PRESS RELEASE
Embargoed: 23rd October 2009
Next generation players lead by example…
OPP Industry Award 2009 winning entries are template for industry, say judges
Despite the downturn, the industry’s most pro-active and innovative property companies submitted some exceptional entries for this year’s OPP Industry Awards according to judges.
“Feedback from judges was that the standard was much higher than last year,” said Alex Evans, Group Editorial Director of OPP and chair of the judging panel. “With entries from a broad cross-section of the industry – including agents, developers, introducer networks, media owners, and a variety of associated services – judges remarked that they had a real sense of an industry maturing, innovating and adapting to a new market.”
This year’s judging panel included Thijs Stoffer, president of ICREA; Paul Owen, chief executive of the AIPP; Ian Tonge, chairman of NAEA International; John Sebree, vice president of policy at the Florida Association of Realtors; Paul Gardner Bougaard, chief executive of the Resort Developers Organisation and head of fractional body FSOTA; Janet Branton, head of the international division of the National Association of Realtors; Graham Norwood, property journalist and author; Bernadette Costello, freelance journalist, PR and former editor of OPP; Tricia Topping, chief executive of PR consultancy TTA Group; and Tom Nutley, president of Reed Travel Exhibitions.
With nine categories across three main award sections, including ‘Partnership’, ‘Products & Services’ and ‘Media’, those who presented the most innovative, collaborative, strategic and professional approach to business in 2009 were:
Partnership
Best Developer
Winner: IPI BV (Netherlands)
www.ipibv.eu
“An extremely well run company linked to other multi-national companies, IPI Group has invested heavily in client protection and education as well as systems to support its extensive network of international agents.”
Highly commended: Property Logic (Morocco)
www.property-logic.com
“By allowing partners to vet them openly Property Logic shows its transparency, its software to refer sales leads back to agents shows good partner support, and its investment in multi-lingual marketing shows a sound international approach.”
Commended: Alanda Group (Spain)
www.alandagroup.com
“Alanda deals with agents very fairly, they don’t overpay agents with too many incentives and their relationship with partners seems to have got them respect.”
Best Estate Agent
Winner: Atlantic Estates (Portugal)
www.atlantic-estates.com
“Atlantic goes one step beyond to qualify buyers, PR and marketing is a strong point, and its geographical reach is widespread with a good mix of multi-lingual staff.”
Highly Commended: Property Frontiers (UK)
www.propertyfrontiers.com
“Property Frontiers has built up an excellent reputation in this market for honesty and transparency, and has been asked to act as master agent on several developments.”
Commended: Assetz (UK)
www.assetz.co.uk
“Assetz does everything to protect its clients; good marketing, clever use of database and roadshows, excellent PR; an impressive financial partner list and good contacts within the IFA industry; and an expansive global reach.”
Best Introducer
Winner: ROPUK (UK)
www.ropuk.com
“An impressive record on international home sales, excellent client after-care and a comprehensive and transparent due diligence of carefully selected developers.”
Highly commended: Crest Group (Spain/South America)
www.crestgroupinternational.com
“A proven track record on building extensive international agent and introducer networks, and success with a number of developer partners and investment companies around the world.”
Products & Services
Best Innovation
Winner: Assetz (‘My Portfolio’ software)
www.assetz.co.uk
“A particularly useful tool for investors and IFAs, providing much needed information for agents and their clients.”
Highly commended: Proxio (Network/MLS)
www.proxio.com
“Proxio is a useful tool to help agents and developers share their property listings, or single developments, with a global audience – and in several languages.”
Commended: Yoo (Branding, design and investment services)
www.yoo.com
“Adding profit and value for property investors and developers, yoo has proved that its designs and involvement have had immediate impact on sales.”
Best Fractional Product
Winner: Resort Owners Group (US)
www.resortownersgroup.com
“An impressive hybrid fractional and whole ownership model and structure that optimises usage.”
Highly commended: Emerald Monkey (Panama)
www.emelr.com
“A very close runner up with a simple and attractive model that matches an innovative approach to development in Panama.”
Commended: Oceanico Prestige Residence Club (Portugal)
www.oceanicogroup.com
“A well structured and subscribed model incorporating elements of exchange across the developer's resorts but without any additional fees or exchange costs."
Best Fractional Service
Winner: The Registry Collection (Exchange & consultancy)
www.theregistrycollection.com
“The size, scale and expertise of this international company protects the buyer and its growing specialist knowledge creates value for a wide variety of developers.”
Highly commended: The Best Group (Consultancy)
www.thebestgrp.com
“Building a strong and widely respected model around a generally misunderstood area of the property market, it would be a misguided developer who did not take advantage of the Best Group service.”
Commended: FractionalOwnership.za (Portal)
www.fractionalownership.co.za
“Supported by a number of influential strategic partners, this portal has an impressive number of numbers and has worked hard to educate South African consumers about fractional ownership.”
Media
Exhibition
Winner: A Place in the Sun Live (APITS Ltd)
www.apitsltd.com
“Excellent support from a high profile brand and popular presenters, extensive research into visitor and experience, and successful new additions like emigration and fractional.”
Highly commended: HSBC Malta (Duplex)
www.duplexmalta.com
“A dynamic company that tried and successfully created an expo in Malta that attracted an impressive 6,000 visitors.”
Commended: Ukraine Property Expo (DEC Group)
www.propertyexpo.com.ua
“Approaching a growing market for overseas homes in the Ukraine in a professional and transparent way.”
Print
Winner: A Place in the Sun (APITS Ltd)
www.apitsltd.com
“Still a market leader in the UK, supported by the most high profile broadcast media platform and one of the UK’s biggest overseas property exhibitions.”
Highly commended: Owners Perspective (Perspective International)
www.perspectiveinternational.com
“A niche magazine in a niche sector but with an extremely impressive and qualified international distribution.”
Online
Winner: Rightmove Overseas
www.rightmove.co.uk
“A comprehensive and well put together entry that displayed a huge effort to find out more about its visitor traffic, qualify it and help its advertising partners to sell more effectively.”
Commended: Gowealthy
www.gowealthy.com
“A highly focused and high profile platform that not only educates buyers about the market and trends but provides a range of value added associated services.”