A 360 View on the Malaysian Property Market – Interview with Christopher Prasad

Christopher Prasad is the Managing Editor of a Property News Portal. He shares, “The trick (for PR professionals) is to not see yourself as a ‘PR agency’, but a ‘news source’.”

1. Tell us about your news website. How & when did you decide to start Property360Online?

Poperty360online was established by a team of ex-newspaper journalists who began to see the limitations of the print medium as a platform for sharing property news. While the print medium has sufficient coverage about new launches and recent transactional activity, this only served those who were already well-versed in the property market and alienated many who were in various stages of professional and income growth that required information that was education-centric, whilst also referencing current market conditions. They need information that’s instant and can specifically be searched for.

On the flip side, most existing websites at the time were commercially focused on listings with limited news on property tips, laws or socio-economic factors that impact the market. About two years ago, we decided to help bridge this gap with a property news site that focused on issues, tips and financial information so that consumers would be empowered with knowledge, be aware of their rights and make informed decisions.

2. What sparked your interest in the property sector?

My personal journey towards property journalism wasn’t a direct one. I began as a travel journalist for various lifestyle magazine before deciding to move into mainstream news with a national newspaper. Given my educational background in commerce, I was reluctantly corralled towards business-related news, joining the PropertyTimes team which was headed by (the now legendary) Andrew Wong. It was in this period of journalistic development that I began to appreciate that property was an interesting mixture of “head” and “heart”. While the decision to buy a property is largely governed by financial consideration, the actual choice of a property is undeniably an emotional one that involves personality, psychology and individual aspiration.

3. You were previously serving at New Straits Times, one of the top newspapers in Malaysia, for 16 years. From your media experiences, what are some of the best journalist practices you have come across? Anything PR professionals should avoid doing?

Most of my time was spent at the property desk at NST, where I began as a senior writer and eventually became the associate editor. I also had a three-year spell as news editor for the Cars, Bikes, Trucks section of Sunday Times (which was inevitably very exciting for anyone with male chromosomes).

In both cases, I was very fortunate to benefit from the influence of veteran journalists who consistently reminded us, through their actions, that it was the truth that mattered first – no matter how inconvenient it may be to the reader (or indeed the publication). Our job was to inform, despite our personal opinions, and that was how we served the public best (even at the expense of our popularity). I think there was a real sense of public duty with that generation of journalists, which I must say is sadly becoming endangered in this “trending” and “viral” age. The truth is, news that is important to you may not always be news you want to hear… but you nevertheless must.

Is there anything PR professionals should avoid doing? I actually think there has been a marked improvement in the relationship between PR agencies and news publishers in recent years. This probably comes from a better understanding of spatial constraints that publishers face, and it is no longer a question of doing each other “favors” or building a “rapport” when it comes to running a piece. The importance of newsworthiness has become a key priority, and PR companies understand this now more than ever because we live in a highly competitive environment of instant news. So long as PR professionals understand that our selection of news items to run will always gravitate towards subjects that matter to the most — to the most number of people — at any given time (remember, our game is readership), and if they continue to innovate their angles to serve this purpose, then there is a high likelihood that news outlets will be keen to develop a healthy long-term relationship with them. The trick is to not see yourself as a “PR agency”, but a “news source”.

4. How would you describe a reader of Property360Online? What kind of information can readers expect to obtain from your news website?

First and foremost, we cover breaking news of economic, legal and social significance to the property market and consumers. Beyond that, we look at opinions regarding policy and market direction. We are selective about featuring newly launched properties, choosing to highlight those that address an overlooked market, or those that are breaking new barriers in terms of design or ideology, or provide an investment opportunity that people should really be looking at. We try to be people-centric with our reporting, with a focus on “how this impacts you” always in mind, but we also try to keep them abreast with the latest property and lifestyle trends, design innovations and environmentally conscious perspectives that might define the future.

We don’t like to think of our readers as people who are keen on property, but rather people who are keen on improving their quality of life through their choice of property.

5. What should PR professionals take note of when pitching to Property360Online?

That we prefer to approach the subject with the human element in mind – how does this product/innovation/legislation/point of view contribute and/or impact individuals, lifestyle aspirants or society as a whole?

6. What kind of challenges do you foresee in the digital media environment within the Property sector?

To be honest, the main challenge I see is the quality of information that is out there. Some of the property information that is being shared needs to be questioned by virtue of its source. The “property gurus” can be informative, but many have a stake in the properties they are singing praises about, property listings sites have a sales quota to meet, and even property social media forums (while genuinely reflecting the views of buyers) can sometimes be overrun by disgruntled consumers with a “Scorched Earth” policy.

It’s important to fall back on third-party objective information, but with so many alternative sources of information out there it is becoming harder for the average online reader to decide which is which. The challenge for a genuine digital media outlet these days is to always stand out as “the adult in the room”. Why is that hard? Because the alternative, while sometimes inaccurate, is almost always more entertaining.

7. What other types of Property-related programs/projects have you participated in?

I tend to shy away from public talks, if that’s what you mean. I do not believe it is a journalist’s role to preach property, because then our reporting becomes less objective and more opinionated (plus, I’m ironically media-shy). However, I have conducted inhouse media workshops with property developers to help promote more effective engagement between the two entities, and recently, I have been working on content for two documentaries that focus on the history of the Malaysian building landscape. While it is too early to go into detail about this, I can say that one of these documentaries is produced by a major online news portal in Malaysia and will probably be out by mid next year.

I have also consulted on a few property-related books in the last few years. One interesting upcoming book that I helped work on is authored by a former head of the Fire & Rescue Services, Datuk Dr Soh Chai Hok. I’m excited to see this hit the shelves before the end of the year. It will provide a vivid account of the fire department’s history, walking you through some of the worst urban disasters we’ve faced and the heroism of our firemen and firewomen.

As you can tell, I’m a big fan of history.

8. What kind of changes can we expect to see in the Property landscape in Asia in the years to come?

That’s a million-dollar question. Unfortunately, there are many geopolitical factors in play here that has already taken some of the investment luster away from Asian property markets. However, Asians will likely look inwards to bolster cross-border investments, and property could be a likely beneficiary of big-ticket infrastructure projects. Time will tell.

In terms of innovation, however, I foresee seismic progress in the near future. Strangely, the impact of a turbulent regional economy is driving more effective and cost-efficient building concepts. Asia is also witnessing some of the largest urban migrations in the world, and given that it is the most populated continent, we will likely soon be home to the largest megacities on the planet in the next 20 years – which is precisely why innovation will determine the quality of our future.

The good news is town and city planners across the region have been anticipating this, and urban farming, vertical forests, subterranean living facilities are all quickly becoming a reality. These next few years will be very interesting in terms of new building concepts and new living philosophies, and that will be thoroughly riveting to write about.

As a point of pride, however, Asians are also beginning to lead the way with green building innovations. This consideration is going hand-in-hand with the futuristic urban visions that are coming to the fore.

9. How has the content partnership that you’ve established with PR Newswire benefited your website?

It has added a wonderful new dimension to the news that can be accessed via our site, with a broadened perspective on market movement beyond our borders, which ultimately impacts the entire region.

We also find that many professionals within the property industry that frequent our site appreciate insights into what other regional players are doing, probably gleaning some very valuable ideas to apply to their own business and products.

I’m a big fan myself, because it gives me a comparative view of how our market is doing against others.

This blog post is contributed by Christine Pereira, Senior Audience Development Executive at PR Newswire. Christine is in charge of partnerships, expanding our media network, organizing our bi-annual Media Coffee events, conducting media interviews, and other company-wide projects for the Malaysian market. You can contact her at christine.pereira@prnasia.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.