No other awards can perhaps lay claim to being the most credible and most relevant to the buyers’ actual preferences as The Outlook by Lamudi.
It’s a strong claim for sure, but a cursory look at the highly rigorous, stringent processes set by top online property portal Lamudi would be enough proof of this tilt’s authenticity.
Case in point: Nominations for the second edition of The Outlook, which is being co-presented by the Property Section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, had to go through an esteemed panel of judges, who lent their expertise in identifying which projects and developers made the biggest waves in Philippine real estate this year.
And it doesn’t end there.
What further makes The Outlook stand out from among the numerous property awards today is the fact that these short-listed projects will still have to go through some 10,000 property seekers, thus making this truly the buyers’ awards.
“While some of the honorees will be selected by a distinguished panel of judges, the rest of the winners of this year’s The Outlook 2018 by Lamudi will be determined through a survey of 10,000 users of the Lamudi platform,” said Lamudi Philippines CEO Bhavna Suresh.
“We feel that as potential buyers, property seekers have done their research on their wants and needs as they narrow down their options. Hence, they deserve the right to weigh in on which properties or developers deserve which recognition,” Suresh added.
Rigorous process
Suresh explained that for The Outlook 2018, local real estate developers needed to nominate their prominent projects under various categories.
After the initial screening by a prominent panel of judges, the short-listed projects will be put to test via a survey among 10,000 active property seekers of Lamudi, based on search interests, to determine the winners for each category. The only exception would be the nominations for the Special and Personality Awards, which were screened only by the judges.
With more than 10 million user preferences recorded on the platform every month and over 100,000 active properties, Lamudi clearly has the advantage to truly understand the needs and wants of the Filipino property seeker.
“This year, we have designed our survey process to be more targeted. Responses for certain projects will only be gathered from seekers who are actually looking for this type of project. For instance, a prospective buyer looking for an affordable house will be asked to give (his or her) opinion not on the best luxury condo, but rather on the best affordable house. They already know what they are looking for in an affordable home, so they would be in the best position to give their opinion on the matter,” Suresh explained.
“We also take pride in the legitimacy of the outcome of the 10,000-respondent survey. While other awards can be bought or paid for, The Outlook employs an authentic survey process, the results of which will be made public for people to view,” she further stressed.
Award categories
A total of 18 awards (divided in three main categories) will be conferred in November, during which Lamudi will be hosting a gala that will honor the best real estate projects and developers of the country, as based on the results of the survey.
For Luzon-based projects and developers, the awards include:
Best Affordable Condo of the Year 2018
Best Premium Condo of the Year 2018
Best Luxe Condo of the Year 2018
Best Affordable House of the Year 2018
Best Premium House of the Year 2018
Best Mixed-Use Developer of the Year 2018
For Visayas and Mindanao:
Best Affordable Condo of the Year 2018
Best Premium Condo of the Year 2018
Best House of the Year 2018
Best Mixed-Use Developer of the Year 2018
The Grand Awards, meanwhile, are as follows:
Best Shared Office Space of the Year 2018
Best Developer of the Year 2018—Luzon
Best Developer of the Year 2018—Visayas and Mindanao
Best Boutique Developer of the Year 2018—Luzon
Best Boutique Developer of the Year 2018—Visayas and Mindanao
Special Awards include:
Best Green Project of the Year 2018
Philippine Daily Inquirer Property—Best Innovation Project of the Year 2018
Personality of the Year 2018
Suresh pointed out that property seekers trust the choice of other seekers, especially if they have similar interests. This, she further stressed, is essential as Lamudi’s mission is to make sure that the winners of the awards will represent the true pulse of the market.
“Technological advancements make it easier for these seekers to search for details about the properties they are considering, so you are assured that they are making an informed decision,” she said.
“(Meanwhile), real estate developers build homes with the buyer in mind, so to get affirmation from their market will be that much more valuable. It will tell them that they are moving in the right direction in terms of addressing their market’s needs. This is validation that they, as a brand, know how to listen to their buyers and deliver on their promises,” Suresh added.
The Outlook’s judges seem to share the same view as well.
Arch. Cathy S. Saldaña, Director of ARCO Group, noted that the “Buyer’s Choice Awards bear significance because these reflect the choices of the people and the awareness of the general public for these brands and developments. It is the pulse of the people in rhythm for their selections.”
“From my experience being a judge this year, The Outlook gives a platform for developers and buyers to have a properly curated and vetted analysis of the strengths and significant features of each property as offered to the market. The market, as a result of this, is served better. The Outlook, as its name implies, gives a more panoramic view of what the market is selling and buying,” added Ivy Almario, founder of Atalier Almario.