Why You Need a License to Practice Real Estate Service in the Philippines

Wazzup Pilipinas!

As the real estate sector continues to be one of the most buoyant sectors of the Philippine economy, more stringent measures are carefully placed to protect real estate investors and property buyers. In line with this, Republic Act No. 9646 or the Real Estate Service Act of the Philippines, which is more commonly referred to as the RESA Law, was enacted. This is the governing law that must be followed by all real estate professionals practicing in the Philippines.

As stipulated by the RESA Law, real estate brokers, appraisers, assessors, and consultants must all be duly licensed by the Real Estate Board of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). As the purchase of a piece of real estate is an important and expensive transaction, buyers’ interests must always be protected. For example, having a licensed real estate broker transacting on the buyer’s behalf greatly minimizes the risk of the buyer getting taken advantage of.

But more than just being a law-abiding citizen, there are more reasons why a professional license is your best means towards a successful real estate career. To shed some light on this important topic, top property portal Lamudi Philippines, compiles the best benefits of having a professional real estate license.

First and foremost, a PRC-licensed real estate broker is undeniably a more trustworthy agent when it comes to real estate buying. If you are an investor, would you entrust your investment to just anyone else? Credentials such as a PRC license assure buyers that they are dealing with a registered professional and should anything go amiss, they can always file a case in the PRC.

For example, real estate portal Lamudi only allows licensed real estate brokers and developers to post listing on its website. This is a rule that the company has implemented ever since its inception in 2014 functions as a security measure against online scammers and to protect consumers.

With credibility come opportunities. A credible and reputable real estate broker who has served a happy and satisfied clientele has one important advantage over unprofessional ones: the power of word of mouth marketing. Indeed, happy customers are only too happy to refer a great real estate broker to their relatives, friends, and acquaintance.

The road to being a real estate broker is tough and Lamudi Philippines recognizes the hard work and contributions of these important players to the industry. On March 30, 2017, Lamudi Philippines will award the best of the best licensed real estate brokers who are subscribed in the portal. More than 300 brokers will vie for various honors.

“This endeavor of Lamudi is not only aimed to recognizing the excellence of today’s top brokers. The winners will become great examples to their peers and will likewise teach a thing or two to many aspiring property professionals out there,” shared Bhavna Suresh Chathambeth, CEO of both Lamudi Philippines and sister website MyProperty.ph, a long-running local property portal acquired by Lamudi from Summit Media in 2015.

Filinvest is one of the major sponsors in the upcoming prestigious awards night. Other parties interested to partner with Lamudi Philippines in awarding the best brokers are invited to take part in this upcoming event, dubbed Lamudi Philippines Broker Awards Night 2017 to be held at the New World Hotel in Makati. They may contact events@lamudi.com.ph and avail of the early bird promo where they can get 30% discount on all booths if they book before March 6, 2017.

"Coffee or Tea for Poem" to Promote Love for Poetry

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"Poetry is an act of peace." – Pablo Neruda

To promote love of poetry, “Coffee or Tea for Poem” will be held on March 21, 2017 the whole day Tuesday to celebrate UNESCO’s “World Poetry Day” for the second year in Quezon City’s pioneering, 78-year-old, artisanal/pugon-style Kamuning Bakery Cafe. Customers can pay for their coffee or tea drink with their original poem in any language that day at No. 43 Judge Jimenez St. corner K-1st Street, Kamuning, Quezon City.

All published poets who bring their book or magazine with their original poem shall also be given FREE coffee or tea on that day.

The verses will be published on Kamuning Bakery Cafe’s Facebook page. Kamuning Bakery Cafe also hopes to publish a literary journal, primarily celebrating poetry. KBC owner Wilson Lee Flores is a writer who started writing poems in four languages as a student, his late mother educator Mary Young Siu Tin also wrote poetry.

On March 21 morning, the special guest of Kamuning Bakery Cafe’s “Pandesal Forum” with media and intellectuals will be Singapore Ambassador Madame Kok Li Peng. Apart from hosting the tertulia-inspired, non-partisan “Pandesal Forum” for newsmakers and leaders, Kamuning Bakery Cafe hosts other cultural events for artists, thinkers and poets.

Kamuning Bakery Cafe also hosts book launchings, such as those by ex-President Fidel V. Ramos, former Senate President Edgardo Angara (whose late cousin theater artist Zenaida Angara Amador was a neighbor and “suki” customer of Kamuning Bakery), and the only Filipino winner of USA’s American Book Award, New York-based author and activist Ninotchka Rosca. Kamuning Bakery Cafe welcomes art exhibits on paintings, photographs, etc.

8 reasons why “Coffee or Tea for Poem” project at 78-year-old Kamuning Bakery Cafe?

— Highlight the rich legacy of poetry in the Philippines and Asia
— Encourage the love and writing of poetry, an art which ennobles & humanizes people.
—Promote more poetry readings
— Help in bringing poetry out of classrooms & literary circles into public places like a cafe
— Highlight importance of poetry to culture and better quality of life
—Help promote poetry to the mass media and social media
— Encourage more publication and distribution of poetry books
— Encourage better appreciation of and support for poets and poetry

How to Maximize Your Online Presence as a Real Estate Professional

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Technology plays a vital role in the success of many if not all industries today. Luckily, if you know how to play your cards right, a well-executed online campaign might be all that you need to be ahead of the game.

This is specifically true with the real estate sector. Leading property portal Lamudi Philippines have noted that more and more house-hunters are going online to search for properties. Be it for serious buying or just merely researching for future investments, the Internet is the top-of-mind resource to get quick and accurate real estate facts.

To help the dedicated players of the property arena, Lamudi Philippines compiles the best strategies on how to establish and enhance your online exposure to get a plethora of leads and eventually secure that sale.

Subscribe in an Industry-focused Portal

Instead of shelling out your advertising funds in printing a bunch of flyers, why not direct your ad budget in a platform where you can post your real estate listings. MyProperty.ph and Lamudi Philippines are two top property-focused local websites where you can upload listings and be sure to be seen by the right target market. A trustworthy and credible website complete with all the relevant real estate information is surely an excellent approach to improve your business.

Be a Social Media Titan

The quickest and also cheapest way to your client’s eye is through social media. You can take advantage of a number of platforms that can be used for free such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and use it to promote your property listings. Just remember that you must not use your social media pages to hard sell your listings. Sharing an exciting trivia, a nice photo, or elaborating the experience is a sure way to get noticed without boring your followers.

Be Mobile

The fast-paced lifestyle of today almost expects real-time results in every activity. Because consumers are turning to their mobile devices as their number one mode of communication and the fastest way to mine data, it is also imperative to ensure mobility in your day-to-day operations. This will not only show that you are prompt and active but it will highlight that you are reliable and serious in your profession.

Maximize Your Tech Tools

Attract your clients with high-resolution photos, panoramic shots, aerial angles taken by drone cameras, and virtual reality. These are just some of the best tools you can use to capture the beauty and sell the experience. As technology continues to advance, it is only fitting to take full advantage of different gadgets and put more color and vibrancy to your real estate offerings.

Content Is Mighty

Never get tired of sharing valuable bits of information to your readers and followers. You can start a blog and post relevant real estate tips that will not just impress your clients but will also arm you with knowledge. This might come in handy in a problematic transaction that you will certainly face in the sea of customers.

These are just some of the online promotion schemes that have been proven effective by hundreds of professional real estate brokers across the Philippines. Come March 30, 2017, Lamudi Philippines will award the best of the best-licensed real estate brokers who are subscribed in the portal. Various honors will be given away.

Filinvest Land, one of the major sponsors in the upcoming prestigious awards night, joins Lamudi in recognizing the contributions of real estate professionals in the field and their technical know-how that enabled them to succeed in the modern business landscape.

The Lamudi Philippines Broker Awards Night will be held at the New World Hotel in Makati.