What We Do

Services, and the process behind each one

Six things we do, and the process behind each one. A property transaction in Malaysia is a legal sequence with fixed documents and real deadlines — the letter of offer, the booking fee, the Sale and Purchase Agreement, the Memorandum of Transfer. Below is how each service runs, what you actually receive, and who pays the fee.

Buy Sell Rent Manage Appraise Finance The sale, step by step Who pays what

01Buy

Buyer Representation

We shortlist against your budget and your loan eligibility, not against whatever happens to be listed this week.

Most buyers start with a price and work backwards. We start with your margin of finance. Before booking a single viewing we work out what a bank is realistically likely to lend against your commitments, what the Sale and Purchase Agreement and Memorandum of Transfer stamp duty will cost in that price band, and what legal fees sit on top. Only then do we build a shortlist. On viewings we point out the things that cost money later — a strata block with an underfunded sinking fund, a leasehold title with sixty-one years left to run, a renovation done without local council approval — and we put the findings in writing before you pay a booking fee.

What you get

An affordability and cash-to-close worksheet covering deposit, SPA and MOT stamp duty, and legal fees
A curated shortlist with the reasons each unit is on it, and the reasons three others were left off
Accompanied viewings with title, tenure and outgoings confirmed before you make an offer
Offer strategy and negotiation on your behalf, with the booking-fee terms explained in writing
Referral to panel solicitors and mortgage bankers, followed through to key handover

How the fee works

In a standard Malaysian sale the vendor pays the agency fee under the statutory scale, so buyer representation is generally provided at no separate charge. Where a buyer engages us on an exclusive search mandate, the fee is agreed and documented before work begins.

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02Sell

Selling & Marketing

A defensible asking price, a real marketing plan, and a weekly report you can hold us to.

A listing that sits on the portals for eight months does not sell for less because the market moved; it sells for less because the first price was wrong. We open with a comparable-sales analysis drawn from recent transacted evidence in your scheme and immediate neighbourhood, not from asking prices. Then we give you the number, the likely time to sell at that number, and what a faster sale would cost you. Marketing covers professional photography, a floor-plan drawing, portal syndication, our own buyer database and targeted social distribution. You get a written weekly report: enquiries, viewings, feedback, and any recommendation to adjust.

What you get

Comparable-sales pricing analysis using transacted evidence, with the working shown
Professional photography, a measured floor plan and written listing copy
Portal syndication, database circulation and paid social distribution
Accompanied viewings and qualified-buyer screening, so your home is not an open house
A written weekly activity report and a documented recommendation before any price change
Offer handling through booking fee, SPA execution and Memorandum of Transfer

How the fee works

Sale of property: up to the maximum of 3% of the sale price prescribed by the BOVAEP scale of fees, payable by the vendor on completion. The exact rate and the marketing budget are set out in the appointment letter before we advertise.

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03Rent

Leasing & Tenant Placement

Tenants screened on documented income, a properly stamped tenancy, and a condition report both sides sign.

Letting goes wrong in the paperwork far more often than in the viewing. We market at a rent supported by current comparable lettings in the same block or street, screen applicants on payslips, EPF statements or company letters rather than on a good impression, and prepare a tenancy agreement that names who pays for what — the ceiling fan, the water heater, the Indah Water bill, the sinking fund contribution. We handle stamping at LHDN, collect the standard deposits, and produce a photographed inventory and condition report that both parties sign at handover. That document is what makes a deposit deduction defensible at the end of the term.

What you get

Rental valuation against current comparable lettings, not asking rents
Applicant screening on documented income and employment, with references checked
Tenancy agreement drafting, LHDN stamping and duty calculation
Deposit collection on the standard 1 + 1 + 0.5 convention, held and accounted for
Photographed inventory and condition report signed at handover and at check-out
Utility, Indah Water and management-office account transfers

How the fee works

Letting: the BOVAEP scale provides for a fee equivalent to one month's rent for a tenancy of up to three years, payable by the landlord, with the exact basis confirmed in the appointment letter.

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04Manage

Property Management

For landlords who are overseas, busy, or simply done taking calls about a leaking water heater.

We take the running of a tenanted property off your desk. Rent is collected and reconciled monthly with a statement you can hand to your tax agent. Maintenance requests come to us, we obtain quotations for anything above an agreed threshold, and nothing above that threshold is spent without your approval. We handle management-corporation correspondence, keep quit rent and assessment payments on schedule, inspect the property at agreed intervals with photographs, and open renewal negotiations sixty days before expiry so the unit is not sitting empty in month thirteen.

What you get

Monthly rent collection, reconciliation and an owner statement suitable for tax filing
A single point of contact for tenant maintenance requests, with an agreed spend threshold
A vetted contractor panel and comparative quotations for works above the threshold
Scheduled inspections with a photographic report
Quit rent, assessment, fire insurance and management-fee payment tracking
Renewal or re-letting handled from sixty days before lease expiry

How the fee works

Charged as a percentage of rent collected, agreed in the management agreement, with a stated minimum monthly fee. Contractor works are billed at cost against approved quotations.

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05Appraise

Valuation Guidance & Market Appraisal

An evidence-based market appraisal — and a clear statement of when you need a registered valuer instead.

There is a distinction here we make plainly. A market appraisal by an estate agency is an opinion of likely selling price supported by comparable evidence. A formal valuation report — the kind a bank, a court, a probate matter or a company auditor will accept — must be prepared by a registered valuer. We provide the first, we tell you honestly when you need the second, and we refer you to a valuation firm. Our appraisal sets out the comparables relied on, the adjustments made for floor level, orientation, built-up area, tenure and condition, and the range we would market within.

What you get

A written market appraisal with the comparable transactions relied on and the adjustments applied
An indicative marketing range and an expected time on market at each price point
Renovation and presentation advice ranked by likely return, not by cost
A plain statement of whether a formal valuation by a registered valuer is required, and a referral if so

How the fee works

A market appraisal is provided free of charge where the property is offered to us for sale or letting. It is an opinion of value for marketing purposes and is not a formal valuation report.

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06Finance

Mortgage & Legal Referral

Introductions to panel bankers and conveyancing solicitors, with the total cost of the deal written down first.

We are not a bank and we are not a law firm, and we do not pretend to be either. What we do is put you in front of mortgage bankers who actually lend on the asset class you are buying — some banks are cautious on serviced apartments held on commercial title, others on small-parcel industrial — and conveyancing solicitors who handle Klang Valley transactions daily. Before any introduction we prepare a cost sheet: deposit, loan sum at your indicative margin of finance, SPA stamp duty, MOT ad valorem stamp duty, loan agreement stamp duty, and both sets of legal fees and disbursements, so the number you are agreeing to is the real one.

What you get

A full cash-to-close cost sheet covering deposit, both stamp duties, legal fees and disbursements
Introductions to two or three panel bankers suited to the asset class and your income profile
Guidance on the documents to prepare for loan submission and on typical margin of finance
Introduction to a panel conveyancing solicitor and coordination through to Memorandum of Transfer

How the fee works

No charge for the referral. Bank and solicitor fees are payable directly to those parties, and we disclose any referral arrangement that exists.

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Selling

A Malaysian sale, step by step

This is the sub-sale sequence for a completed Klang Valley property with title already issued. The timings are the customary ones; the contract you sign governs, and a leasehold title needing state consent runs longer.

01Week 0
Market appraisal, before a price is set
We inspect, measure, and pull transacted comparables from the same scheme, street or section — not asking prices scraped off the portals. You get the number we would market at, the range we would accept within, and an honest expected time on market at each point in that range.
- Comparable transactions, with the adjustments for floor level, orientation, built-up area, tenure and condition shown
- A plain statement of whether a formal valuation by a registered valuer is required for your purpose
- Presentation and repair advice ranked by likely return, not by cost
02Week 1
Appointment letter and listing terms
Nothing is advertised until the appointment letter is signed. It records the asking price, the agreed fee within the BOVAEP scale, whether the appointment is exclusive or open, the term, and the marketing the firm will fund.
- Title search confirming tenure, any restriction in interest and any Bumiputera endorsement
- Outgoings gathered up front: quit rent, assessment, maintenance charge, sinking fund and the arrears position
- The identity documents and title copies the solicitors will need later, collected once
03Week 1 to 2
Preparation and going live
Photography, a measured floor plan and written listing copy are produced by the firm, then syndicated to the portals under the agency account, circulated to our buyer database, and distributed through paid social targeted at the buyer profile for that asset.
- Professional photography and a floor-plan drawing
- Portal syndication, database circulation and targeted social distribution
- A listing that states tenure, built-up area, maintenance charge and title status plainly
04Week 2 onward
Accompanied viewings and weekly reporting
Every viewing is accompanied by a negotiator carrying a REN tag, and buyers are screened for financing capacity before they walk through your home. Each week you receive a written report: enquiries, viewings, feedback, and any recommendation to adjust price or presentation.
- Qualified viewings only — your home is not an open house
- A written weekly activity report you can hold us to
- A documented recommendation before any change to the asking price
05On acceptance
Offer to purchase and booking fee
An accepted offer is recorded in a letter of offer naming the price, the parties, the completion period and the conditions. The buyer then pays the booking fee — customarily two to three per cent of the purchase price — to take the property off the market.
- Held as stakeholder in the firm's client account or by the solicitor, never in a negotiator's personal account
- We press for a financing clause so the buyer is refunded if the loan is declined within a stated period
- The booking fee forms part of the ten per cent deposit paid on signing the Sale and Purchase Agreement
0614 to 30 days later
Sale and Purchase Agreement
Both sides appoint solicitors. The Sale and Purchase Agreement is executed within the period stated in the letter of offer, and the balance of the ten per cent deposit is paid on signing. A separate nominal stamp duty is paid on the agreement itself.
- The vendor's solicitor prepares the agreement; the buyer's solicitor reviews it and raises requisitions
- The completion period runs from the date of the agreement, or from the date it becomes unconditional
- If the property is charged to a bank, the redemption statement is requested now rather than later
07Within the completion period
Loan, state consent and Memorandum of Transfer
The buyer's loan documentation is executed and stamped. The Memorandum of Transfer — Form 14A under the National Land Code — is prepared, adjudicated and stamped, then presented for registration at the land office or land registry. A leasehold title needs state consent to transfer before any of this can complete.
- Ad valorem stamp duty on the transfer, assessed on the higher of the price or the market value determined by JPPH
- A separate ad valorem duty on the loan agreement, calculated against the loan sum
- State consent on leasehold adds two to six months depending on the state and the land office workload
083 months from the SPA, plus the customary 1-month extension
Completion, RPGT and handover
The balance of the purchase price is released, the vendor's existing loan is redeemed, and the keys are handed over against a signed handover list. The buyer's solicitor retains a portion of the price toward the vendor's Real Property Gains Tax, and the disposal is reported to LHDN within the statutory period.
- Utility, Indah Water and management-office accounts transferred, with final meter readings taken
- Keep every receipt — agency fee, legal fees and stamp duty are permitted expenses against the RPGT gain
- The agency fee is invoiced to the vendor and payable on completion

Letting

A letting, in five steps

Letting goes wrong in the paperwork far more often than in the viewing. This is the order we work in, and the documents that protect both sides at the end of the term.

Rental appraisal and marketing

The asking rent is set against lettings actually concluded in the same block or street in recent months, then the unit is photographed and listed. An empty month costs a landlord more than a modest reduction at the start.

Week 0 to 1

Screening on documented income

Applicants are assessed on payslips, EPF statements or a company letter, and references are checked. Corporate lettings are matched against the relocation policy so the clauses reflect what the company will actually sign.

Week 1 onward

Letter of intent and earnest deposit

The tenant signs a letter of intent with an earnest deposit equal to one month of rent, which becomes the advance rental. Term, renewal option and who repairs what are agreed here rather than argued over later.

On acceptance

Tenancy agreement and LHDN stamping

The agreement is drafted, executed and stamped at LHDN, with duty calculated on the annual rent above the exempt threshold and stepping up with the length of the term. By convention the tenant bears stamping and preparation; the landlord pays the letting fee.

Within 7 to 14 days

Deposits, inventory and handover

Deposits follow the one plus one plus a half convention. A photographed inventory and condition report is signed by both parties — that document is what makes a deposit deduction defensible at check-out.

At handover

Fees

Who pays what

Agency fees in Malaysia are governed by a statutory scale, not invented per deal. Here is the basis we work to, and the costs that sit outside our fee entirely.

Paid by the vendor

Sale of property

Up to the maximum of 3% of the sale price prescribed by the BOVAEP scale of fees, invoiced on completion.

The exact rate, the term and the marketing budget are fixed in the appointment letter before we advertise
Subject to service tax where the firm is a registered taxable person
A buyer is not asked for a separate fee in a normal sub-sale transaction

Paid by the landlord

Letting and tenant placement

The scale provides for a fee equivalent to one month of rent for a tenancy of up to three years.

The tenant customarily bears the stamp duty on the tenancy and the cost of preparing it
Deposits are held and accounted for; they are never applied against our fee
Renewals are handled on the terms stated in the original appointment

Usually no separate fee

Buyer or tenant representation

Because the vendor or landlord pays the agency fee in a standard transaction, buyer and tenant representation is generally provided at no separate charge.

The exception is an exclusive search mandate, agreed and documented before any work begins
Any referral arrangement with a banker or solicitor is disclosed to you
Ask to see the appointment letter, and check the REN tag of whoever shows you a property

Costs that are not ours, but that we cost out for you first

Stamp duty on the transfer: Ad valorem, on a banded scale, assessed on the higher of the purchase price or the market value determined by JPPH. Payable by the buyer.
Stamp duty on the loan agreement: Ad valorem, calculated against the loan sum rather than the purchase price. Payable by the buyer.
Legal fees and disbursements: Each side pays its own solicitor. The buyer also carries the loan documentation, land searches and registration costs.
Real Property Gains Tax: Charged on the vendor's chargeable gain at a rate that steps down with the holding period. A portion of the price is retained by the buyer's solicitor toward it.

These answers are general information about Malaysian property practice, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rates, exemptions and thresholds change with each Federal Budget and several of them differ from state to state. Confirm your own position with your solicitor, your licensed tax agent, or the relevant authority before committing to a transaction.

A Hartanah Makmur Realty negotiator taking a client through a cash-to-close cost sheet at the firm's Jalan Ampang office

Start Here

Bring us the property, or the budget

A first conversation costs nothing and commits you to nothing. If you are selling, we appraise before we quote a fee. If you are buying, we work out your cash to close before booking a single viewing.

Book a consultation WhatsApp +60 17-709 6584 +60 3-2181 8800

Estate Agency Registration (E number): E (3) 1782

Board of Valuers, Appraisers, Estate Agents and Property Managers Malaysia (BOVAEP / LPPEH)

Every negotiator listed practises under the firm's estate agency registration and carries an individual REN tag.

Services, and the process behind each one

Bring us the property, or the budget

Estate Agency Registration (E number): E (3) 1782

Board of Valuers, Appraisers, Estate Agents and Property Managers Malaysia (BOVAEP / LPPEH)

Every negotiator listed practises under the firm's estate agency registration and carries an individual REN tag.

Services, and the process behind each one

Buyer Representation

What you get

Selling & Marketing

What you get

Leasing & Tenant Placement

What you get

Property Management

What you get

Valuation Guidance & Market Appraisal

What you get

Mortgage & Legal Referral

What you get

A Malaysian sale, step by step

Market appraisal, before a price is set

Appointment letter and listing terms

Preparation and going live

Accompanied viewings and weekly reporting

Offer to purchase and booking fee

Sale and Purchase Agreement

Loan, state consent and Memorandum of Transfer

Completion, RPGT and handover

A letting, in five steps

Rental appraisal and marketing

Screening on documented income

Letter of intent and earnest deposit

Tenancy agreement and LHDN stamping

Deposits, inventory and handover

Who pays what

Sale of property

Letting and tenant placement

Buyer or tenant representation

Costs that are not ours, but that we cost out for you first

Bring us the property, or the budget

Services, and the process behind each one

Buyer Representation

What you get

Selling & Marketing

What you get

Leasing & Tenant Placement

What you get

Property Management

What you get

Valuation Guidance & Market Appraisal

What you get

Mortgage & Legal Referral

What you get

A Malaysian sale, step by step

Market appraisal, before a price is set

Appointment letter and listing terms

Preparation and going live

Accompanied viewings and weekly reporting

Offer to purchase and booking fee

Sale and Purchase Agreement

Loan, state consent and Memorandum of Transfer

Completion, RPGT and handover

A letting, in five steps

Rental appraisal and marketing

Screening on documented income

Letter of intent and earnest deposit

Tenancy agreement and LHDN stamping

Deposits, inventory and handover

Who pays what

Sale of property

Letting and tenant placement

Buyer or tenant representation

Costs that are not ours, but that we cost out for you first

Bring us the property, or the budget