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Lamudi’s Broker Awards Night 2023 makes a grand in-person comeback to gather and recognize real estate professionals nationwide who have answered the call of duty amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The awarding ceremony celebrates not only the wins of real estate professionals but also their sacrifices to bounce back tenfold.
Held last March 14, 2023, at Dusit Thani Manila, in Makati City, the Lamudi Broker Awards Night 2023 presented 22 awards to honor tenured and budding brokers alike during the momentous ceremony.
Lamudi Philippines country head Anurag Verma opened the night and expressed his gratitude to all brokers who attended the memorable gathering and acknowledged the hard work of everyone in the real estate industry.
“Even during the pandemic, we kept on celebrating the hard work and success of our brokers because we knew that you haven’t stopped – your hustle hasn’t stopped,” Verma said.
Striving Against All Odds
The recent pandemic is a testament that the real estate industry can stay afloat amid adversaries, but it also comes with various challenges along the way.
New Broker Partner of the Year for Luzon Jemson Gabao said the pandemic restricted the movement of people outside, resulting in fewer clients around the vicinity of real estate projects. “However, because of Lamudi, [it’s a] blessing in disguise that it helped everybody to connect not only to brokers but also to clients to make it easier to find properties,” he added.
Miyabi Realty, the All-Star Portfolio of the Year awardee, shared, “Nahirapan kami kung papaano mag market kasi hindi namin alam kung hanggang kailan [ang pandemic].” (We had a hard time figuring out how to market because we didn’t know until when will the pandemic last.)
To deal with the uncertainties of the time, the realty sought to broaden its horizons and come up with post-COVID action plans to keep up with other brokerages.
The People’s Choice Award recipient Raffy Siapco Jr. shared that the company’s struggle during the pandemic was mobility. “Hirap kami mag viewing, hirap kaming makahanap ng trippings, mainly because people [were] scared to go out,” he added. (We faced difficulties in scheduling property viewings and trippings because people were scared to go out.)
“Good thing, Lamudi is here to help us. With the help of the online platform, we were able to generate more leads,” Siapco said.
Looking Forward to Tomorrow
The year has just begun and the future of the industry will only improve moving forward with the advancement of tech, education, and society. With these growths, more people will be inspired to start their journey as real estate professionals.
“I see a brighter future for the real estate industry. We, brokers, are one of the pillars of the growth of the industry. Gabao shared.
Most Leads Generated brokerage awardee Property Hunter Realty advised budding brokerages to experiment with different ways to get leads, such as uploading videos to develop an online presence.
Gilladoga Realty Services, the Top Trained Brokerage awardee, shared, “Post lang nang post, pag para sa inyo yan, sainyo talaga yan.” (Just keep on posting, if it’s for you, then it’s for you.)
Real Estate Industry Players Convene
The Lamudi Broker Awards Night 2023 also invited esteemed guests and industry players during the event. The National Real Estate Association (NREA) Board Vice Chairman Architect Ronie Biando congratulated all attendees and recognized their perseverance.
“[Brokers] put the clients’ welfare first, and having done that, these customer-centric brokers we are honoring are now enjoying their rewards,” Biando said in his welcome speech.
On the other hand, Marissa “Del Mar” Magsino, One Filipinos Worldwide Coalition Partylist (OFW Partylist) representative and Chairwoman Emerita and Chairlady of the Board of Advisers of NREA was the keynote speaker of the awarding ceremony.
In her keynote address, Magsino said that OFWs hold an important role in the increasing real estate demand in the country.
“The sustained remittances from our OFWs possibly impacted the purchasing and investing power of their families in their real estate properties in the midst of the pandemic,” she said.
Kristoffer Charles Velhagen, Director for Broker Classifieds of Lamudi Philippines, closed the night with a ceremonial toast in honor of all event attendees.
“Without you all, we could not achieve what we have worked so hard for over these past few years. And seeing your success tonight, we are proud to have provided you [with] a platform to help achieve your own goals.”
Apart from the awarding ceremony proper, the Lamudi Broker Awards Night 2023 also gave away home appliances to the best dressed of the night, the most creative shot, and one raffle winner.
The Lamudi Broker Awards Night 2023 would not be possible without the event’s major sponsor, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), and minor sponsors, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), iAcademy, Zalora, Maximus, and Metromart.
The awarding ceremony’s media partners are Manila Bulletin, Inquirer Property, Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Philippine Star, Business Mirror, Manila Times, Malaya Business Insight, and Manila Standard.
The media support are Media Blast Digital, Real Estate Blog PH, and Negosentro.
Click here to see the full list of winners.
