Professionalizing the Philippines property sector

MANILA, Philippines - If you’re buying a home for the first time, there are probably so many questions running through your mind. What is the best location for me? How much space do I need? Do I buy a property in a mid-rise development or would a single-detached be better? How much space does my family need? Can we even afford this?

There are many questions for both ends of the market and there are as many answers. Whether you are a real estate developer or seller or a consumer, what you need are industry professionals who understand the market. Professionals can look at market trends and histories and explain to clients where and when they should buy property. A real estate professional aims for the client to get the best deal possible.

If you are a buyer looking for your dream home, the real estate agent can tell you where and when to buy based on your lifestyle and needs. Professionals help make the buying and selling of real estate as cost effective as possible for all concerned.

RE/MAX, the world’s No. 1 real estate with the largest global network of highly successful brokers and agents, offers end-to-end business solutions for the most common industry problems such as recruiting, retaining and training agents; controlling expenses and managing the bottom line.

This means as the “middle man” in real estate transactions, RE/MAX agents have their ears on the ground, so to speak. They know what property suits a particular client. RE/MAX agents, for instance, takes care of the middle income market by offering properties that clients can rent or lease first. When these clients can already afford to buy their own place, RE/MAX agents can offer properties, which they can choose to purchase.

RE/MAX franchisees and agents help potential buyers/lessees look at their options. For instance, why are you looking for a property? Is if for investment purposes or are you going to live in it? A RE/MAX agent can advise a young couple that maybe it is better to rent than to own at this time because right now, their budget and the available properties aren’t compatible.

Because RE/MAX is a global brand, its listing is also global. This allows RE/MAX to bring in the buyers from abroad here in the Philippines to address the inventory build-up. This allows all properties to be listed in the RE/MAX database, an advantage only the company can provide. A potential buyer in another country need only to contact a RE/MAX agent in the area to ask if there are available properties for sale or for lease in the Philippines.

For example, a property in Cebu City listed by the RE/MAX system in the Philippines can also be viewed by a Filipino-American couple looking for a property in the area that they could live in after they retire.

No other real estate company has this power.

“RE/MAX teaches its franchisees/brokers to get to know their clients. We want them to talk to their prospects and find out what these people want versus what they need. This is how they can be effective brokers. In the end, what we will have are happy customers and that’s why we are here,” said RE/MAX Philippines country manager Michelle Perlas.