PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards 2017 to honour Lankan real estate industry

The annual PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards series has been revamped in 2017 to include categories for exciting markets such as Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Laos, India and the Maldives.
With an unparalleled reputation within the Asian real estate industry for being credible, fair and transparent, with an independent judging body and a free-to-enter system, the prestigious Asia Property Awards grand final ceremony in Singapore will now be held over two nights at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre at Marina Bay Sands on November 7 and 8. 
The finale will also feature China, Hong Kong and Macau categories as part of the 
expanded programme.
In the lead up to the November ceremony, nominations are now being accepted online via AsiaPropertyAwards.com/nominations/. Developers, industry professionals, consumers and the public can nominate until August 18 and official entries are accepted until August 25. 
Five industry experts are confirmed to sit on the independent judging panel in Sri Lanka. They are SB Realtors (Private) Limited Director Stephanie Balendra, Paramount Realty Director and CEO Dr. Nirmal de Silva, Research Intelligence Unit Director and Founding CEO Roshan Madawela and JLL Sri Lanka Managing Director 
Steven Mayes.
Sri Lankan real estate, which joins the awards series in its 12th year, recently entered JLL’s Global Real Estate Transparency Index for the first time and has shown a huge potential for development. The sector is supported by a stable economy with a projected 6 percent growth this year.
The country winners in Sri Lanka and other markets will advance to the seventh annual PropertyGuruAsia Property Awards grand final in Singapore to compete for regional titles and to be crowned the ‘best in Asia’ 
in 2017.
Every stage of the awards programme – from nominations to site visits and judges’ deliberations – is strictly supervised by BDO, one of the world’s largest auditing and accountancy firms with operations in more than 130 countries and territories. BDO has been the official supervisor of the awards for more than a decade.
“It has been an exciting journey for the Asia Property Awards after joining PropertyGuru in 2016,” said awards Founder and Managing Director 
Terry Blackburn.
“Our expanded awards scheme is a tribute to the strength of the Asian real estate industry. Fair judgement and transparency of process are at the heart of the awards and we’re delighted to introduce the awards system to Asia’s rapidly growing 
property markets.”
He added, “For more than a decade we’ve had incredible support from various developers, who have been instrumental in the growth of the property sector. As we explore new countries for the platform, we will ensure that the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards truly is the region’s benchmark for the finest real estate developers, developments and design in the region.”
PropertyGuru Group CEO Hari V. Krishnan said, “Because of the Asia Property Awards, consumers are empowered to make confident property decisions, whether they’re first-time buyers, expat renters or serial investors. Property knowledge is essential in our culture at PropertyGuru. We wish the country winners the best as they advance to compete at our grand final in Singapore.”
First launched in 2005 by Ensign Media in Thailand, the awards system also holds annual black-tie gala dinner events in Cambodia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia and Indonesia, playing host to up to 600 C-level executives, senior industry figures and VIPs at 
each event.
Following the format of the country awards, Sri Lanka categories are divided into three sections: Developer, Development and Design. All eligible nominations are rigorously and fairly judged by the panels of experts, based on the most detailed and fairest criteria:
*Developers – reputation, image and corporate social responsibility initiatives, overall track record, displays of innovation and achievement in the past 12 months.
*Development and design – location, value for money, unique selling points, state of completion, sales success, design concept, innovation and use of space, quality of amenities and construction and materials used.
The new regional categories to join the 2017 Awards include Best Mixed-Use Development (Asia). While the award was presented in select country ceremonies last year (Singapore, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong/Macau), it will be the first time that a regional winner will be named. 
Another new category is Best Universal Design Development (Asia), which is open to residential and commercial developments across the region that will be shortlisted in any category at the country awards. The project must be built environment that can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability.
Overall, there will be seven Design, eight Development and two Developer categories at the grand finale ceremony, which will be preceded by an official shortlist announcement in 
early October.
The two gala events in Singapore will each begin with a two-hour international networking cocktail reception, followed by the opening remarks and speeches, four-course dinner and the awards ceremony proper. 
The first night on November 7 focuses on Singapore categories and the second night on November 8 features the new markets and the regional competition. Alongside the gala dinner, PropertyGuru’s C-suite conference – the two-day Singapore Real Estate Summit 2017 – will be held at the same venue in the daytime.