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: 80%

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%

iProperty.com Malaysia: We are Bigger, Better, Smarter

Posted on October 3, 2011

What an eventful and exciting week it has been!

Firstly, I am pleased to announce the launch of our newly revamped website which is BIGGER, BETTER and SMARTER. The newly revamped website now has a clean and easy-to-use interface, faster load time, enhanced content and improved site navigation that will help you make an informed decision.

The revamp is in line with the company’s commitment to provide property buyers and investors with an innovative website that is equipped with clear and up-to-date information that will create a one-stop read for all things property.

I will let the below video give you a clearer picture on the enhancements made.

So, please do visit the site, www.iproperty.com.my, and see the improvements personally and don’t forget to tell us what you think. We would love to hear your feedback.

Secondly, our team in Singapore and Malaysia played host to our guest from SeLoger.com, the No.1 property portal in France, who had invested A$8.9 million in our business. Their visit was not only delightful but also educational as the teams from both countries got to meet, learn and grasp new ideas that will help in further enhancing our commitment to bring you only the best innovative products and services.

Thirdly, our partnership with Telekom Malaysia Berhad saw the launch of a web-based map application called SmartMap, to the SME market, which is the first of its kind in Malaysia. The partnership will see us providing property listings to enable SME’s to search for properties easily. Together with TM’s digital map and valuable business data, the SmartMAP will enable customers to perform geo-spatial analysis which will help them make an informed decision when it comes to choosing the right location for their business.

Lastly, the iProperty Group Board and Senior Management team also had a meeting to discuss the on-going strategic direction of the business, how the company has performed this year, our plans for 2012 and what we need to do to become the best not just in the region that we operate in but in the world.

Have a great week.

Popularity: 33%

iProperty Group September 2011 Update

Posted on September 9, 2011

By Shaun Di Gregorio, CEO of iProperty Group

I hope that everyone enjoyed the festivities and holidays with family and friends. I can’t believe that we are already in the month of September. It seems like just yesterday, I ushered in the New Year and was gearing up to face the challenges that 2011 had to offer. As per my previous post, the start of 2011 for the team at the iProperty Group was exceptional.

Our challenge is to continue with the momentum we have built and finish the year on a high note.

To ensure that we do, the Senior Management team recently had a team building session to review how the start of the year was, how we can further improve the results for the rest of the year and of course plan for 2012.

Like all team building sessions, it wasn’t all work but we also had some time to bond over activities. I firmly believe that it is critically important that the team is aligned and work well together. After all, the success of any business lies with its people.

Another piece of exciting news that we have to shout about is the revamp of one of our popular property websites, thinkproperty.com.my, as a community centric focussed website. This was done in line with our commitment to provide consumers with a great experience and also a platform for them to share and discuss all things property.

With a befitting new tagline – Your Neighbourhood Community Website, and a new integrated SOLR Search technology, a popular, blazing fast open source enterprise search platform, visitors to the site will now not only be able to conveniently search for properties but also participate in various informative forum discussions more efficiently. But don’t just take our word for it, drop by the site and browse through these changes for yourself. Do let us know what you think and if there are any areas we can improve on.

This month, we are also in the midst of preparing the layout and ground work for the publication of our book, a high quality illustrative coffee table publication entitled Malaysia Top Developers. The book will feature the most prominent and renowned developers in the country.

We are excited to announce that Malaysia Properties Incorporation (MPI), a government organisation set up under the Economic Planning Unit to drive investments in real estate into Malaysia, is also rendering their support toward this book.

Among the other things in the pipeline for this month, which the team is actively working on is the revamp of the iproperty.com.my website. The site will have a cleaner and more vibrant look and feel. We also will be equipping it with sufficient and new information that will help you make an informed decision with minimal stress when choosing your desired property. Do stay tuned for this!

Last but not least, this week is also the week of our Annual iProperty Group Conference. Members from Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia will be gathering to mingle and share ideas on how we can further grow the industry to serve you better.

Have a great weekend!

Popularity: 43%

iProperty.com EXPO Garners Overwhelming Response

Posted on August 9, 2011

Some RM150 million worth of properties were sold at iProperty.com Expo Premium Collection, held over the weekend at Mid Valley Exhibition Centre.

Twin Pavilion Development who came on top at the iProperty.com Expo Luxury Collection 2011, again generated the highest amount of sales amounting to RM24million for its Bangsar Trade Centre project. Trinity Group recorded a total of RM11million in sales for the Z Residence, while Ong Chong Realty raked in RM10million for Boulevard Residence, placing it at third place.

Now in its sixth series, the three-day event saw over 50,000 visitors, with a total of 320 property units sold.