Serious about Indonesia — property, business, or a new base? Talk to someone who has lived it for fifteen years before you commit to anything.
Ed Phillips · Based in Bali since 2011 · Founder of Indonesian, Singaporean, Hong Kong & Dutch companies
Every week, foreign buyers and founders in Indonesia lose deposits, sign for land they cannot legally own, build with contractors who vanish mid-project, or set up companies with the wrong licences — and only find out when it is too late to fix cheaply.
It is not because Indonesia is hostile to foreigners. It is because the rules are layered, they change with the political weather, and the people selling to you are rarely the people protecting you.
The listings you see are the ones with the biggest marketing budgets — not the best opportunities. The "agents" who find you first are the ones who found the internet first — not the ones who know the village head, the notaris, and the real history of the land.
What you need is not more information. It is someone on the ground with no reason to tell you anything but the truth.
I'm Ed Phillips. British, based in Bali since 2011 — with my family, permanently.
What follows isn't a CV. It's the fifteen years that mean I can see what's coming on your deal before you can.
I've been through PT setup, licensing — KBLI codes, NIB, building and operational permits — and the compliance cycle more times than most consultants have read about it.
Land and construction projects far from the Bali bubble, where there are no English-speaking agents and everything depends on relationships done right.
The unglamorous reality of ownership here: staff, permits, groundwater licences, tax, and what actually makes a property earn.
New governments bring new regulations. Part of my work is keeping clients ahead of what's coming — not reacting to what already happened.
Notaris, lawyers, contractors, agents, officials and operators across Bali and beyond. I know who is real. More importantly, I know who isn't.
I am not an agency. I don't take commissions from sellers. I work for one side of the table: yours.
Legal structures foreigners can actually use, due diligence on land and title, and the true hidden gems that never reach the portals.
PT PMA vs local structures, KBLI classification, permits — and the mistakes that trigger problems with authorities later.
Vetting contractors, realistic budgets and timelines, and oversight for owners who aren't in the country.
What the latest rule changes mean for your situation, in plain English, before they cost you money.
Visas, schools, areas, cost of living — the real picture, not the Instagram one.
When you need a trusted lawyer, notaris, agent or operator, you get the person I would use myself.
You don't need me on your site every day — you need me making sure the right person is, and that they're actually doing the job. I source them. You employ them. I keep watch.
Ad-hoc follow-up calls outside a retainer: USD 150/hour. Larger mandates — acquisitions, market entry, full project oversight — quoted individually.
If you are browsing, the free resources online will serve you fine. If you are serious, we should talk.
No — and that's the point. I sit on your side of the table and bring in the licensed professionals when needed, from a network I've tested over fifteen years. You get judgement first, paperwork second.
Not freehold land directly — but there are legitimate structures (leasehold, HGB via PT PMA, and others) with very different risk profiles. Choosing the right one for your situation is exactly what the Clarity Session covers.
Yes — most retainer clients are abroad. That's precisely why they retain someone on the ground.
Card payment online via Stripe. Phillips Indonesia Advisory is a brand of Aqueous International Ltd. (Hong Kong), which will appear on your card statement. Retainers are monthly subscriptions — cancel anytime.
I listen, I ask questions, and I tell you honestly what I think — including if I believe you shouldn't proceed, or don't need me.
Fifteen years, my own companies, my own builds, and a network that took a decade and a half to earn. Twenty minutes of your time could save you your deposit — or find you the opportunity nobody is advertising.
Book your free 20-minute call