Filipino-American Susan Barlin, chief executive officer of the US-based Barlin Group of Companies, earned the recognition and support of the Department of Tourism (DOT) after having successfully promoted Philippine properties to markets in Europe and North America.
Now the DOT is providing technical assistance to the Barlin International Group (BIG) for next year’s staging of the first-ever "Asian International Real Estate Expo and Conference" (AIREEC) in Manila, which is seen to draw at least 5,000 participants from all over the world.
BIG is bringing in industry funders, venture capitalists, and members of the 1.3-million-strong US National Association of Realtors (NAR) to AIREEC, which is slated at the Philippine International Convention Center on Dec. 6-10, 2007.
The "voice of real estate" is the US, NAR, of which Barlin is the first Filipino-American president liaison to the Philippines, is a member of the International Confederation of Real Estate Associations (ICREA), an alliance of 24 international realtor associations worldwide.
"As a successful practitioner in the international real estate business, I have been an active witness and participant in the development of the huge global second-home market, where I have envisioned our country to emerge as the top player, not only in Asia, but also in the rest of the world," Barlin pointed out.
She said the international second-home market could bring in billions of dollars to the Philippines, create millions of jobs, spawn local enterprises from the influx of foreign capital, and sustain the country’s ongoing tourism boom even up to the distant future.
"I am very sure about it because it’s now happening in Dubai and even in Panama, and we can achieve the same result and get a good share of that market if we only polish our system, procedures and technology in the real estate industry, which will be discussed and exhibited at AIREEC for our locals to learn and explore, thus justifying the theme West meets East meets West," said Barlin, also the president of the Carson City-based Barlin & Associates Realty Inc., First Home Loans Inc., and Barlin Commercial Property Management.
Barlin also owns the Advance Graphix Design & Print and the Media Consultants Inc. Advance Graphix publishes the monthly homebuyers magazine Kababayan Homebuyers’ Guide, while Media Consultants publishes the Southbay Balita and Planet Philippines.
Barlin said the country should now cash in on this trillion-dollar market by making all the concerned sectors gear their efforts toward turning the Philippines into one of the world’s top second-home destinations.
At present, the world’s top 12 choices for second homes are Panama, France, Malta, Mexico, Romania, Italy, Nicaragua, Uruguay, New Zealand, Belize, Spain and Chile.
"But that’s because the second-home market hasn’t seen much about the Philippines, which ought to be on top of that list. Ours is a beautiful country with very affordable real estate, competitive labor costs, lower cost of living, and nice tropical climate where the icy world can run to during cold winter and where everybody speaks English," Barlin stressed.
"And they will find out why I always love to refer to the Philippines as the ‘The Best Kept Secret Paradise of the Pacific.’ AIREEC’s foreign attendees will excite all their friends and relatives back home with the discoveries they will unravel on this trip," Barlin added. More info on AIREEC can be obtained from www.aireec.com.
"Being a Filipino, I am proud to offer the Philippines as host to all the participating delegates from foreign countries. This event will be, not only profitable and cost-effective to the foreign participants, but also exciting and enjoyable because of the experience we can give them. Did you know how expensive it is to attend an international real estate expo and conference in other countries? Thus, with the same international audience, exhibitors and keynote speakers, paying only a third of the usual cost will mean more attendees and participation. Plus… their dollar goes a long way in the Philippines," Barlin explained.
"And with all the right projects, President Arroyo, has been undertaking, this event (AIREEC) is just going to happen at the right time. The records will show that there is growing confidence and growth in the economy as it moves in the right direction under her strong leadership," Barlin added.
Prior to AIREEC, the Barlin Group is staging the "Roadshow sa Manila" at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel in Jan. 16-18, 2007 bringing in Filipino immigrants from Europe, Canada and the US.
The "Roadshow sa Manila" will feature properties in Baguio, Batangas, Bacolod, Bicol, Cebu, Zamboanga and other parts of the archipelago.