The Business Times
Leslie Yee

Leslie Yee

SENIOR CORRESPONDENT

Leslie Yee is a Senior Correspondent with BT. His focus is on property, where he writes a weekly column The Level Ground. Leslie has a monthly podcast PropertyBT and helps to produce the newsletter Property Insights. He also writes a monthly column on wealth and investing Sense and Cents as well as contributes corporate commentaries.Leslie has over 25 years of experience in banking and real estate. He has worked for foreign financial institutions and regional property groups in Singapore and overseas. Leslie holds a degree in Economics and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.

emaillyee@sph.com.sg
Budget 2026's AI ambitions can provide a big boost to the housing market.
THE LEVEL GROUND

Higher work pass salary thresholds for foreigners won’t dent housing market, AI push can power private home prices

Singapore’s AI ambitions can benefit top local and global talent

Private housing affordability looks fine relative to household market income among resident households
THE LEVEL GROUND

'Market income' supports home affordability, but wage-price relation still matters

Should the HDB income ceiling account for non-employment income as well?

Market leader DBS can benefit from investors allocating more capital to Singapore stocks
SENSE & CENTS

‘Pricey’ DBS can still be worth buying 

Strong growth drivers support the local bourse’s leader 

Fate of Reits in CapitaLand Investment's stable will be closely watched should CapitaLand Group and Mapletree Investments merge
HOCK LOCK SIEW

Handle with extreme care any Reit mergers should CapitaLand, Mapletree merge

Don’t risk destroying value of leaders CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust and CapitaLand Ascendas Reit  

Property ownership in Singapore is supported by strong fundamentals
THE LEVEL GROUND

Major tax hikes unlikely in upcoming Budget, but property tax rates may rise in future 

Hiking property tax rates relatively palatable; consider concessions if rates rise 

To GuocoLand, keeping GuocoLand Malaysia listed may not make sense as it has not raised equity from the capital market in the last decade, and resources are being used to maintain the listing status.
HOCK LOCK SIEW

GuocoLand’s rationale for privatising its Malaysian arm not strong

But the proposed move could be the SGX-listed group’s way of priming itself to be privatised in future

Values of premier office buildings in Singapore's CBD are underpinned by strong fundamentals.
THE LEVEL GROUND

Seeing positives for Singapore Reits from investors’ support of Keppel Reit’s DPU-dilutive MBFC Tower 3 acquisition

With demand for office trusts focused in the Republic despite lower yields, more capital should be allocated domestically

Building new EC homes in prime locations will expand housing choices for locals.
THE LEVEL GROUND

Timely to consider introducing a prime executive condo model

Build new ECs in choice locations and sell such homes with tighter restrictions

Many Singapore residents cross the Causeway to shop and dine in Johor Bahru.
THE LEVEL GROUND

Will FCT’s Causeway Point reel from the opening of the Johor Bahru-Singapore RTS Link?

Busy Singapore residents who value convenience will continue to support strong suburban malls here

Demand for landed homes is seen as resilient amid scarce supply.
HOCK LOCK SIEW

Unlock Bukit Sembawang’s deep value by putting it up for sale

The group’s undervalued share price is unwarranted, given its rare landed housing land bank

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