PropertyGuru Vietnam Property Awards 2017 honours the country’s preeminent developers

The PropertyGuru Vietnam Property Awards 2017, presented by Kohler and co-organised by Oriental Media Group, has unveiled the Winners and Highly Commended honourees during an exclusive gala ceremony on Friday evening (2 June 2017) at the InterContinental Saigon Hotel ballroom.

CapitaLand Vietnam, which entered the race with 10 nominations, was recognised as the year’s Best Developer (Vietnam) at the country’s biggest and most respected awards programme, which was attended by nearly 500 senior industry figures, VIPs and members of the press.

Hauling a total of six Winner trophies and five Highly Commended distinctions, the company easily bested its single category win from last year’s event.

“CapitaLand Vietnam has proven to be a major force in Vietnamese real estate by producing high quality upscale residential and commercial projects. Its commitment to green building and sustainable projects is also commendable,” noted the independent panel of judges.

Commitment to Vietnamese real estate

“With a strong local team since establishing its presence more than two decades ago, CapitaLand Vietnam sees development opportunities in the country and bravely takes the lead.”

Upon winning the evening’s top award, CapitaLand Vietnam’s CEO Chen Liang Pang, said: “We’re very involved in Vietnam real estate, which has become our third core market after Singapore and China. Our commitment here is long term and we’re deeply grateful for this recognition.”

Another company that leads the winners list is Vietnam International Township Development JSC, developer of the ParkCity Hanoi integrated community project. Nine years after initially launching, the project earned a total of five awards, including Best Housing Development (Vietnam) for the Evelyne Gardens Residential Neighborhood, ParkCity Hanoi Township.

Resort residential developers Nha Trang Bay JSC and MIVI Joint Stock Company follow, winning three trophies each for the Panorama Nha Trang condominium and the X2 HOI AN branded residences, respectively, plus an additional haul of four Highly Commended certificates for the latter. Panorama Nha Trang by Nha Trang Bay JSC ended up winning the Best Condo Development (Vietnam) title.

These achievements reflect the observation that the country is entering a ‘golden period’ for the housing and resort segments as tourism numbers continue to grow and resort residences and condotels rise in popularity.

Top-tier markets and resort destinations rewarded

Rewarding the country’s best developers, real estate projects and design in the top-tier markets and emerging resort destinations, the PropertyGuru Vietnam Property Awards also included categories for Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, recognising affordable, mid-end, high-end and luxury condos, office, hotel and retail properties, as well as outstanding residential development in Nha Trang, Danang and Ha Long Bay.

Thirty-five Winners and 28 Highly Commended awardees were announced during the three-hour–long gala dinner that was keynoted by Dr. Phan Hữu Thắng, deputy president of VNREA (Vietnam Real Estate Association) and former General Director of the Foreign Investment Bureau of the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietnam.

Four-time nominee Novaland Group, the Best Developer winner during the inaugural awards in 2015, clinched a further two gongs, plus a special award for its chief executive officer Mr Phan Thanh Huy, who was selected by the editors of PropertyGuru Property Report magazine as the 2017 Vietnam Real Estate Personality of the Year.

Becoming more customer-focused

The seasoned executive, who has more than 15 years’ experience in the real estate industry, was chosen for championing his company’s core values of “integrity, efficiency and professionalism” as it continues to establish its reputation within the region as a reliable Vietnamese brand.

“We’re passionate about what we do,” he said after accepting the award from Property Report’s head of publishing Liam Aran Barnes. “Our activities are based on these values, which helped us to strengthen our team, respect local laws, become more customer-focused, and take public interest into consideration to ensure sustainable development.”

Nearly 130 entries were submitted for the extremely competitive 2017 Awards, which is part of the prestigious PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards series that will hold its seventh annual grand final in Singapore this November. Winners from Vietnam will advance to the finale to compete with domestic winners from 15 other Asian markets for more regional accolades.

Hari V. Krishnan, CEO, PropertyGuru Group, commented: “It has been another solid year for the Vietnamese property sector. Confidence in the sector is rising, and with the country’s growing middle class population – majority of whom are below 35 years old and looking to invest in their first home – the boost that these projects get from being rewarded at the PropertyGuru Vietnam Property Awards is phenomenal.

“I am encouraged by Vietnamese developers’ focus on quality that directly impact consumers. It’s important to acknowledge their efforts in bringing great value to consumers. Everybody wins that way.”

High quality and more sustainable projects

Thien Duong, managing director of Transform Architecture, who returned as chair of the 11-member central panel comprising experts in the real estate sector and related fields, echoed the same sentiment. “Considering that Vietnam is a developing country, I am always impressed with the continual progress of project quality from year to year.

“The residential real estate sector, in particular, continues to develop with competition from both foreign and local developers racing to win buyers. It is obvious that the country has demand for quality residential developments on all price ranges.”

Terry Blackburn, founder and managing director of the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards, congratulated the year’s achievers: “It’s always great to see the Vietnamese real estate sector’s ambitious projects being recognised domestically and regionally. We hope that the industry will continue to support the Awards and aim for better quality and more sustainable projects in the coming years.”

Co-organised by Oriental Media Group, the local partner in Vietnam, the PropertyGuru Vietnam Property Awards 2017 was supported by title sponsor Kohler; co-sponsors An Cuong Wood and Malloca; official portal partner Batdongsan.com.vn; official newspaper Viet Nam News; media partners Deluxe, Resort and Spa, and PropertyGuru Property Report magazines; supporting associations VNREA (Vietnam Real Estate Association), British Business Group Vietnam and European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam; official charity CARE Vietnam; and official supervisor BDO led in Vietnam by audit partner Jeffrey Ong Peng Lock and audit manager Nguyen Thuy Hoa.