All-Star developers focus on listening to customers to deliver superior value

By Viktor Chong viktorchong@thestar.com.my

LBS Bina Group Bhd executive director Datuk Cynthia Lim (centre) and the team showing off
their six awards.

THE All-Star: Top-Ranked Developer Award is the greatest acknowledgment for the nation’s top developers. This year’s 11 stalwart winners were chosen based on a set of parameters after two gruelling days of meticulous vetting by a panel of judges, with Hong Leong Bank (HLB) playing an advisory role for the judging.

According to HLB personal financial services managing director Charles Sik, a top-tier developer would consistently deliver clear and superior value to customers, partners and shareholders. “The judging is based on a set of measurements including track record, sales rate, financial performance and the qualitative attributes of the developments and projects,” he said.

A top-tier developer would consistently deliver clear, superior value to customers, partners and shareholders. Longer term sustainability over different market cycles, the right products for the right segments, consistent after sales service, innovations as well as ability to lead or keep up with market changes would also be differentiating fundamentals amongst developers, as would also be the strength of their management team.

“We see developers as strong social drivers who are able to better match supply and demand conditions through the creation of sustainable communities within, and surrounding their developments,” said Sik, adding that through their sustainability policies, developers could therefore play a lead role in shaping how the communities live and be part of the sustainable development with its environment.

“We certainly look forward to even more collaboration between developers themselves to create a vibrant and integrated ecosystem that benefits homeowners and the community as a whole,” he said.

Sunway Bhd deputy MD (Property development division – Iskandar and International) Tan Wee Bee receiving the Top-Ranked Developer Award from Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin, accompanied by (left) Star Media Group Bhd chairman Datuk Fu Ah Kiow and advisor Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai.

Multi-faceted top developers

Gamuda Land CEO Ngan Chee Meng emphasised the importance of caring for the community. “In any town, you will see that the people and community make the town,” he said, adding that the environment should be conducive so that people want to stay, work, grow up, and grow old there.”

Matrix Concepts Holdings Bhd managing director Ho Kong Soon upholds trustworthiness as a winning value. “Build your trust with your subordinates, your stakeholders and the customers,” he said, adding that trust creates a situation where customers become the ambassadors of your products.

Sime Darby Property Bhd COO of township development Datuk Wan Hashimi Albakri Wan Ahmad Amin Jaffri said it is no secret that the market is soft and challenging. “If you have the right products in the right location and the right price, you can sell them.”

This, he said, is evident in the sales of Sime Darby Property townships recording a healthy take-up rate of 80% to 90%. LBS Bina Group Bhd executive director Datuk Lim Mooi Pang said: “It’s going to be a millennial market with a lot of first-time homebuyers, so we have to listen to them and understand what they need. Affordability will be an important component that we should consider.”

Value creation makes up the central theme for SkyWorld Development Sdn Bhd founder and group MD Datuk Ng Thien Phing, who believes that house buyers want value. “At Skyworld, we built the first quality centre in Malaysia where we teach our purchasers to gauge and check the level of workmanship,” he said.

Like Ng, Paramount Property Development Sdn Bhd CEO Beh Chun Chong stresses the importance of value, the need for quality features, and practical yet innovative space. “Besides that, we also care for future maintenance which is always our design philosophy before a product is developed,” he said. 

Sime Darby Property Bhd COO of township development Datuk Wan Hashimi Albakri Wan Ahmad Amin Jaffri receiving the Top-Ranked Developer trophy from Zuraida, accompanied by Fu and Wong.

Respect for future trends

S P Setia Bhd president and CEO Datuk Khor Chap Jen said that driverless cars will become a possibility. “Looking at the Malaysian scenario, there are a lot of requirements for parking space. In 10 years time, when we have an excess of car parks, what are we to do and how are we going to retrofit them?” he said, adding that driverless cars make people more mobile, which will affect developments in a big way.

MRCB CEO Raymond Cheah said the company will embrace the 4th industrial revolution. “We are looking at IoT (Internet of Things), open source and experiential retail because we believe that the future trend of property development is actually holistic development,” he said.

Tropicana Corporation Bhd deputy general manager Ixora Ang introduced the W Insider, an exclusive feature of the luxury boutique hotel W Kuala Lumpur, which acts as a best friend and local expert for hotel guests. “When you check into the hotel, the W Insider helps you out with places to visit in the city and personalises your entire experience within W Kuala Lumpur as well as the city itself,” she said.

According to Mah Sing Group Bhd CEO Datuk Ho Hon Sang, changes can take place anytime but he reckons that affordable properties will be a continuing trend. “Technology, socio-economic factors, and customer expectations will change and we need to react accordingly. If we don’t change, we will be changed,” he said.

S P Setia Bhd president and CEO Datuk Khor Chap Jen (centre) with the company's senior management team.