The basis of house buying is being able to engage with a trustworthy and reliable real estate agent. On 14 October 2017, the nation’s real estate agents, negotiators and practitioners were celebrated and honoured for their outstanding achievements and success at the National Real Estate Awards (NREA) 2017 hosted by the Malaysian Institute of Estate Agents (MIEA).
Held at the prestigious and luxurious The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur, the annual black-tie event was preceded by an elegant 1-hour networking cocktail reception serenaded by a piano and cello duet.
Guests were guided into the ballroom around 7.30pm to begin the festivities with a host of welcoming remarks and speeches from the Organising Chairman, among others.
The event was attended by more than 700 guests, with the Deputy Minister of Finance II Datuk Lee Chee Leong officiating the gala event.
A sumptuous 8-course dining commenced soon after formalities took place, accompanied by a soothing voice and a two-piece band, serenading to classic tunes.
Attendees of the night also witnessed the MIEA presidential inauguration by welcoming new president Eric Lim Chin Heng and his new members.
Mid-way into the gala dinner after a lucky draw slot, the highly anticipated big reveal of the award winners began.
Big winners of the night include Real Estate Agent of the Year, Lau Yock Yin from JLL Property Services (M) Sdn Bhd; Real Estate Firm of the Year, Hartamas Real Estate (M) Sdn Bhd; Real Estate Firm of the Year (State), Kozin Real Estate Sdn Bhd (Sarawak), Property Hub Sdn Bhd (FT), Property Hub (Sabah) Sdn Bhd (Sabah) and DeOne Properties Sdn Bhd (Perak), among others.
The National Real Estate Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Past President Raymond Tang King Seng from Uptown Realtors for his contributing efforts to the fraternity.
After a round of award presentations, the night continued with servings of more delicious food while industry peers sought opportunities to continue networking and mingling.
Winners of the award were judged by a group of panelists who diligently picked champions that displayed grit and creativity amidst the softening market by turning adversity into opportunities.
Organising Chairman Sr Lim Boon Ping said in his speech: “This year, new categories were introduced to the awards that cover more of services offered in the real estate industry, which includes the corporate social responsibility”.
Additionally, a new award was also given out this year — the MIEA Chief Executive Officer Award, which went to Reapfield Group founder and president David Ong.
Meanwhile, in his speech, Datuk Lee Chee Leong said as real estate practitioners, your role is more than selling and letting on behalf of the clients.
“Professionalism in carrying out estate agency duty is vital and I strongly believe the winners of the NREA are the cream in the fraternity. We are really proud of your achievement and being role models to all,” he said.
Some noteworthy winners who were also recognised at the gala night include:
• Project Marketing Firm of the Year, Hartamas Real Estate (M) Sdn Bhd
• Residential REN of the Year, Phoebe Tan Saw Yean of Property Hub Sdn Bhd
• Rookie State REN of the Year, Joel Low En Zhang of Property Hub (Sabah) Sdn Bhd (Sabah)
• Rookie REN of the Year, Roshinder Dhillon of Property Hub Sdn Bhd
• Million Dollar Producer, Owen Wong Kum Keong of Reapfield Properties KL Sdn Bhd
• Most Outstanding Corporate Social Responsibility Project, MetroWorld Realty Sdn Bhd
PropertyGuru sponsored one award – MIEA-PropertyGuru Top Online REN honouring Benjamin Lai from Focus Estate Agency Sdn Bhd. This has been the third collaboration between MIEA and PropertyGuru to laud agent’s efforts from a digital platform.
President Eric Lim acknowledged in his speech that the advancement of technology and connectivity has taken the front line of today’s marketing methodology.
“Digital marketing has now shadowed the traditional marketing and gained better reach especially towards the younger audience.
“Cross-border real estate transactions are also made easier compared to years or decades ago with these modern communication technologies and infrastructures where serious initiatives to master these new skill sets are needed,” he said.
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