The slump appears to have ended in an indirect manner: A significant increase in the price of used cars – brought about by the government quashing rumours that older cars would be banned from Yangon’s streets – left many people who had invested heavily in used cars with unexpectedly large money reserves to reinvest.

“Lowland areas surrounded by trees – like Golden Valley – tend to be in demand among buyers. These areas are typically occupied by people who want a private residence that is not too far from downtown and have good water and electricity services,”

“In my opinion, newer buildings in Yangon are safely constructed and most damage is caused during renovation work that is done improperly after the apartment is handed over to the new owners,”

“Owners can find tenants for their apartments easily and receive K60,000 to K70,000 a month in rent. They just have to make an initial investment and then enjoy the monthly dividends. At the same time their investment is growing in value, so investors like them a lot,”

“I didn’t know how nice it was in this new township in Pyin Oo Lwin. The atmosphere is so different from the rest of the town. I love the breeze that comes through and cools everything down at night, especially when I’m walking around,”

“In addition to these points, customers need to decide what things or features in the room you want to showcase. Alternatively, people should consider what they want to hide. If the lighting system is not good, even a beautiful house can look ugly,”

“This year I’ve been selling about 25,000 bricks a week, which is much better than last year when I’d only sell 12,000 a week. Sales have certainly increased but the market’s still not that active,”

“Sales of properties around 2400 square feet in size and priced at around K8.5 million are strong. I think buyers also like Paung Laung because it is close to where a 10-lane highway will be built,”

Daw Phyu Phyu Tin – co-owner of Monsoon restaurant, which is located in a 100-year-old colonial building on Theinphyu Road in downtown Yangon – said that walking into an old, stylish building gives people a special feeling. When she renovated the building she says she wanted to retain that feel.

“Now the most popular areas have changed because Yadanabon market has moved. Now people want to live between 77th Street and 84th Street and from 46th Street to 35th Street,”

“We need to check whether or not there are big trees that are likely to throw shadows onto the grass because it needs a lot of sunlight to grow properly and look good,”

“We can see some older buildings – like the Myanmar Port Authority Building on Pansodan Street downtown or the Yangon Technological University at Gyo Gone in Insein Township – that have enormous pillars,”

“In other countries, people who buy condominiums are those who can’t afford to buy land. And some condominium buyers in Myanmar are like that too but there are others who want to enjoy the services that come with a condominium,”

“When you are constructing a green building, the client, architects, engineers and suppliers need to discuss at every stage what materials and techniques have the least environmental impact,”