This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on November 14, 2022 - November 20, 2022

Winner | South Brooks, Desa ParkCity | Perdana Parkcity Sdn Bhd

The palpable sense of arrival upon turning into South Brooks at Desa ParkCity’s grand main entrance and walking across the double-volume lobby that overlooks a picturesque green lawn and a babbling brook perfectly matches the imposing aura of the two Y-shaped, 40-storey apartment blocks.

“We want the experience [of living here] to begin from the moment of arrival at the residents’ car park, through to the lift lobby and as residents go up to their units. It’s not just within the unit; it is within the whole environment. It’s the whole thing,” says the developer Perdana Parkcity Sdn Bhd’s (ParkCity Group) CEO Datuk Joseph Lau.

South Brooks is the winner of The Edge Malaysia-PEPS Value Creation Excellence Award 2022, which is aimed at helping consumers find properties that have the greatest value creation in terms of capital appreciation and recognising the developer whose properties have achieved the highest value creation.

South Brooks — whose name is an amalgamation of the property’s location at the south side of the master-planned township and its brook, a main feature of the development — was completed in August 2021. Sitting on a 7.16-acre parcel, the property comprises a total of 920 units offering more than 30% of open space and various amenities for its residents. As of August this year, 99.5% of the units have been sold, with the majority being local buyers. In fact, 76% or 700 units were snapped up during its weekend launch in August 2017. Within three months, the take-up was at 85%.

According to ParkCity Group director of sales Loh Poh Khim, the project attracted 4,500 interested registrants in the three months leading up to its launch. Loh recalls, “A few days before the event, we had people queuing up, wanting to choose their units, which we tried to discourage. By that Saturday itself, we had already reached 75% in take-up.”

The project’s success is due to correctly identifying and understanding its target market, which consists of predominantly young families who want to live in Desa ParkCity, says Lau. “At the point of launch, we understood our core customer group — who will be staying here, what they will need and their affordability levels.

“For example, we created a sizeable lawn where kids can run around and play, and an environment conducive for residents to sit outside and enjoy the surroundings. Additionally, they can also play by the creek.

“We also did not put in a lap pool … again, focusing on the age group of our customers and their young children. So, we made the pool more interesting and fun for the families to enjoy and relax,” he adds.

Other family-centric facilities include a grape vine trellis, barbecue court, adventure playground, parcourse and siesta pavilion on the ground level; a gym, meditation garden, children’s playground and pool, swimming pool, shallow pool, bubbly Jacuzzi, chill-out family lounge, barbecue organic garden, sunken lounge and multipurpose hall on the facilities deck atop the separate parking podium; as well as sky decks on both towers.

To cater to the younger generation aspiring to be part of the Desa ParkCity community, South Brooks offers practical layout types of 2- to 3+1-bedroom with built-ups of 876 to 1,537 sq ft at launch prices starting at an average RM700 psf, or from RM535,000. Monthly maintenance is 33 sen psf, inclusive of sinking fund.

“Collection rate is about 90% but we offered our purchasers a 12-month service charge waiver from the date of vacant possession notice. Nonetheless, we still collect the sinking fund,” notes Loh, adding that vacant possession started in September last year.

The units are partly furnished with air-conditioners, kitchen cabinets with hood and hob, and water heaters in the bathrooms.

Based on the five subsale transactions submitted by the developer under this award category, the average capital appreciation at South Brooks is 23.52%. The units, with built-ups ranging from 1,239 to 1,283 sq ft, were transacted at subsale prices ranging from RM686 to RM888 psf, or an average psf price of RM809, from the sale and purchase price of RM554 to RM731 psf.

Apart from having the right product and timing, the brand value of Desa ParkCity has also contributed to the success of South Brooks, which has as many as 30% repeat buyers of the township, notes Loh. “They came back to buy from us without hesitation because they know we are able to deliver as with so many projects we have done. Many of them are the children of those who bought our earlier landed phases and want to live near their parents.”

Lau adds: “It’s back to how we have created the heart and soul of the community, and for those who have been here from day one, they know what it is like living here and they bring in buyers through word of mouth, which is the best market. This happens every time we launch a product.”

Launched in 2002, the 473-acre Desa ParkCity is now almost 80% developed with 3,500 units of completed properties and home to a population of about 22,000. In addition to its popular 13-acre Central Park, amenities within the township include Plaza Arkadia, The Waterfront, ParkCity Medical Centre, The International School @ ParkCity, The ParkCity Club and The SportsCenter.

South Brooks’ unique Y-shaped towers are angled to not only maximise the views of the surroundings — including the township’s Central Park and West Park, the facility deck and surrounding hills, as well as views of KL city — they also optimise natural light and ventilation into the units, says Lau.

“The site has its own share of challenges as it is not a rectangular shape. So, a number of analyses were carried out, such as for climate, wind direction, shade and solar radiation to determine the best building orientation and layout.

“Another unique feature is the small hill as you come into the development. It is a remnant of the former quarry. We did not demolish it as it is a nice feature, a natural beauty. So, we tidied it up, planted some trees and lit it up at night to create a very nice [ambience] for residents to come home to,” he says.

Zooming in on the living spaces, the units have been designed with practicality and functionality in mind with optimised layout sizes.

“We spent a lot of time on the layouts as we wanted the designs to be practical for our target market. When we were doing the mock-up units, we tested the space and fittings to ensure everything made sense. All these were thought through for our customers,” he says.

The unit layouts also incorporate a clear zone separation between private and living spaces for the occupants’ privacy and comfort.

“You can even add a door that separates the bedrooms from the living spaces. We also provided yards that can be converted into a wet kitchen, because as we all know, Malaysians like to do heavy cooking sometimes,” says Loh. She adds that, like most of ParkCity’s projects, units at South Brooks come partly furnished to minimise renovation works.

As testament to its quality, South Brooks was accorded a Qlassic or quality assessment system for building construction works score of 86%, one of the highest for high-rise developments in Malaysia at that point in time, according to Lau. He adds that energy- and water-efficient features were also incorporated into the development.

In terms of occupancy, 16% or 149 of the total 920 units are currently occupied while 469 units are being renovated. According to Lau, the occupants are predominantly locals comprising young families as well as some empty nesters and retirees who want a smaller unit.

Rental yield ranges from 3.27% to 4.05% with rents ranging from RM2,200 for the smallest 876 sq ft unit to RM4,000 for the 1,535 sq ft unit, according to the developer.

The work continues for ParkCity Group. Says Lau: “We don’t just put in the design and close our eyes. We do a lot of walkabouts to make sure things are done right. We always put ourselves in our customers’ shoes to see how and where we can improve. “For us, the defect liability period is more than a legal obligation; it is a journey. Our approach is that if something was done incorrectly, we will still deal with it even if it is after three years. We don’t just see it as a defect liability period; we see it as our brand and who we are. There will be issues, no doubt, as no one is perfect, but we undertake to help our customers and make their journey as part of the community as smooth as possible. I think it’s important that the customers trust and believe in what we do.”

Loh adds: “That’s the reason why we don’t extend our defect liability period, because we don’t need to. Problems do crop up after the defect liability period sometimes, but we will still look into the buyers’ issues and see how we can assist them. We believe this is why our buyers have trust and believe in us, and why they continuously invest in our new projects.”

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, which caused a shortage in materials and labour as well as delayed South Brooks’ completion for 1½ years, the developer has managed to deliver the project on time, complete with the CCC (certificate of completion and compliance) and strata titles.

“The biggest challenge for South Brooks was Covid-19. But whatever the challenge, we just have to manage it as long as we take a positive approach,” says Lau. “In addition to working to deliver our products during the pandemic, we continued to take care of our staff and residents, as well as the maintenance of the whole township, as people still came out to walk despite the lockdowns.”

He stresses the need for ParkCity Group to continuously connect with its customers, irrespective of income or age group.

“We don’t differentiate between products. For example, we believe that those who buy our affordable products are probably making their biggest investment, and they should be taken care of. All our customers are part and parcel of the community — an [intrinsic] part of the township.

“So, for ParkCity Group, value adding is a continuous process. The project may be completed and handed over, but we will continue to see how we can improve. For us, it’s a journey,” Lau concludes.

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