PropertyGuru Vietnam Property Awards 2018 held amidst unprecedented market growth

Vietnam’s premier real estate event took place Friday night (22 June) to recognise the finest industry players at the PropertyGuru Vietnam Property Awards 2018, presented by Kohler and co-organised by Oriental Media, marking the fourth annual edition of the prestigious competition.

CapitaLand Vietnam claimed its second consecutive Best Developer title, surpassing its triumphant streak from last year’s competition with a total of 14 wins and three commendations.

Proven leader

“For more than two decades, CapitaLand Vietnam has proven itself a leader in building top-class residential and commercial developments that serve its consumers well. Year after year the company has produced attractively-priced condominium and retail projects, many of them incorporating green, sustainable, wellness-inspired, and state-of-the-art features,” said the independent judging panel.

“The team’s various corporate social responsibility (CSR) and charitable initiatives further demonstrate its culture of building communities and creating awareness for environment-friendly properties.”

Aside from bagging the evening’s highest honour, CapitaLand also collected the Special Recognition in Sustainable Development (shared with Gamuda Land), and the gongs for Best Condo Development (Vietnam) for D’Edge, a luxury project in Ho Chi Minh City that promotes healthy living, and Best Green Development for De La Sol, a “music-themed” condo project targeting a younger demographic.

Winning six awards is KIEN A Corporation, a company known for delivering quality projects for the affordable and high-end segments. The team’s accolades include Best Affordable Condo Development (Ho Chi Minh City) for Citiesto, and Best Universal Design Development for theLe Méridien Cam Ranh Bay Resort & Spa.

Focus on values

KIEN A Corporation’s founding chairman Dr Huynh Ba Lan was also honoured as the 2018 Vietnam Real Estate Personality of the Year by the editors of PropertyGuru Property Report magazine for leading a values-focused company, as well as constructing school buildings in Phú Yên province that follow international standards.

Another highlight this year was the presentation of new awards such as the Special Recognition for Building Communities, for Design and Construction, and for Customer Care –– awards shared by three winners per category, among them five-time winner Phu Long Developer.

The new special award for Public Facility went to Nguyen Hue Walking Street by Planning Information Centre of Ho Chi Minh City, whilst TNR Holdings Vietnam was chosen as recipient of the CARE Special Recognition for Positive Construction Practices for supporting equal opportunities in the workplace.

A total of 43 categories were presented at the black-tie gala night held at the InterContinental Saigon Hotel ballroom, with 26 companies receiving the country’s biggest real estate honours.

Unprecendented growth

Attended by more than 500 guests and press, the competition’s biggest ceremony yet echoed the robust performance of its host city, which is predicted to achieve an 8 percent year-on-year growth over the next half decade. The overall Vietnamese market has also seen an unprecedented 400 percent increase in its millionaire population since 2004, whilst the country’s middle class population is expected to reach 33 million by 2020.

Hari V. Krishan, CEO of PropertyGuru Group, said: “This year’s edition validates yet again the strong performance and growth of the Vietnamese real estate sector, which is highly regarded as one of the most attractive markets in the Southeast Asian region today. The recipients of the 2018 PropertyGuru Vietnam Property Awards have displayed creativity and innovation to build communities and to provide quality options for the country’s ever-growing affluent and middle class segments, young population, and expat community.”

Terry Blackburn, founder and managing director of the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards, said: “Congratulations to all the Winners and Highly Commended companies for contributing to the flourishing Vietnamese property sector. It is our privilege to come back to Vietnam each year to celebrate the industry’s current achievements. The Vietnam Property Awards have exceeded our expectations every year and there is no doubt that the latest crop of winners will perform well to represent their country at our regional Grand Final competition this November.”

The 2018 PropertyGuru Vietnam Property Awards was supported by platinum sponsor Kohler; co-sponsors Malloca, An Cuong, Dulux Professional, and Electrolux; official portal partner Batdongsan.com.vn; official charity CARE Vietnam; media partners DELUXE magazine, and PropertyGuru Property Report; supporting associations Vietnam National Real Estate Association (VNREA), European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, and British Business Group Vietnam; official supervisor BDO Vietnam; and local representative Oriental Media Vietnam.

The independent panel of judges was led by top architect Thien Duong, managing director of Transform Architecture. He was joined on the panel by: David McDonald (General Director, WT Partnership (Vietnam) LLC); Duc Truong (CEO, OJS Investment & Consulting Ltd; Chairman, Edison Academy Vietnam Ltd.); Edward Haysom (General Director, HAYSOM Architects Vietnam); Haig Conolly (Director, Lloyds Property Ltd); Hang Dang (Managing Director, CBRE (Vietnam) Co., Ltd.); John Reeves (Creative Director/Senior Designer/Founder, REEVESdesign); and Mauro Gasparotti (Director, South East Asia, Savills).

Supervisors from BDO Vietnam are: Jeffrey Ong Peng (Audit Partner); Nguyen Thuy Hoa (Audit Manager); and Vu Thu Huong.