Stable OPR Supports Market Confidence

Bank Negara Malaysia kept the Overnight Policy Rate at 2.75% at its 9 July meeting, in line with Juwai IQI’s earlier expectations.

Kashif Ansari, Co-Founder and Group CEO of IQI, expects the rate to remain unchanged at the remaining September and November 2026 Monetary Policy Committee meetings.

Stable interest rates would provide greater certainty for borrowers and the property sector, particularly as inflation remains relatively contained. Core inflation averaged 2.1% during the first five months of 2026, while Malaysia’s GDP growth is forecast at 4% to 5% for the year.

Energy-price stability could also support the wider economy by reducing transport and business costs while helping tourism activity. 

Property Transactions Remain Resilient

Malaysia’s property market has continued to hold up despite an uncertain global environment.

Nearly 90,000 property transactions worth RM51.09 billion were completed during the first quarter of 2026.

Activity was also notably well distributed across Malaysia. The Northern Region led with 21,864 transactions, representing 24.3% of total activity, followed closely by the Southern Region at 21,578 transactions and the Central Region at 20,765 transactions.

This relatively balanced distribution suggests that property demand is not being driven solely by traditional hotspots such as the Klang Valley and Johor.

Outlook

Juwai IQI expects monetary policy to remain supportive through the end of 2026, provided inflation remains contained and there are no major energy-price shocks.

For the property market, a steady OPR would help maintain financing predictability and buyer confidence, while Malaysia’s broad-based economic growth should continue to support transaction activity across multiple regions.

The contents of this article were contributed by Dave Platter, Global PR Director.