Sources and methodology

This page is a detailed companion to the Trust Center and to "How we check projects." It sets out what's usually hidden under the hood: the full source hierarchy by type of claim, how often different data updates, how we handle source conflicts — and a list of the main official and institutional resources we rely on.

Source hierarchy

A source's priority depends not on convenience but on the type of claim. We use two different orders.

For law, taxes, visas, banking and government procedures

1. the text of the law, a government source or an official regulator;
2. an official bank or state payment system;
3. a specialist legal or tax firm with dated material;
4. practical commentary from Elvira, Valeria or Pointer Property;
5. a reputable secondary source.

We don't use listing catalogues or video blogs as the sole basis for a legal, tax or visa claim.

For specific project terms and commercial data

1. a signed SPA, an official price list, an official letter or a current developer document;
2. the official project website and the developer's official brochure;
3. written confirmation from Elvira or Valeria;
4. Pointer Property data;
5. official social accounts of the project or developer;
6. stable local catalogues (e.g. realestate.com.kh) — as a secondary reference;
7. two or more independent secondary sources;
8. NovAsia's internal logic — only for structure, calculation and clearly labelled analysis, never as a source of fact.

The four types of claim we separate

Readers easily blur things of different natures. We try to give them separately and label them:

• Fact from a source — what is stated directly in a developer document or official source.
• Partner confirmation — dynamic data confirmed by a local partner (current price, availability, an active program).
• NovAsia calculation — arithmetic based on confirmed inputs: a month-by-month payment plan, full cost, a return scenario.
• NovAsia analysis — our judgement on who the project suits and its limitations.

A contractual income (GRR) or buy-back program is always presented as an obligation of the developer or operator, not as a property of the market. Market references (e.g. expected rent) are marked as a scenario with visible assumptions. That's why in our calculations "total return" and "net profit" are always different, separated figures.

How often data updates

Different fields go stale at different speeds. We set different freshness windows for them; once a window expires, the value is kept with its original date but marked "requires confirmation," and the call to action changes to "request current data."

What we do when sources conflict

A single current, unambiguous primary source can be sufficient. A second independent source is required when sources conflict, data is ambiguous, the cost of error is high, the claim touches law or taxes, or there's doubt about currency. If the discrepancy can't be resolved, we don't pick a figure arbitrarily: we show cautious wording or a range and flag that the data requires confirmation. Material discrepancies on price, ownership, timelines or contract terms go to a separate check rather than being smoothed over.

Use of artificial intelligence

AI helps us with drafts, structure, translation, checking calculations for consistency and technical work. But AI is not a source of fact: project, legal and tax data must have their own verifiable source, and the team makes the publication decision. We don't use AI to create fictional authors, quotes, first-hand experience, false claims of verification or guaranteed return forecasts.

Corrections

If you find an inaccuracy, write to info@novasia.estate with a link to the page, the disputed passage and a supporting source. We re-check the original source, correct the material, update the date and note where needed, and then check related pages. The full procedure is in the editorial policy.

The main sources we rely on

The list is not exhaustive and grows as we research specific projects and topics. Priority always goes to a primary, official source over a secondary catalogue.

Government and regulatory

• National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) — currency regulation, the Bakong payment system, banking rules.
• General Department of Taxation of Cambodia — tax rates, stamp duty, property tax, CGT status.
• Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction — property registration, strata title, co-ownership.
• Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) — investment regulation and statistics.
• General Department of Immigration — visa categories and long-stay rules.

Institutional and market

• World Bank, ADB, IMF — macroeconomics, GDP growth, country reports.
• Specialist real-estate market reports — with the period and methodology stated, as a dated reference.

Project and commercial

• Official developer materials — SPA, price lists, brochures, floor plans, specifications, official project websites and social accounts. A breakdown of developers is in the "Developers" section.
• Pointer Property — data from the local institutional partner. The profile is on the Pointer Property page.
• Stable local catalogues (e.g. realestate.com.kh) — as a secondary reference labelled "catalogue data / requires confirmation."

Mapping and infrastructure

• OpenStreetMap, Google Maps and official institution websites — to verify location and nearby points (schools, clinics, malls).

We don't present a secondary catalogue as a primary source, and we don't use web archives as evidence of current status — only for change history. The phrase "verified by NovAsia" describes the editorial cross-check process, not a legal opinion on the property.