Property developers have been working on alternative methods to help customers in the low-end housing market get home loans, especially in light of increasingly stringent bank mortgage criteria in the poor economy.
Pruksa Real Estate Plc, one of the largest property developers, for instance, has set up a what it calls a "sales excellence" team to help rejected customers try to gain mortgage approval through a more practical and efficient approach.
"This team was developed last year under the sales department with the purpose of winning back customers. The team collects customers' data from the time they walk into the property project, as well as information on their down payment and unit transfers," says Piya Prayong, Pruksa's president for value business.
Pruksa reported that 30% of its customers applying for a home loan in the first half of this year failed to get bank approval.
The Housing Finance Association recently reported that during the first six months of the year half of mortgage applications were rejected by banks, indicating further signs of weakened debt-ser vicing.
Prospective homebuyers, particularly those in low-income brackets, are struggling to obtain housing loans even though the government has offered several lending schemes through stateowned banks.
Pruksa expects to improve sales from their current rate of one in every three customers buying a unit.
Pruksa's measures to help customers get their mortgage applications approve include pre-approval, bank matching and guiding customers towards homes that meet their budget.
"Customers should openly discuss their problems and concerns with developers, like a patient talking with a doctor. This is so that we can find ways to help them own a house more easily," says Mr Piya.