Invest in Philippine Property Market Now

Now is the best time to invest in the Philippines. This phrase may have been loosely thrown around in the past few years, but it has never been truer than today, especially in Philippine property markets. 2013 has been filled with opportunities for the country with strong macroeconomic fundamentals and a positive investment climate, signaling a bright future for real estate.

One of the main drivers of the country's growth are the Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industries. This growth has spurred demand for office space in the country's major central business districts: Ortigas, Makati, and Bonifacio Global City (BGC). Because Metro Manila has one of the lowest prime office and retail rates at $28/sqm per net pm and $61.5/sqm per net pm respectively, it remains to be the location of choice for companies, businesses, and start-up entrepreneurs looking to take advantage of the cost-efficiency of outsourcing and offshoring. With this demand, investing in prime commercial spaces holds a lot of potential for investors, especially those who are looking to take advantage of the ongoing landlord's markets -- high yields, low vacancy rates, and rapid growth of prime rental rates at 6.6% per annum in the cities.

The influx of foreign investors, business owners, and managers through the expanding KPO and BPO sectors along with the high amounts of OFW remittances have driven a strong performance for the residential market, specifically for high-end and luxury apartments within the vicinity of the top CBDs. The KPO and BPO industries have also increased the purchasing power of the middle-class sector, which also fuels demand for residential properties.

The current market offers a lot of opportunities for wealth preservation and realization of consistent yields. Institutional investors can increase cash flow and diversify their portfolio while retail investors can find alternative vehicles for medium- to long-term investing in residential and commercial spaces. Today's market is prime for investment across all segments, whether it is development or acquisition.