Empire East sees more resilient housing market

MANILA, Philippines — Empire East Land Holdings Inc., a listed property company chaired by tycoon Andrew Tan, expects a more resilient Philippine housing market, with genuine homebuyers driving demand rather than speculative investors.

During the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting yesterday, Empire East president and CEO Anthony Charlemagne Yu said housing demand remains present, but has become more defined.

“As portions of the industry recalibrated, particularly those driven largely by investment activity, a clearer direction emerged. Demand is increasingly anchored on end-users – homebuyers purchasing not for speculation, but for long-term living,” he said.

Yu said this shift is creating opportunities for developers that remain focused on affordability, accessibility and long-term community building.

He said the company’s focus on the mid-income segment positions Empire East in a market where demand remains steady, resilient and sustainable.

For Empire East, the strongest indicator of demand goes beyond sales figures and is reflected in the growing number of residents occupying completed developments and building communities within them.

“We are seeing not only sales activity, but communities actively taking shape – homes being occupied, neighborhoods becoming established and residents building their lives within the environments we create,” Yu said.

Yu said Empire East would continue to build where demand is real, operate with prudence and discipline and continue delivering on its commitments.

Several major developments of the company continue to advance, including Pioneer Woodlands and The Paddington Place in Mandaluyong and Kasara Urban Resort Residences in Pasig.