Paul and his staff were extremely courteous, flexible, and proactive in their communication with my family from the outset. I had contacted Paul a couple months before we landed in Phnom Penh as we were set to relocate from another country. Paul immediately set to work at trying to understand our likes and dislikes when it came to housing, and helped us narrow in on neighborhoods and amenities even before we landed in country. Once we did arrive, Paul and his staff were very flexible and responsive to our “settling” in schedules, allowing us to view homes even beyond the normal hours of the workday. Pretty much everything we communicated back to Paul was then taken into consideration for future viewings. Paul was very transparent and up front on property trends, landlords, and neighborhood dynamics….all of which helped to play into our decision making. We are very appreciative to Paul and his team for all their effort in helping us to find a new home, and so quickly, here in Phnom Penh. I recommend them without a doubt.
An abode is a place of residence, a house, a home and we at Abode Real Estate want to find you a real home in Cambodia, Phnom Penh and beyond.
We established Abode Real Estate in 2020 with a focus on providing quality homes to rent and buy/sell.
Our values are quality, honesty and integrity – and our logo represents Modernity, Precision and Warmth
abode /əˈbəʊd/ noun
abode: a place of residence, a house, a home
With growing numbers of agencies, what is our strategy to compete?
We cannot compete with international agencies yet, but we do watch our peers keenly.
Apart from our core values, we cherish QA, Governance and Eco Friendliness.
Substandard practitioners will go under as the industry matures, so it makes sense to work with than against other good companies.
Collaboration bears more fruit than competition.
Why should property buyers or renters seek Abode?
We focus on our clients with quality and professionalism backed up with personal service. We want to find you more than just a house…
Why does Abode focus on colonial buildings?
Phnom Penh is a delightful city with a colonial past. Its wide tree lined avenues, pretty gardens and stately homes made it ‘the Pearl of Asia’ in the 1920’s.
It is an attractive style making it different to other cities.
They are well built, respect the tropics and offer unique urban spaces.
From a micro (building) level to macro (city) level, colonial buildings should be cherished.
When the old buildings have gone, Phnom Penh will be a glass and concrete jungle, just like other cities.
Abode aligns itself with the preservation of beauty (historic and contemporary).
A potted colonial history
Phnom Penh was built in the late 14th century but didn’t become the capital of the Kingdom until mid-15th century.
During Cambodia’s dark ages, when several areas of the state were fighting, the city virtually became a hamlet.
However, with the ascension of King Norodom in 1866, the city became the royal capital for the first time in almost 300 years.
In the 17th century, French missionaries made advances into Indochina, and their influence began to grow in the region through religion and trade.
When Cambodia’s King requested a protectorate to relieve pressure from Siam (Thailand), the French consented and established the French Protectorate in 1867.
Two decades later, the French won the Sino-French war and acquired control of what is now Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia, dubbed French Indochina.
The French began to develop Cambodia as they saw fit, establishing a modern metropolis, complete with administrative offices, schools, banks, hospitals, hotels, and so on.
However, there was often misunderstanding and abuse, such as Cambodians paying the highest taxes in French Indochina, which led to revolts that were eventually failed.
Before the dictatorship of Pol Pot from 1975 to 1979, Phnom Penh flourished in the early to mid-twentieth century.
It was regarded as one of the most attractive cities in Southeast Asia.
During this period, the country entered a dark period, with over two million people killed by the destructive impacts of communist control.
Cambodia has faced an uphill struggle ever since, but it is attempting to reclaim its splendor via a combination of modern growth and cultural preservation.
The city’s historical architecture may be split into three basic categories:
- The ubiquitous ‘Chinese shophouse-style’ buildings dating back to the late 1800s, with the majority dating from early 1900s through to the 1960s.
- Late-19th/early-20th century French Colonial structures with a variety of influences and styles. Early villa-style dwellings and public structures reflect a diverse range of European influences. Structures built later, such as Phsar Thmei, mirror the Art Deco movement and other western styles. This era also saw the construction of ‘Colonial Traditional’ style structures such as the National Museum, which drew significantly on traditional Cambodian motifs. The majority of the city’s colonial-era features are concentrated in the city centre, including concentrations surrounding the Royal Palace, Post Office Square, and Wat Phnom, as well as Norodom Blvd from Sihanouk to Wat Phnom.
- New Khmer Architecture’ of the late 1950s/early 1960s, such as the Chaktomuk Theatre and Independence Monument, erected during the post-independence ‘Golden Age,’ showcasing a modern but distinctly Cambodian orientation. There are few instances in the city centre.
Are there any services Abode is planning to announce?
Abode shifted focus to quality rentals and sales to apply resources better.
Our focus was mainly on Daun Penh, but we now cover wider metropolis and the provinces.
Contact us directly if you want to know more about what we can do for you.