Trent has worked with some of the largest multi-national real estate consulting companies, building experience in real estate markets across the Asia Pacific region. At Colliers he was involved in establishing the International Properties division, starting a team which was able to complete transactions in most markets around the region and the UK in just one year. Now he is part of the senior management team for Savills PT Property Connection Indonesia in Jakarta.

How did you get into the real estate industry?
I studied a Bachelor of Property at university in Australia.  My first real estate job was as an analyst in Singapore. 

What are some of your career highlights from your time in the industry?
At Colliers I had the great opportunity to establish the International Properties division. From a standing start, we were undertaking transactions in most markets around the region and the UK within only 1 year.

What are the biggest issues facing the industry in your market at the moment?
I think not opening the property market to foreign investors will restrict growth in the long term. There is always some political risk that you have to deal with in Indonesia.

What changes would you like to see over the next two to five years in the industry?
I would like to see the property market be more open and transparent. It’s quite difficult to get access to data, especially on the secondary market, so any inroads into making data more available would go a long way towards making the market more transparent. 

What advice do you have for people who are just starting out in similar careers?
I was always looking for mentors and people that I could feed off and pick their brains about how things worked or to get their opinions on certain issues within the property market. I think for people looking at starting out in real estate or any industry, mentors can be a key to your career.

What do you believe is a unique factor of doing business in your market?
Indonesia is a very closed and opaque market; there are some foreign ownership restrictions in place which makes it difficult for an investor wanting to invest in the market here. On the flipside of that, if you live here, are familiar with the market, and understand how it works it can be a unique factor to investing in the market.   

What is your favourite holiday destination in Asia?
Hard to go past Bali.

What’s your outlook for your sector for the next year?
The case is building for a turning market in Indonesia. Demand is supported by Jakarta's rapidly growing population and middle class, along with high profile infrastructure projects, including the Jakarta MRT and LRT projects, JORR2 and the Jakarta to Bandung High Speed Rail. I see a huge price discount on the secondary residential market and value on the primary. The only way the market is going from here will be North, and when it turns I think it will turn quite quickly on the back of Jakarta's pent up demand, as investors have held off over the past few years. I believe the next year will be a different investing environment to the one we are currently in.

Where would your next purchase be?
I see a lot of opportunities in the residential sector in Jakarta, so my next buy would be here on the secondary market.  

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