Jose Soberano III, chairman and chief executive officer of publicly listed Cebu Landmasters Inc. (CLI), was named Entrepreneur of the Year for 2017 by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI).
The former Ayala Land executive was lauded by the Cebu business community for transforming a family business into a real estate leader in Metro Cebu in just 14 years.
CLI, which has residential, office, hotel, and mixed-use developments, was the first property developer in Cebu to be listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange. Following its highly successful PSE debut last June, Soberano’s firm has rolled out a P12 billion expansion in Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod, Iloilo, and Dumaguete.
The company’s vision was to be the leading developer in Visayas and Mindanao.
Expansion
Soberano established CLI in 2003 to meet the housing needs of workers in Cebu’s booming industrial sites.
Seven years later in 2010, CLI ventured into residential condominiums by constructing the first residential project in the rapidly growing Cebu IT Park. In 2013, Soberano spotted yet another opportunity to go into the office segment within the same location.
By 2015, he had set up Baseline Center, the first CLI mixed-use residential project at the heart of Metro Cebu.
Addressing demand
Industry observers have noted Soberano’s uncanny ability to spot and speedily fill a pent-up demand for real estate products catering to a wide spectrum of markets— from the mid-income workers needing economic housing, to the luxury travelers who are seeking for serviced residences in Cebu City.
CLI is likewise known for projects that sell out quickly because they zero in on the demands of the market and at the same time, they “try to give clients more by way of location and amenities,” Soberano said.
According to CLI, 96 percent of the inventory in its completed projects had been sold out. The company’s most popular brands include its Garden Residences, a residential condominium series catering to the mid-income employees and professionals seeking central city locations, and the Casa Mira, which is the company’s economic housing brand.
Understanding the market
Among its buyers, CLI is also known for its keen understanding of the local markets it serves. Its project locations provide easy access to main transportation routes and hubs and servicing the customer’s needs for good-value products delivered on time is a high company priority.
“Despite the many professionals that have joined CLI in the past few years, our organization remains a family business – one where inclusiveness, team work and focus on the customer are highly prized,” Soberano said.
“Thus, this entrepreneurship award belongs to all of us,” he further noted.
In the same statement, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Melanie Ng disclosed that the Entrepreneur of the Year award was the most prestigious given by the organization, led by key business leaders of the metropolis.