MANILA, Philippines — Leading property platform Lamudi welcomes top real estate company SM Development Corp. (SMDC) as its latest partner. With its projects listed online, SMDC hopes to expand its market reach further and accommodate buyers’ demands in the new normal.
“During the pandemic, we’ve discovered the power of online selling. Our sales come both from our physical broker network and also through the internet,” SMDC president Jose Mari Banzon mentioned in the latest episode of Lamudi’s On the House: Small Talk with Big Bosses.
The digital norm in real estate
SMDC recognizes the importance of strengthening online presence to accommodate the needs of buyers in the time of the pandemic, especially since a significant portion of the market has gone digital.
It is turning to online listings, as community quarantine measures are still in place, limiting physical property showings.
According to Lamudi’s trend report published last May, there was a 31% increase in site visits from returning platform users from March to April 2020. This suggests that those who were thinking about real estate before the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) gave property purchase a more serious thought during the ECQ.
Aside from responding to the new-normal of property search, the company aims to connect to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) better.
Through SMDC’s partnership with Lamudi, property seekers abroad can easily find SMDC projects on the platform. They can have all the information they need for investment decisions, from prices to amenities to locations, and even neighborhood ratings.
The company’s inclusion on Lamudi complements the online selling efforts of SMDC’s wide broker network abroad.
Speaking with Lamudi CEO Kenneth Stern for On the House: Small Talk with Big Bosses, Banzon shared that SMDC has allotted funding to agents overseas in order to create interactive websites and a 360-degree view of showrooms.
With these online technologies, OFWs can experience the feel of the home they’re eyeing to buy even though they are miles away.
Strong demand for properties within CBDs
As SMDC embraces innovations in going digital, it is optimistic about the seriousness of buyers today, as well as the strong real estate appetite for properties located within the central business districts (CBDs).
In Lamudi’s latest trend report, "Hotspots Unwrapped: 2020’s Most Popular Locations," data shows that cities with CBDs remain popular among real estate seekers.
Quezon City leads the list, followed by Makati, Pasig, and Taguig. SMDC’s newest condominium offerings are highly accessible to these cities.
Gem Residences, launched amid community quarantine measures, is located in Pasig, along the C-5 Corridor. It’s nine minutes away from the Ortigas Center, and 20 minutes from Ayala Center, Bonifacio Global City and Eastwood City.
This translates to a home close to all essential establishments, shopping centers, leisure hubs, medical facilities and excellent schools. Ideal not only for property owners who are always on the go, Gem Residences is a suitable residence for people living in the age of community quarantine measures and travel restrictions, and beyond.
Locating in major CBDs and close to transport hubs is a hallmark of SMDC developments. Mint Residences is situated in Chino Roces Ave., Makati City, surrounded by modern conveniences today’s homebuyers look for.
Meanwhile, those who are planning to move to SMDC's Gold Residences will experience less hassle when traveling abroad since the condominium is right across the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1.
Home in the new normal
On top of location, SMDC residences feature facilities that have proven perfect under a lockdown scenario.
Its residences are either located near an SM mall or have their own built-in commercial strips where residents have easy access to all the essentials – food, medicine, bank and other services. The vast, open spaces of SMDC’s resort-type amenities provide more than enough room to allow residents to bask in the outdoors with social distancing.
Committed to making property ownership easier in the new normal, SMDC has explored online channels buyers are using today, and at the same time, provided an actual home fitting the residents’ emerging needs.
To know more about SMDC properties, you may view SMDC’s development page on Lamudi.