A Successful Start for the iProperty Group

Posted on January 27, 2012

Hope you had a great Chinese New Year celebration and enjoyed the long weekend!

In 2011, the teams all across the iProperty Group focused their commitment on building relationships with customers and in finding ways to further enhance the experience of consumers who visit our website, to search for the dream home.

The dedication, passion and unrelenting commitment showcased by the team have resulted in the group achieving a 103% increase in revenue, and a 72% increase in the number of paying agents.

The Group also significantly deepened its relationship with property developers, highlighted by the launch of our Top Developers publication earlier this year.

To our loyal and esteemed consumers and customers, this success could not have been achieved without you as well. The growth we’ve experienced over the years is because of customers and consumers like you, who faithfully support our business. We appreciate your trust, and we’ll do our best to continue to give you the kind of service you deserve.

And to the entire team at the iProperty Group, a big THANK YOU for all your hard work and dedication. Your passion and determination, has helped us achieve one milestone after another.

Our performance in 2011 provides us with an outstanding starting point for 2012, and rest assured, we have a clear strategy for each country and will continue to focus on executing our plans to continue to deliver only the best for you.

Have a great weekend.

Popularity: 42%

iProperty.com Introduces Malaysia to the World

Posted on January 20, 2012

A year ago, the team at the Malaysia office sat down and put their heads together on how best to give tribute to the unsung heroes who have through the years been instrumental in shaping the skylines of Malaysia – our developers.

I am also proud to say that the book has also garnered the support from the Ministry of Tourism as well.

They thought and they thought hard till they came up with the perfect idea – a coffee table book that will not only showcase their prestigious developments, but also their biographies and future developments. All encapsulated in a book that will proudly give these unsung heroes the due recognition they deserve.

And delivered on that idea the team most certainly did. Aptly named, Malaysia Top Property Developers 2011/2012, this 250-plus page limited edition publication is the perfect starting point for anyone keen on investing in property in Malaysia as the book features profiles of 36 of the country’s top property developers, inspiration and concepts of their signature developments. Aside from that, the book also highlights their past and upcoming projects and offers a comprehensive index and contact list of these developers.

The hard work the team put in has finally paid off when we launched the publication, which is in line with the company’s mission to be innovative in finding avenues to promote the property industry to world, together with the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Malaysia Properties Incorporated.

I am also proud to say that the book has also garnered the support from the Ministry of Tourism as well.

The book is retailing at RM 99 and is available at all major bookstores – MPH, Kinokuniya, Borders, Times and also Popular. So, do grab a copy of this highly coveted book at a bookstore near you.

To the team, kudos on putting together a book that not only showcases Malaysia’s finest developers and developments but for also giving the world the opportunity to know more about them!

Here are a few snapshots of the launch:

Our inaugural publication – Malaysia Top Property Developers 2011/2012

An Auspicious Moment for iProperty.com Malaysia –The signing of the mock cover of the Malaysia Top Property Developers 2011/2012 coffee table book together with the Minister of Housing and Local Government and CEO of Malaysia Properties Incorporated

A Group Shot – (L-R) Timothy Hor, Country Manager of iProperty.com Malaysia, YB Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung, Minister of Housing and Local Government, Kumar Tharmalingam, CEO of Malaysia Properties Incorporated and Daniel Ho, Manager, Developer Services, iProperty.com Malaysia

On a separate note, I would also like to take this opportunity to wish all those who are celebrating a Happy Chinese New Year, Gong Xi Fa Chai. According to the Chinese calendar, this year marks the year the Dragon and it is often believed that that the dragon is an auspicious symbol as it signifies success and happiness.

So to all, may success and happiness be yours all through the year!

Enjoy the long weekend and festivities.

Find Malaysia Properties

Popularity: 44%

A Spectacular December for iProperty!

Posted on December 19, 2011

If I could find one word to describe 2011, it would be SPECTACULAR!

In my last blog I highlighted the success the iProperty Group had over the last 11 months of the year.

Here are the highlights for December, the last month of 2011:

A Night of the Stars

They are not movie stars nor are they top models or famous people that capture attention when they walk down the streets. But nevertheless, these people are stars in their own right.

Who are they? Why, our very own developers, agents and partners. Developers who have through the years shaped the skylines and gave us our dream home, agents who have worked tirelessly to promote these properties and not forgetting our partners, who have been our biggest supporters.

Yes, these people are our STARS!

To recognize their efforts, our offices in Hong Kong and Malaysia recently organized a special appreciation dinner.

In Malaysia, the dinner was attended by over 400 guests, comprising of developers, agents and partners. In Hong Kong, the dinner was held to recognize and honour property agents and lifestyle brands that offer the very best services to consumers. Aside from these distinguished guests, the dinner was also attended by actress, singer and commercial supermodel Bernice Liu and Executive Director, HK Association for Customer Service Excellence, Pauline Chan.

Below are a few snapshots of both events:

Pauline Chan, Executive Director, HK Association for Customer Service Excellence; Catherine So, Regional GM of GoHome.com.hk; and HK celebrity Bernice Liu celebrated the launch of GoHome Awards

A Toast To All Nominees and Winners

The winners of the GoHome Awards 2011

Fresh Face in Indonesia

I am pleased to announce that Peter Goldsworthy, the current Managing Director of AdMax for Indonesia and Malaysia, will be joining the iProperty Group as Country Manager in Indonesia in early January 2012.

Having lived in Indonesia for the last five years and with an Indonesian heritage on his mother’s side of the family, Peter has extensive knowledge of the online advertising industry in Indonesia and speaks fluent Bahasa Indonesia too.

A warm welcome to the team, Peter!

A Momentous Occasion

If you are in the property market and are pondering hard on gifts to get for your clients, here is a suggestion for a perfect gift idea. Get a copy of a limited edition of a book published by iProperty.com Malaysia which showcases 36 of country’s most renowned developers and their properties. Priced at only RM 99, this book is a sure must get.

If you need further information on the book and how you can get hold of a copy, do give the team a call at 03-2264 6888.

I just realized that we are 6 days away from Christmas and 12 days from a brand new year!

Enjoy the holidays and festivities!

Popularity: 59%

The Far-fetched Truth

Posted on November 25, 2011

I am not sure how many of you have watched the movie a "Few Good Men". It’s a court room drama which revolves around the trial of two U.S. Marines charged with the murder of a fellow Marine and the tribulations of their lawyer as he prepares a case to defend his clients.

One of the most famous and memorable lines from that movie was Col. Nathan R. Jessep’s (Jack Nicholson) shouted response to Lt Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise), where he said “You can’t handle the truth!” after the young inexperienced U.S Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps lawyer who lead the defense in the court-martial of two marines that were accused of murdering a fellow Marine of the unit, said “I want the truth!“.

Needless to say that Nicholson’s character then goes on a long rant that unwittingly leads to an admission of his guilt in the death of a young marine.

The truth is indeed a bitter pill to swallow! But just how far would you go to stretch the truth?

In this highly competitive industry, standing out ahead of competitors is crucial. And it is important to do it with integrity, honesty and with a code of conduct, for it’s the core values that build your company’s reputation.

But sadly, some new players to the industry will go through great lengths to use cheap tactics to boost their company’s image.

I firmly believe it’s vital to act with integrity, to be accountable and responsible for our actions, not just to our stakeholders but to all our customers and consumers.

On a separate note, I am extremely thrilled by how well the iProperty Group has fared this year.

2011 saw us change our name from IPGA Limited to the iProperty Group Ltd, acquire the No.1 and No.3 property portals in Indonesia, win highly acclaimed awards in Malaysia and Hong Kong, clinch the 4th place in the fastest Australian growing business by Business Review Weekly and not forgetting the birth of the region’s first comprehensive and designated portal of commercial and industrial properties, CommercialAsia.com.

We also had tremendous revenue growth across the group. Our portals in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Hong Kong continue to remain the leading and preferred property portal in their respective countries. Our significant growth has also attracted investments from France’s No.1 property portal, SeLoger.com, to the business.

You can also read all about our success here.

Enjoy the long weekend!

Popularity: 79%

An Astounding Feat for iProperty.com Malaysia!

Posted on October 5, 2011

A big shout out of congrats to the Malaysian team!

Following the successful and much awaited launch of our revamped website, www.iproperty.com.my, I am now pleased to announce that we have hit the MILLION mark in unique visitors to the site for the month of September.

The revamped site’s powerful new search technology enables users of the website to search for properties listings and property information at an incredible speed and delivers a list of relevant results in an instant. Through our strong commitment to deliver quality innovation, we are enabling users to have quick and easy access to the country’s largest collection of property listings and up-to-date news.

This significant success is a clear indication that consumers are increasingly turning to iProperty as their trusted partner when it comes to searching for properties. Our commitment is to provide people with a best possible experience when they are searching for properties.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our consumers, customers and partners. This astounding feat could not have been accomplished without you. On behalf of the team, I want to thank you for your continuous support and for continuously journeying with us to achieve one milestone after another.

1 million Thank You

To the team, let us continue the good work, keep pushing the boundaries and keep challenging the norms. Together, we can accomplish a MILLION more UVs.

Well done again to the team.

Popularity: 32%