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There has been a dramatic rise in the number of attendees at international property exhibitions this year as more buyers look beyond their own borders for property investment opportunities.

The news comes from property investment firm Knight Knox International, a regular visitor to property exhibitions and events in Singapore, Malaysia, and other parts of the world.

Previously ensconced in the minds of the public as a throwback from the 1980’s, property exhibitions are proving increasingly popular with both investors and lifestyle buyers alike, as a level of confidence returns to the market that has not been seen since before the economic slowdown.

No longer are people forced to spend time in draughty exhibition halls decorated with tired looking bunting. Today’s events are glamorous, slick affairs that exude the confidence that the property industry has in its products and reflect the high calibre of the exhibitors and their representatives.

Alasdair Macdonald, Senior Marketing and Exhibition Director for Knight Know International, said: “Today’s buyers are definitely savvier when it comes to investing their money. In particular, the rise in popularity of the Internet means they have already carried out their own research before visiting the event, and are armed with a raft of questions that they expect you to be able to answer immediately.”

He added: “Dealing with customers face-to-face has always been the best-selling tool around, as it allows you to build a rapport and gain a higher level of trust, that doesn’t always exist in other forms of communication.”

Since the property market contracted and economic growth slowed, all property events changed in size, but there has been a recent upturn in the number of larger events that are showing a slow and steady increase in the amount of exhibitors they are attracting.

These sentiments are echoed by the organisers of the Property Investor Show (PIS), one of the longest running events in the industry.

“In 2011, approximately 10,000 buyers and property professionals attended the PIS shows and this year is already proving to be an even bigger success. The PIS is the longest established show in the U.K., which means it is the closest reflection of the market,” said Sumit Pal, Sales Manager at Property Investor.

Knight Knox International is attending more than 25 major property investment exhibitions and seminars this year, showcasing a range of lifestyle and investment properties from their extensive portfolio of worldwide products.

In addition to attending numerous forthcoming specialist events around the world, Knight Knox has already successfully exhibited at the International Property Expo in Russia, Cityscape in Abu Dhabi, A Place in The Sun Live in the U.K., MAPEX in Malaysia, the SMART Property Expo in Singapore (pictured) and the Property Investor Show in the U.K.

Andrew Batt, Regional Group Editor for PropertyGuru and a regular attendee at property exhibitions himself, said: “I can certainly echo these observations. As buyers and investors look to overseas opportunities in greater numbers, so attendance at these overseas property events is growing.  Events in Singapore, Malaysia and the U.K. that I have attended in the last couple of months are certainly proof that overseas property is hotter than ever.”

PropertyGuru is holding a number of overseas property exhibitions in Singapore in the coming months, including the International Property Showcase which takes place on June 16-17 in Singapore. On the same weekend it’s hosting a Malaysia Property Showcase in Hong Kong, building on the success of its recent Malaysia-focused property events in Singapore. Property exhibitions featuring Thailand and Philippines properties are also planned for Singapore in the coming months.

Source : Property Guru – 15 May 2012