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SATURDAY, APRIL 8, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com
‘Finish strong, follow up gently’ Real estate tips from Miriam Quiambao-Roberto Honoring the best in PH real estate. Top guys behind the
PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards 2017 are, (from left to right): Mary Ann Marquez, area project sales manager, KOHLER Philippines; Terry Blackburn, founder & managing director, PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards & Property Report; Lindsay John Orr, chairman, Jones Lang LaSalle Philippines, Inc. (chairman of the judges panel); and Lars Wittig, country manager, Regus Philippines.
Full shortlist announced for Philippines Property Awards 2017 Some 20 firms vie for industry plums for real estate excellence
WHAT’S THE RUSH? Real estate mover and shaker Quiambao-Roberto believes little actions leave a lasting impression, and possible business in the future.
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ROM the glamorous stage, Miriam Quiambao-Roberto is now a wife, mother, TV host, and a property manager/real estate broker to boot. Juggling all of these roles, Quiambao continues to learn, and ostensibly do well. As the Lamudi Philippines Brokers Awards Night draws near, aspirants are getting hyped up to know what it takes to be one of the best brokers in the country. Quiambao-Roberto recently shared the secrets of her success. Here are some tips from the 1999 Miss Universe first runner-up. Arrive on time or earlier than scheduled According to Quiambao-Roberto, being early at the venue sets the tone for the presentation. As owner of Q Estates Management and managing director of 3Win Realty & Development Corporation, she regularly attends meetings, and she says arriving ahead allows one to settle in to the venue before a presentation, avoiding having to rush and be unkempt. “For brokers and in anything actually where one wants to appear as profes-
sional, I would suggest you come on time,” Quiambao-Roberto said. “This will allow you to relax a little and settle in, and not rush because you’ve found an ample parking space or the venue itself beforehand. If you are meeting with a seller, it also allows you to prepare with them way before the buyer arrives.”
Preparation Is key There are no retakes when making a live presentation to a client, QuiambaoRoberto said, so preparation is very important. More than arming yourself with the right words, coming confident and prepared ensures that the clients feels a professional kind of care from you. “If there are documents that might come up in the meeting, you should already have acquired these beforehand,” she said. “If you’re the selling broker, you want to make sure you’ve done your due diligence, so that the person you are selling to does not experience problems.” “Always take note that your reputation is also on the line, so you want to make sure that you are showing your fellow brokers and their buyers, or sellers, the professionalism they deserve,” Quiambao-Roberto added. “For instance, you should avoid occurrences where you will present a property for sale that will turn out as a problematic property, and will cause delay in the process due to your lack of research.”
The way you present yourself matters “The way you carry yourself, and the way you look, are the first measure to your character,” Quiambao-Roberto said. “Going beyond aesthetics, clients prefers to listen to a presentable speaker, and keen to do business with someone knows how to care for himor herself.” “When you introduce yourself, it is important to give them a nice, firm handshake. Not too long, not too short, not too strong, not too limp but just right,” she illustrated. “Remember as well that eye contact shows confidence and that you are secure about yourself and your job.”
Business doesn’t end Even if the presentation did not end in a deal, it is still vital to leave a good lasting impression. Quiambao-Roberto stressed that business doesn’t end when the presentations are finished. Being appreciative and sending follow-ups can build relationships that all started with the initial meeting. “It would be nice if you could send them birthday cards or Christmas cards, flowers, or a decently-priced bottle of wine,” she suggested. “Nothing too expensive, but just something they can remember you by. Those little actions will mean a lot to your clients.”
THE complete 2017 shortlist for the fifth annual PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards was announced Thursday, featuring previous winners and up-andcoming developers from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Spanning the residential, commercial and design sectors, the final shortlist is led by 2016 Best Developer winner Megaworld Corporation, which is known for pioneering the integrated urban township concept in the country. Presented by title sponsor Kohler, this year’s competition will collect a total of 25 official nominations. Megaworld projects are competing against each other in various categories, including Best Luxury Condo Development and Best High End Condo Development for Metro Manila, Best Retail Development, and Best Residential Architectural Design. Developers Robinsons Land Corporation and ArthaLand are joined by The Philippine American Life and General Insurance Company (Philam Life) in second place with five nods each. Philam Life, currently the largest insurance firm in the country, made the cut for its long-awaited office building located in Cebu Business Park.
New categories The fifth edition of Awards is opening doors to new categories in the expanded 2017 programme. For the first time, the panel of judges will honor developments that incorporate universal design elements. “Universal design is the design of a built environment that can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability,” explained Terry Blackburn, managing director of the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards. A total of 89 entries were received this year, following a six-month nomination and judging process supervised by BDO, one of the world’s largest accountancy and auditing firms. Winners will be revealed at a black-tie gala dinner and awards presentation ceremony on May 4 at the Fairmont Makati. Department of Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon T. Teo will be giving the opening keynote address, and discuss the impact of the country’s tourism sector on the rapidly-growing real estate market.
Personality of the year A special award will be also be presented to Robinsons Land Corporation president Frederick D. Go at the awards night. He was chosen by the editors of Property Report magazine as the 2017 Philippines Real Estate Personality of the Year for “leading the company that transforms people’s dreams into reality through real estate projects that last generations.” Main competition category country winners in the Philippines will advance to the two-day PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards grand finale this November at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Singapore.
GREEN ADVOCACY PARTNERSHIP. Concepcion Building and Industrial Solutions (BIS) recently partnered with contractor companies from NCR, Luzon, and its Regional Office in Cebu to complement its integrated solutions offering, and sustain the booming construction industry. The tieup involves training workshops (see photo) by Concepcion BIS on green air conditioning technologies, highlighting the use of R-410A refrigerants with zero ozone-depleting potentials. The partnership is part of the company’s commitment to switch all of its product lines to environmentallyresponsible refrigerants. “We believe that the private sector has the capability to steer the construction industry towards mitigating the impacts of climate change,” said Rajan Komarasu, group director of Concepcion BIS.
DAIICHI TOP-OFF. Daiichi Properties recently held topping-off rites for the Finance Center, its 42-story premium grade building in Bonifacio Global City. The project, located at the corner of 26th and 9th avenues in BGC, will be completed in the second quarter of 2018. The Finance Centre was designed by renowned architectural firm Gensler, which also designed the headquarters of Facebook, Airbnb, and Uniqlo. At the topping-off rites were (from left to right): Jose Lucio Mendoza (AVP operations, EEI); Andres Tumbokon III (VP operations, EEI); Antonio Pascua (senior executive vice president, EEI); Salvador Uy (President, Daiichi Properties); Charmaine Uy (senior vice president, Daiichi Properties); Celedonio Jose (director, Aidea); Reynaldo Fuentez Jr. (VP for project management group, Daiichi Properties); Dennis Abcede Jr. (vice president, DA. Abcede & Associates); and Bernard Parajado (project director, Daiichi Properties).