PropertyGuru Myanmar Property Awards in partnership with Shwe Property virtual roundtable navigates the real estate industry amid global pandemic

Experts gather for online discussion on the adaptability of the emerging property market and important tools for developers during the health crisis

• Attended by media and industry professionals, the online session was organised in partnership with ShweProperty, Myanmar’s leading property website
• Topics included the sentiment of overseas real estate investors in Myanmar, general outlook of the market, and beneficial digital tools for developers amid the pandemic

YANGON, Myanmar –– 14 July 2020

A formidable group of knowledgeable experts and thought leaders in Myanmar real estate converged for a timely videoconference tackling the state and outlook of the country’s property market during the 2020 global pandemic.

PropertyGuru, Asia’s leading property technology company in partnership with ShweProperty, the leading property website and number one online real estate group in Myanmar, hosted a virtual roundtable on Tuesday, 14 July 2020 at 15:00-16:30 YGN (15:30-17:00 BKK, 9:30-11:00 UK). The Zoom session was made accessible to local media, property professionals, and the general public.

With experts coming from the industry-leading PropertyGuru Myanmar Property Awards, the roundtable revolved around the prospect of navigating the Myanmar real estate industry amid the Covid-19 health crisis. Speakers touched upon various topics including the current sentiment from overseas real estate investors for Myanmar real estate and an outlook for the property market in light of the global pandemic, as well as beneficial digital tools that developers can use to mitigate the crisis.

Speakers for the virtual roundtable webinar were:

• Jules Kay, Managing Director, PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards & Events
• Richard Emerson, Managing Director, Emerson Real Estate, and Chairperson of the PropertyGuru Myanmar Property Awards judging panel
• Justin Sway, Chief Executive Officer, ShweProperty
• Joe Yew Chi Jee, Executive Director, Advisory, BDO Myanmar
• Phunyanuch Pattanotai, Country Director, Right To Play Thailand
• Kaung Thu Win (panel moderator), Founder and Director, ShweProperty

Following a brief introduction of the sixth edition of the prestigious awards programme in Myanmar by Jules Kay, managing director of PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards and Events, the session featured various insights to help the market’s revitalisation. 

‘Bright spots, underserved segments, untapped potential’

The returning chairperson of the PropertyGuru Myanmar Property Awards programme, Richard Emerson, managing director of Emerson Real Estate, provided an outlook for the market and talked about rekindling interest and demand from overseas real estate investors for Myanmar property during the Covid-19 outbreak. “We explore the bright spots, underserved segments, and untapped potential of an emerging property market that has fascinated enterprising investors worldwide over the last decade,” Emerson said.

Justin Sway, CEO of ShweProperty, presented helpful digital tools for developers amid the crisis. He said: “ShweProperty, with our partner PropertyGuru, will leverage the strengths of our combined online platforms to support the Myanmar real estate industry and help developers to navigate these times of uncertainty. As your most knowledgeable local expert, we will help you to have access to the most advanced digital tools on the market that will prepare your business for resilience and scale during the new normal, now and in the future.”

Expanded regional reach

Presented by Hitachi Elevators and Escalators, this year’s 6^th Annual PropertyGuru Myanmar Property Awards will be held in partnership with ShweProperty, marking the strongest edition yet for the prestigious regional awards programme and expanding the visibility of nominated developers to a larger regional audience.

Headquartered in Singapore, PropertyGuru Group has access to more than 15 markets across Asia Pacific for its awards business, as well as 23 million property seekers across the region, providing the necessary resources to elevate recipients of the Myanmar Property Awards to the regional stage. Meanwhile, one of Myanmar’s most recognisable brands, ShweProperty has more than 250,000 properties listed on its platform.

“The 2020 edition of the PropertyGuru Myanmar Property Awards creates a single benchmark of excellence for the real estate industry in the country as it combines ShweProperty’s expertise within the domestic real estate landscape and PropertyGuru’s incomparable access to international markets across Asia-Pacific. This synergy between the leading real estate awards programme in the region and a respected property portal in Myanmar is exactly the kind of support developers need to amplify their brand during these exceptional times,” said Kay.

Strict, ethical, unbiased criteria

This year’s Awards will continue to follow the strict, ethical and unbiased criteria of the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards. To ensure fairness and transparency, the entire judging process will be supervised by BDO, led by Joe Yew Chi Jee; Nang Hnin Thet Htwe, executive; and Hong Shi Ying, senior manager.

The 2020 edition of the PropertyGuru Myanmar Property Awards will introduce new categories to its roster of Development accolades — Best Luxury Condo Development, Best Affordable Condo Development and Best Affordable Housing Development. New design categories in contention include Best Commercial Architectural Design and Best Commercial Interior Design. In celebration of Myanmar’s rich legacy of colonial architecture, the 2020 edition will open categories for Best Heritage Renovated Property and Best Heritage Renovated Property Design. The general public are still encouraged to submit their nominations online via asiapropertyawards.com/nominations

Shortlisted developers and projects will be named Winners or Highly Commended at the black-tie gala dinner and presentation ceremony, scheduled on Friday, 23 October 2020, at the Sule Shangri-La Yangon hotel ballroom.

The 6th PropertyGuru Myanmar Property Awards presented in partnership with ShweProperty is supported by platinum sponsor Hitachi Elevators and Escalators; official supervisor BDO; official magazine PropertyGuru Property Report; official charity partner Right to Play; official PR partner Klareco Communications; and official portal partner ShweProperty.com.

For more information, email [email protected] or visit the official website: AsiaPropertyAwards.com.

Here’s a replay of the virtual roundtable: