"Malaysia leads with cosmopolitan township developments. A lot of new design, a lot of new integration of service design," he said.