How much should you raise the rent? Clients ask me this all the time. Should it be 5%? 7%? 10%? Or should the rent stay the same? First, it helps to remember why lessors raise rent at all. The main reason is to keep up with the cost of living, which is inflation. The second is the market, meaning supply and demand. Escalation is usually discussed before the lease is signed. But because it's a touchy point, many lease contracts are silent about it, and the parties just "cross

In 1987, researchers asked a group of experienced real estate agents to value a house. They all toured the same house and got the same information. The only thing that changed was the listing price. Agents told it was listed at $119,900 valued it at about $114,000. Agents told $149,900 valued it at about $129,000. Most insisted it hadn’t influenced them. If a seller’s asking price can move an expert that much, imagine what a number from the government can do. I think this is

Why is it so painful to give up P5K, even when doing so could protect you from a much bigger loss? Recently, I wondered what would happen if I lost my phone or credit card and someone racked up hundreds of thousands of pesos in unauthorized charges. So I considered leaving my main credit card at home. The problem? It earns me around P15K a year in cashback. The alternative was another card through Apple Pay, which is more secure. My AI friend suggested a compromise. Most of m

Why did property prices in Metro Manila go up so much?

"Should I sell?" Clients keep asking me this. My usual reply is a question of my own: "And then what?" The answer matters, because selling now comes at a cost. In today's soft market, some buyers are negotiating as much as 20% off asking prices. If you need the cash, that can be a fair trade. Liquidity is a valid reason to sell. But some owners tell me they'd park the money in a time deposit, earn interest, and buy back once prices drop. That's trying to time the market. It's

Just throwing ideas... What if one way to absorb excess rental supply is through employers? Not by asking rank-and-file employees to buy condos. That may not be realistic. Many do not have the cash for down payments, the credit profile for bank financing, or the financial flexibility to take on a long-term property commitment. But maybe ownership is the wrong lens. Maybe the more practical question is access. What if companies leased or purchased selected units near their off

Our 1H2025 is out! Worse Before Better-a candid look at where the property market stands and where it might be heading.

When Vertis North was launched in 2012, the secondary market in nearby gated villages—previously stagnant at P35K/sqm—began to stir. By...

Anyone who lived through the MRT construction in the '90s knows what's coming—and it’s not pretty. Back then, a drive from Quezon City to...

JPRE Calls In the absence of any significant catalyst to push prices higher, I believe property prices will remain generally flat, with a...