How Effective is Online Marketing for Philippine Real Estate?

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Changes is continuously coming due to the never-ending evolution of technology. This is particularly true in some industries that have successfully adapted in the current global business landscape.

For real estate, many licensed professionals are taking advantage of the World Wide Web to reach their target market. Gone were the days where you only have to rely on the people that you know and those you meet on the streets to promote what you offer. With the advent of social media platforms you can instantly reach almost two million possible clients with just a few clicks away.

Lamudi Philippines, a leading real estate website and an expert on online real estate marketing, shares the reasons why many real estate professionals claims that online marketing is now the way to go.

Wider Reach and Limitless Possibilities

According to internetlivestats.com 43.5% or almost half of the Philippine population are using the Internet. Imagine being able to tap even just a fraction of that number. Fortunately, there is just so much that you can do online to get the attention of Internet users. Some of the most effective tools like clear and crisps photos, short but engaging videos, and now virtual reality are just some of technology-enhanced gears that you can harness to capture your market.

One best example is the magnified effect of word-of-mouth advertising. For instance, a nice new place complete with residential and leisure components that becomes an instant hit to social media users can effectively help a rising condo in that area. Shares will just pour in and you will just ride the hype and count your sales.

Harold Geronimo, AVP and Head of Public Relations and External Affairs of property giant Megaworld Corporation, shared that his company is now recognizing the evolution of the market. From heavily banking on various traditional advertising methods, the shift to more portable, more real-time and fast-paced approach to reaching your target audience is gaining importance. Because of this, different online promotion techniques such as social media channels, blogs and websites have become an integral part of Megaworld’s marketing mix.

Mr. Geronimo also emphasized that the fastest and cost-efficient way to distribute content is through social media. “Almost all segments of consumers in the Philippines are on social media and we want to be where our target markets are. With the growing competition of real estate in the country we are utilizing the online space to spread our creativity and be ahead of other companies,” he stressed.

Lamudi also interviewed Pinnacle Real Estate Consulting Services Inc., one of the top property management and brokerage services providers in the country, and they stressed that digital marketing is now considered one of the best ways to advertise as this provides a wider reach and the fastest vehicle toward clients.

On the GO!

Posting listings or browsing for a dream home is just quick and easy. As Internet and technology become more mobile, the chance to find your next big sale or your first investment can be done simultaneously with other tasks. As Filipinos learn to value their time and resources more, people tend to rely on various applications, service-focused websites and other technology-assisted means of making life a tad easier.

Alejandro Mañalac, Executive Vice-President of Step Philippines, Inc., also revealed that digital marketing plays a big role in their day-to-day real estate operations. “Generating leads wherever and whenever really maximizes time and resources. Furthermore, upon receiving inquiries from our various campaigns, we are already equipped with the information that we can share instantly while the leads are hot, which means quicker response time,” Mr. Mañalac enthused.

Sales, Sales, and More Sales

The potential to earn a six-digit income monthly with just a few sales is the ultimate come-on spiel of successful real estate brokers. Mary Clair Dino, licensed real estate broker who freshly acquired her PRC license last year, is now very interested to give real estate platforms like Lamudi a go because of her experience in successfully closing sales using just Facebook (and without extensive training and very technical knowledge to do such). “I just posted pictures and shared the advantages of the properties and I successfully closed deals, then it occurred to me that there is more to Internet marketing,” shared Ms. Dino when asked why she is interested to subscribe on Lamudi.

Supreme Court-Issued TRO on DOE and ERC Issuances Pertaining to Retail Competition and Open Access Implementation

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), as respondents, respect the ruling of the Supreme Court and will abide by its temporary restraining order (TRO) on the DOE Circular No. DC2015-06-0010, Series of 2015 and ERC Resolution Nos. 5, 10, 11 and 28, Series of 2016, without prejudice, however, to exhaustion of available legal remedies in order to put forward the factual and legal bases on which the promulgation of the assailed rules have been based.

Due to the legal complexities surrounding the TRO, the DOE, ERC and the Philippine Electricity Market Corporation (PEMC), are still in the process of drafting a general advisory for the guidance of the Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA) Stakeholders, without prejudice to future issuances. The main issues being considered are whether:

1. Those who have already executed Retail Supply Contracts (RSCs) and were already registered and switched shall continue to honor their respective RSCs;

2. Ongoing applications for registration filed before the Central Registration Body (CRB) may proceed voluntarily;

3. Applicants who wish to withdraw or defer their registration before the CRB may do so consistent with the Retail Market Rules provided that the CRB shall not be liable for any legal repercussions that may arise out of the contestable customers’ contractual obligations; and

4. Remaining contestable customers who have not yet secured their RSCs may continue to negotiate and exercise their power to choose.

The DOE, in coordination with the ERC and PEMC, as the CRB, will continue to conduct information drive and to educate the contestable customers on the benefits of RCOA in order to respond to queries affecting the industry players.

The DOE assures the public that extensive consultations and coordination efforts will continue towards full implementation of the provisions of the law favoring the consumers' power of choice.

DOE Works for Stronger Ties with the Energy Technology Sector

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As Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi envisions sustained economic growth, the Department of Energy (DOE) is seeking stronger partnerships with energy technology companies to support the development of the energy sector.

During the inauguration last 22 February of the amorphous transformer plant of First Philec in Batangas, DOE Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentebella pointed out that DOE Secretary Cusi is "focusing on stronger partnerships with energy technology companies to enable us to compete with other countries.”

“The use of new technologies to produce quality products that result in higher operational efficiency will reduce electricity prices for consumers."

The DOE official also underscored the need for Filipino scientists to help address systems loss through innovative and more energy-efficient technologies for the benefit of Filipino consumers.

“With more efficient use of energy, we can create wealth for the country and improve the lives of Filipinos,” Fuentebella explained.

The transformer plant of First Philec is seen as the largest plant of its kind in Southeast Asia and is expected to generate close to 500 jobs. The plant is a locator in the First Philippine Industrial Park in Tanauan City, Batangas.

Photo caption: TECHNOLOGY BRIEFING: Energy Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentebella (2nd from left), First Philec staff together with other industry participants  were briefed on the technologies being used in making a power supply transformer. First Philec inaugurated the largest amorphous transformer plant in Southeast Asia, which is located at the First Philippine Industrial Park in Tanauan City, Batangas.