In Malaysia, residential properties form the backbone of its real estate market, particularly owner-occupied and affordable segments. According to Property Market Report 2025 released by the Valuation and Property Services Department (JPPH), the overall Malaysian property market transaction value increased by 4.1 per cent year-on-year in 2025, reaching RM241.87 billion, while transaction volume dipped slightly by one per cent to 416,413 when compared to 2024.
Despite steady growth in transaction values, the level of unsold residential properties across Malaysia remains worrisome. A recent survey by the Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association (Rehda) revealed that 60 per cent of developers in Malaysia reported unsold completed residential units as of 31 December 2025, reflecting persistent challenges in selling newly completed homes.
In terms of exploring property investment options, more Malaysians are now turning to digital platforms. From browsing listings on mobile apps to watching virtual tours online, the property search process has become more convenient and accessible. This shift is not just about convenience. It reflects deeper issues in the current system.
Challenges in Marketing Properties
Property transactions in Malaysia are still largely fragmented, with many steps handled manually. Communication often happens through phone calls, messages, or multiple intermediaries, which can slow things down and create confusion.
For property sellers, marketing comes with its own set of challenges. Traditional methods such as banners, signboards, and flyers are still widely used, but they are limited in their ability to target the right audience. It is difficult to measure how effective these methods are, and they often rely on chance visibility.
Agents also face financial pressure. Many property portals require agents to pay upfront for listings or credits, regardless of whether those listings generate quality leads. This means agents bear the risk, even if the enquiries do not result in actual viewings or sales.
For developers, the challenge lies in the quality of leads. While marketing campaigns may attract a high number of enquiries and packed sales galleries, many of these who attended are not serious or qualified buyers. This leads to low conversion rates and inefficient use of marketing budgets.
Overall, the approach to marketing tends to prioritize visibility and volume rather than outcomes. The focus is often on generating as many enquiries as possible, instead of ensuring that those enquiries lead to successful transactions.
Navigating Property Portals
Property portals allow users to filter listings based on their preferences, such as budget, location, property type, and size. This makes it much easier to narrow down options compared to traditional methods. Instead of visiting multiple locations or contacting several agents, users can browse hundreds of listings from their phones within minutes.
However, while property portals have improved access to information, they are not without issues. One common problem is duplicate listings, where the same property is listed multiple times by different agents. This can make it difficult for buyers to know which listing is accurate. Outdated information is another challenge. Some listings remain active even after the property has been sold or rented out, leading to frustration for buyers.
Most importantly, many of these platforms focus on generating enquiries rather than completing transactions. As a result, there is often a gap between interest and actual sales.
Shift Towards Conversion-Focused Platforms
In response to these challenges, a new type of property platform is slowly emerging. Instead of focusing on listing volume, these platforms leverage artificial intelligence to improve conversion rates and actual transaction outcomes by consolidating vast real estate data into actionable insights.
One example is homegrown real estate solutions provider, MyRumahBaru, which takes a different approach on property marketing by focusing on confirmed property viewings rather than just enquiries. Instead of charging upfront for listings, this relatively new platform uses a performance-based model where payment is only made when a qualified buyer attends a viewing. Such model helps align the interests of all parties involved. Buyers are matched with properties that suit their needs, agents engage with more serious prospects, and developers receive higher-quality leads.
“MyRumahBaru is built to convert buyer intent into confirmed appointments, not just generate enquiries. The platform only earns when a buyer shows up for a scheduled viewing, aligning incentives across buyers, agents and developers,” said Melvin Soh, co-founder of MyRumahBaru.
“The growth of such platforms and solutions suggests that the market is responding to change as users seek more efficient solutions that go beyond browsing listings and help them complete transactions. The shift indicates a move towards a more outcome-driven real estate ecosystem, where success is measured by completed deals rather than just the number of listings or enquiries.”
Leveraging AI in Property Search
MyRumahBaru uses AI platforms OpenAI, Gemini and Anthropic — each selected for what it does best across different functions from buyer qualification, content generation to data intelligence. “We leverage AI to pre-qualify buyers on budget, financing, and unit preference before the appointment, empowering developer sales staff with a buyer dossier instead of a cold walk-in,” added Soh.
Artificial intelligence can help analyze user preferences, such as budget, location, and lifestyle needs, to provide personalized recommendations. It can also help users understand market trends, estimate property values, and evaluate investment potential. This makes it easier for buyers to make informed decisions, especially for those who are new to the property market.
Malaysia’s real estate industry is gradually shifting from a system focused on listings and visibility to one that prioritizes outcomes and efficiency. The future of AI-powered marketing will depend on how well the industry can improve efficiency, ensure data accuracy, and connect the right buyers with the right properties. However, AI is only as good as the data it uses. If the information is outdated or inaccurate, any potential deal could eventually fall flat.
Ultimately, success for developers and property sellers alike will no longer be defined by how many listings are put out, but by how effectively those listings lead to real transactions.