Is GuocoLand right to grow in Johor and UOL wrong to wait?

[SINGAPORE] Choosing what market to enter and when can make a huge difference to a property group’s fortunes – often far outweighing whether a housing project in Singapore could have fetched marginally higher prices or a land site here could be secured for a slightly lower price.

For example, think of the heavy valuation losses Ho Bee Land took in recent years for its office properties in London, UK. 

Early this year, much buzz was generated by the signing of the agreement between Malaysian and Singapore government leaders on the new Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), which is expected to create 20,000 new jobs on both sides of the causeway.