From JJ, a viewer who wrote in by email
JJ is under 30, married with no children, and has no property or loans yet but a good credit score. Most of his money is in stocks, and he had avoided property because of the upfront cash it needs. He is looking at a bulk-purchase listing in Dutamas, near Mont Kiara, that is close to vacant possession but still has many units available, is already late enough for late-delivery damages to apply, and includes dual-key and tri-key layouts.
Do the unsold units signal a problem, does the delay matter to a buyer like him, and are dual-key and tri-key units worth it?
“So, to me it's not a concern at all.”
Not in this case. Few Malaysians can borrow for a unit above RM1 million, so slow sales near completion are expected, and a developer that keeps building through a delay is a financially strong one. Judge the unit on location, rent and long-term value, and treat any discount as a bonus.
Why
Developers clear stock quietly
Banks pay developers stage by stage as the building goes up, so a developer still holding units near completion wants the cash. Open discounts would upset the first buyers, so stock is often cleared through bulk-purchase clubs, at prices kept confidential.
Price limits who can buy
To borrow RM1 million you need an income of about RM12,000 to RM15,000 a month, which Sean puts at roughly the top 20% of Malaysians. A unit above a million will naturally sell more slowly.
Delay hurts families more than investors
Late-delivery damages run from your own SPA date, so a later buyer's clock starts later than the first buyers'. For an investor the main cost of a delay is renovation: Sean says furnishing a unit that once cost RM28,000 now costs RM48,000 to RM50,000. A family waiting to move in loses far more.
Dual-key units stretch one loan slot
A single 90% residential loan can buy a dual-key or tri-key unit that rents as two or three, where buying separate studios would push the third onto a 70% loan. Sean says the format suits dense urban areas, and tri-key rooms can rent for less than a studio while giving more privacy than a shared flat.
What to do
- Visit the site before you buy: land cleared and foundations under way before launch are signs of a well-funded developer.
- Check the late-delivery terms against your own SPA date, not the project's launch.
- Compare the expected rent with the instalment at your discounted price, not the list price.
- Consider completed unsold units: you see the finished building, the view and the neighbours before you pay, and still get the developer's packages.
- Spend any cash back on renovation and buffers first, then put what remains towards the loan.
Editorial Note: Summarised from Sean Tan's full episode. The quoted answer is in his own words; the rest is our paraphrase. Figures reflect the recording date, so check current rates and rules before acting on them.
ASKING SEAN #313 | ARE UNSOLD UNITS GOOD OR BAD?
Sources & Verification Data
Summarised from Sean's full English captions for Asking Sean #313. The quoted answer is verbatim; everything else is paraphrased. Figures are as Sean stated them in June 2026. Sean says he is a client of the bulk-purchase club FAR Capital, not its owner, and has bought a unit in the project discussed.
