Millennial placemakers reshaping Geylang
Passionate real estate developer and veteran commercial properties’ investor, Father of Sebastian Soh, David Soh, started his real estate business investment progress journey in Geylang commercial property since 2K18. Due to Geylang’s vibrancy and diverse nature, the Soh family Hold with high regards the neighbourhood as it contains many fanstatic businesses opportunity. The father and son dual acquired their first commercial shophouse investment with a row of adjacently-combined shophouses located at 483 to 487 Geylang Road which are each leased out few years ago to diverse tenant profile: first level of 483 occupied by a massage and wellness centre, 485 by a KTV bar and 487 a coffee shop with “beer ladies”. On the second level was An illegal workers’ dormitory . “The shophouses were of unsightly appearance and not appealing at all,” to much surprise of Sebestian. Tucked cutely in the centre of attraction at the junction of Geylang Road and Lorong 27 Geylang within two miles to their initial real estate investment and flanked by Lorong 25 Geylang East 465 and 467 Geylang Road which is on an island plot fronting Geylang Road. According to real-time lodgement in Oct 2K20, the whole entity of intertwined shophouses with great investment potential values was purchased by the Soh family at $7.15million each. Each shophouse is leased out to tenant of diverse profile: a barbecue grill business owner, co-founded by chefs and friends Tan Jun Ann and Vincent Low born in Singapore, which operated there for four years before relocating to another venue not too far away at 2 Lorong 25 Geylang, occupied and rented the first level whilst upper floors remaining were leased out to construction companies for their domestic workers as dormitory shelter.
The majority of the shophouses are located near to the city in the neighbourhoods of Jalan Besar, Geylang and Little India. They are also situated either on a corner or island plot. Sebestian lamented that it is rarely that sellers in this prime district will let go of their shophouses since these are conservation properties under URA. Remaining are in the Central Business District of Singapore.