11th PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Singapore) Entry and Nominees

PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Singapore) winning developers, experts have high hopes for market performance

VIRTUAL ROUNDTABLE EXAMINES OPPORTUNITIES AND TRENDS IN THE COVID-ERA AMID POSITIVE SENTIMENT AND GENERATIONAL SHIFT

- Leaders of top Singaporean companies, including major developers and the city-state’s leading property portal, deliver insights on a recovering property market, including analyses of buying sentiment, especially among millennials, and exemplary marketing strategies

- Wide range of competitive categories, including the new award of Best Integrated WFH (Work From Home) Development, now accepting entrants and nominees until 17 September

- Exclusive black-tie gala dinner and awards ceremony of the 11th PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Singapore) scheduled for 19 November, with a global premiere on AsiaPropertyAwards.com and partner channels and highlights to air on History Channel

- HLB Singapore Foo Kon Tan appointed as Official Supervisor, ensuring fairness and transparency of the awards programme

SINGAPORE — 24 May 2021

Singapore’s preeminent developers conversed with the country’s leading market commentators at a virtual roundtable ahead of the 11th edition of the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Singapore), presented by platinum sponsor Kohler and supported by gold sponsor Mitsubishi Electric Asia.

The Virtual Winners’ Roundtable on Monday (24 May 2021) drew top winning developers of the prestigious awards programme in Singapore: GuocoLand, two-time Best Developer (Singapore) title holder and 2020 winners Fantasia (Park) Pte Ltd (for Best Strata Housing Development) and Qingjian Group (Best Residential Developer). They were joined by experts who assessed the state of the Singapore real estate sector in the Covid-19 era, as well as the prospects and trends within the recovering market. 

Representatives of top Singapore developers discussed ways their respective companies have stayed ahead of the curve during the pandemic, including strategies to attract buyers and investors amid mixed consumer sentiment; marketing online, especially to younger buyers; and recommendations for office landlords amid the popularity of working from home (WFH). Panel speakers included Dora Chng, general manager for residential at GuocoLand; Donald Ng, sales and marketing manager of Fantasia Investment (S) Pte., Ltd.; and Yen Chong, deputy general manager of Qingjian Group Co., Ltd.

The roundtable was moderated by Dr. Tan Tee Khoon, country manager of PropertyGuru Singapore. Dr. Tee Khoon shared the key takeways and highlights from PropertyGuru.com.sg’s Consumer Sentiment Study H1 2021, commenting on Singapore’s market update. Providing a look into property development trends in various real estate segments was Kristin Thorsteins, partner with Portman Investment Pte., Ltd. and the new chairperson of the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Singapore) judging panel. 

Long-term millennial goals

Singaporeans are overall more optimistic about the property market, according to Tee Khoon, citing key findings from the PropertyGuru.com.sg study. The Property Sentiment Index increased by two points for H1 2021 due to positive perception of interest rates and outlook on property prices. Sixty percent of respondents intend to purchase a new property within the next two years, with three in five people intending to upgrade to a private property.

The report also found that 69 percent of millennials prioritise saving for home buying this year over experiences like travel, food and staycations. However, more education is needed around home loan financing to help bridge knowledge gaps among Singaporeans. 

Tee Khoon added: “The economic and job uncertainty amid the pandemic has brought to the fore the importance of establishing long-term saving goals amongst millennials, such as owning their first home. Millennials in Singapore are proving to become a dominant force in the property market as they look to fulfil their homeownership dreams in the next few years.” 

In addition to Dr. Tan and Thorsteins, the virtual panel also featured Jules Kay, managing director of PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards & Events, who previewed important dates and key statistics of the long-running awards programme. Kay also introduced HLB Singapore Foo Kon Tan as the newly appointed Official Supervisor of the Awards. The third-party supervisor will further solidify the fairness, transparency, and credibility of the judging process, from deliberations to announcement.

Leo Leong, general manager of Kohler Kitchen & Bath, South & North East Asia, meanwhile, spoke on the global brand’s continued partnership with the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards series, as well as current kitchen and bathroom design trends in Singapore.

Wide range of categories

The 11th PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Singapore) programme is currently open to eligible entries as well as nominations from the public until 17 September. Prospective entrants and nominees can join a wide range of competitive categories across various segments, locations and niches, including the never-before-presented award of Best Integrated WFH Development, a new category created in response to Covid-era shifts in commercial tenancy.

Winners and Highly Commended awardees will be announced in a safely conducted black-tie gala dinner and awards ceremony on 19 November at the Shangri-La Singapore. The gala event and presentation will premiere online on the same day on AsiaPropertyAwards.com/tv-podcast and the official channels on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube. International viewers can watch highlights of the programme on the History Channel, the official cable TV partner of the event.

Key dates for the 2021 edition: 

1 January 2021 – Entries Open

17 September 2021 – Entries Close

27 September-13 October 2021 – Site Inspections

14 October 2021 – Final Judging

19 November 2021 – Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony in Singapore

9 December 2021 – Regional Grand Final Gala Event

Country winners in top categories from the Singapore event will have the chance to compete regionally on 9 December and claim the “Best in Asia” honours at the 16th PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards Grand Final. The finale is part of “PropertyGuru Week”, which also includes the new edition of the PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit, the tech and thought leadership platform of PropertyGuru Group.

In 2020, the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards online gala series, which included the first virtual gala edition of the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Singapore), was viewed more than 516,000 times and reached viewers and investors in more than 75 countries worldwide.

With nine regional awards, including three regional Developer awards, Singapore emerged as the most awarded country during the landmark 15th edition of the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards Grand Final last year. GuocoLand was one of the ceremony’s biggest victors, emerging as the Best Developer (Asia) whilst Aurum Land (Private) Limited was named Best Boutique Developer (Asia) and Wing Tai Asia earned Best Lifestyle Developer (Asia).

Organised by Southeast Asia’s leading property technology company, PropertyGuru Group, the 11th PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Singapore) is supported by platinum sponsor Kohler; gold sponsor Mitsubishi Electric Asia; official portal partner PropertyGuru.com.sg; official cable TV partner History Channel; official magazine PropertyGuru Property Report; official PR partner Klareco Communications; media partner d+a; official charity partner Right To Play; official ESG partner Baan Dek Foundation; supporting association Asia Pacific Real Estate Association (APREA); and official supervisor HLB Singapore Foo Kon Tan.

For more information, email awards@propertyguru.com or visit the official website: AsiaPropertyAwards.com.

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NOTE: Use of the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Singapore) logo is limited to the publication of this article only.

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ABOUT PROPERTYGURU ASIA PROPERTY AWARDS:

PropertyGuru’s Asia Property Awards, established in 2005, are the region’s most exclusive and prestigious real estate awards programme. The Asia Property Awards are recognised as the ultimate hallmark of excellence in the Asian property sector. Boasting an independent panel of industry experts and trusted supervisors, the Awards have an unparalleled reputation for being credible, ethical, fair and transparent. 

In 2021, the Awards series is open to 16 key property markets around the region. The exciting gala events are presented in a mix of virtual and physical formats, reaching senior industry leaders, agents, consumers and top media. Recognising excellence within each Asian market with a variety of categories, including green and sustainable development, each local awards programme will culminate in the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards Grand Final, which takes place after the PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit during ‘PropertyGuru Week’ in December 2021. 

For more information, please visit AsiaPropertyAwards.com

ABOUT PROPERTYGURU GROUP:

PropertyGuru Group is Southeast Asia’s leading property technology company and the preferred destination for 24.5 million property seekers to find their dream home, every month. PropertyGuru and its group companies empower property seekers with the widest option of more than 2.7 million homes, in-depth insights and solutions that enable them to make confident property decision across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.

PropertyGuru.com.sg was launched in 2007 and revolutionised the Singapore property market by taking it online and made property search transparent for the property seeker. Over the decade, the group has grown from a regional property media powerhouse to a high-growth technology company with a robust portfolio of No.1 property portals across its core markets; award-winning mobile apps; best-in-class developer sales enablement platform, FastKey; mortgage marketplace PropertyGuru Finance; and a host of industry-leading property offerings including Awards, events and publications across Asia.