KUALA LUMPUR: Price, size, and location remain important considerations when choosing a home, but Malaysians are increasingly looking at how a property and its surrounding neighbourhood can support their lives over the long term.
According to the PropertyGuru Malaysia H1’26 Consumer Sentiment Study, 86% of Malaysians consider sustainable features important when buying or renting a home, while 78% take climate risks into account when purchasing property, with flooding and landslides among the key concerns. The findings point to an evolving definition of an ideal home. Besides considering the property itself, Malaysians also care about sustainability, resilience, access, safety, community, and everyday liveability.
Sustainable living is also becoming a more practical part of the property journey. The study found 93% of Malaysians are willing or open to paying more for properties with green features, suggesting that sustainable homes are increasingly being viewed through the lens of long-term comfort, efficiency, and value. For home seekers, this can include considerations such as energy efficiency, ventilation, water use, solar readiness, and EV charging access.
Climate resilience is another factor shaping property decisions. As extreme weather becomes a more tangible concern, home seekers are beginning to consider how a home and its location may be affected by risks such as flooding, landslides, heat, as well as factors such as drainage conditions. These considerations can help Malaysians assess not only what a home offers today, but how suitable it may be for the years ahead.
Beyond the property itself, neighbourhood quality also plays an important role in how Malaysians define an ideal home. The study found that 30% of Malaysians prioritise infrastructure and amenities, while 36% prioritise security and safety when selecting a property.
With 52% of Malaysians having lived in their current residence for more than 10 years, the findings reinforce the importance of choosing a home and neighbourhood that can support daily life over time.
Family and life-stage needs are also shaping these decisions. Many Malaysians live in family-based households, with 64% living with a spouse, 38% with parents, 38% with young children, and 21% with adult children. Among those intending to buy a property, 19% say they are doing so because they need more space for children or parents, underscoring how home choices are often tied to care, family planning, and long-term community needs.
“A future-ready home is not just about its location, size, and price alone. It is also about how well it can adapt to people’s evolving life stages and needs, while being prepared for a changing climate and the risks that come with it,” said Cécile Corda, head of sustainability, PropertyGuru Group. “Through Gurus For Good, particularly our Sustainable Living focus, PropertyGuru aims to make sustainability more practical and relevant to the property journey. Our role is to help Malaysians build a more complete picture of what matters throughout their property journey, so they can make more informed decisions.”
PropertyGuru’s 2025 Sustainability Report outlines the group’s sustainability strategy, which focuses on Sustainable Living, Thriving Communities, and Responsible Business. The Sustainable Living pillar reflects PropertyGuru’s commitment to making sustainability more visible and useful in the property journey, helping property seekers consider sustainable features alongside traditional factors such as price, location, and space.
These themes were explored through Home for Tomorrow, PropertyGuru Malaysia’s media and creator experience at Homegrown Farms, Semenyih. The experience brought together consumer insights, sustainability perspectives, expert voices, and local context to explore what future-ready living can mean for Malaysians. The experience featured perspectives from Corda; Malaysia Green Building Council president and Hijjas Architects + Planners principal director Dr Serina Hijjas; alongside Homegrown Farms founders Ivy and Michael Simon, whose local setting helped ground the conversation in real-world examples of community, sustainability, and liveability.
As Malaysians think more holistically about home, choosing a property increasingly means looking beyond the immediate transaction to consider comfort, cost, climate resilience, family, access, safety, and community. As these considerations become more relevant to the property journey, the home Malaysians choose today can shape the way they live tomorrow and the future they want to build.