Press
The Malta Property Expo 27th February – 1st March 2009
The property market has undergone visible changes over the years. The type of property that buyers want, the finishings that customers expect and even the furniture that decorates the home have contributed towards the new scene on the property market.
Understanding these trends – as well as predicting new ones – is the goal of the every property developer. After all, those involved in the property business want to understand their customers and meet their requirements.
“There is no doubt that the market has changed,” says Keith Pillow, CEO of Duplex Real Estate Branding. “And with these changes come new challenges. For example, you hear a great deal of talk that there is an oversupply in the market. However, this is not the case. Instead, we have to realise that there are simply markets that have been overlooked and that by seeking out and gaining access to these markets we will open up new frontiers,” he adds.
It is this opening up of awareness that is behind the Malta Property Expo which Duplex are organising.
“The Malta Property Expo’s objective is to give another platform – a marketing tool – for both developers, agents and general public to reach out with their products to find these new markets. Buyers will also benefit in that they will be able to see a showcase of excellently packaged properties and be able to access a wealth of information about them. This will set a new standard within the local industry,” Mr Pillow explains.
While Malta enjoys the advantage of being ssa limited supply property market – after all there is only a finite amount of land left for us to build on and thus property tends to retain good value – but there are also numerous foreign markets out there that has enormous potential.
“There are numerous services that local companies can offer to foreign develops, for instance. And reciprocally, overseas developers can offer experience that will increase the value of local operations. Although Malta has made some inroads into foreign markets, we are only seeing the tiniest of fractions of this potential,” he continues.
So the expo is also aimed at helping local companies forge these important relationships?
“Yes, very much so. We have promoted the Malta Property Expo overseas and, through our network of partnerships, we have held a number of important meetings with overseas estate agent federations and organisations. Many of these have never been to Malta and were unaware of what the island can offer. By forging these alliances and partnerships we can allow the foreign companies to gain experience in local markets, while the local companies will be given solid insight into the overseas picture,” Mr Pillow replies.
Has there been a good take-up on attendance for the expo?
“Yes, we are very satisified that both developers and agents have welcomed our efforts. HSBC has stepped in as our main sponsor and they are keenly aware of the massive importance that the property industry has. Our expo will be sending a good message to the market and we expect a very positive response in return, Seminars targeted to both the general public and to the trade will be held and we hope that they will explain how this important yet complex market works.
There is no denying that the property market has experienced something of a dip in its fortunes in recent months. However, this also means that there is perhaps no better time to buy into this solid and stable investment. And with other financial investments doing U-turns and nosedives, the property market offers investors some of the safest and best returns on their money, making the Malta Property Expo well worth a good, long look” Mr Pillow concludes.
