PropertyGuru Group Launches 2024 Sustainability Report Reflecting Progress in Carbon Emission Reduction, Promoting Comprehensive Housing Sales and Rentals, and Increasing Sustainable Living Options
- PropertyGuru Group continues its commitment to reducing carbon emissions, achieving a 100% renewable energy target for its direct operations.
- According to a survey by DDproperty, over 90% of respondents expressed interest in purchasing sustainable housing, and more than 93% are willing to pay a premium for such properties.
- To meet the growing demand for sustainable housing, we have launched the 'Eco-Friendly' or 'Sustainable Living' feature for housing searches on DDproperty.com.
PropertyGuru Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "the Group" or "PropertyGuru"), a leading PropTech company in Southeast Asia and the parent company of 'DDproperty', Thailand's number one real estate platform, has published the 2024 Sustainability Report under the 'Gurus For Good' strategy, reaffirming its mission to contribute to the development of inclusive cities that can cope with climate change amid increasing urban pressures.
This report reflects how PropertyGuru leverages data, digital tools, and strategic partnerships to embed sustainability at the core of real estate development, especially as it is projected that nearly 63% of the total population in Southeast Asia will live in urban areas by 2050.
With over 32 million property searches per month and more than 50,000 active real estate agents in Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand, the Group offers innovative solutions and data-driven insights to directly address urgent challenges in the real estate market. Highlights of the 2024 Sustainability Report include the launch of the ' Everyone Welcome' feature for rental properties in Singapore, promoting inclusive living options that cater to all demographics, alongside a continuous commitment to environmentally friendly tools such as the ' Green Score' for residential projects on the PropertyGuru Singapore platform, the launch of the 'Eco-Friendly' or 'Sustainable Living' feature on Thailand's marketplace platform DDproperty.com, and the ' Everyone Welcome' feature on Malaysia's marketplace platform.
“The demand for sustainable housing that accommodates all demographics is rising, and at PropertyGuru, we are responding with practical solutions,” said Cécile Corda, Head of Sustainability at PropertyGuru Group. “We are providing tools for those seeking housing to make informed decisions about sustainable living. We are helping to raise awareness, promote positive behaviors, and support the creation of resilient cities, ultimately driving meaningful change in the housing market.” This report also emphasizes the Group's progress in advancing carbon emission reduction and its commitment to addressing climate change.
From Goals to Sustainable Practices
With a steadfast commitment to climate action at the core of its efforts to drive sustainability, the Group has focused on reducing Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions after establishing its GHG emissions baseline. PropertyGuru aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions for its direct operations through the purchase of renewable energy. Additionally, it has transitioned to more energy-efficient cloud solutions, recognizing that the company's data infrastructure plays a crucial role in energy consumption. This shift helps reduce the carbon footprint of various platforms and supports the Group's ongoing progress in carbon emission reduction.
Empowering Home Seekers for Sustainable Decision-Making
According to the 2024 consumer satisfaction survey by DDproperty, the desire to live environmentally consciously is increasing in Thailand, with 90% of Thai consumers expressing interest in purchasing sustainable housing, and 93% willing to pay more for such features.
As a leader in integrating sustainability into the property search process and addressing the needs of consumers looking for eco-friendly living options, the Group launched the 'Eco-Friendly' or 'Sustainable Living' feature on the DDproperty.com website in December 2024, emphasizing properties with eco-friendly features such as solar panel installations and electric vehicle (EV) charging points. This feature supports both purchase and rental properties and is easily accessible; simply visit the buy or rent listing page, and under the search box, there will be options for desired features, including the 'Eco-Friendly' or 'Sustainable Living' as one of the options.
Additionally, PropertyGuru launched the Green Score feature in 2021 to help users in Singapore easily identify sustainable housing options. According to the 2024 consumer satisfaction survey in Singapore, 63% of home seekers trust the Green Score as an indicator of environmentally friendly choices, enabling more informed and environmentally conscious decisions.
Beyond these solutions, PropertyGuru also provides data-driven insights, including climate risk analysis and historical disaster data, to help those potentially impacted in the real estate sector manage climate risks and prepare properties for the future, promoting the development of resilient and sustainable cities.
“The launch of our 'Eco-Friendly' or 'Sustainable Living' feature is a testament to our commitment to creating an environmentally friendly future for Thailand,” said Mr. Witty Apirakviriya, General Manager of Think of Living and Thailand Marketplace (Developer Side) at DDproperty. “We are providing insights that home seekers need, focusing on sustainable features such as solar panels and EV charging points, to help those looking for housing make informed decisions about truly sustainable living. This is about creating a market where environmentally conscious living is the norm, and every real estate decision contributes to making Thailand more resilient and environmentally friendly.”
Promoting Community Well-Being and Inclusive Housing
In 2024, the Gurus For Good team in Thailand donated SGD 2,000 to the Fight 4 the Future Foundation to help repair exercise areas in a martial arts training facility for children. Additionally, the Thai Guru volunteers spent time training with the children while distributing t-shirts, lunch boxes, and Halloween-themed cupcakes, as well as donating toys, clothes, and bags to the kids.
Everyone deserves a home they can call their own, yet inequality remains a significant barrier for those seeking housing, particularly rental properties. One in four people in Singapore has experienced racial discrimination during their housing search. While multicultural society is widely accepted, unconscious attitudes and biases still affect rental opportunities.
PropertyGuru launched the 'Everyone Welcome' feature on its platform in Singapore in December 2024, which labels rental listings where homeowners welcome tenants of all races, genders, religions, and sexual orientations.
This initiative aims to provide a discrimination-free housing search experience while encouraging real estate agents and homeowners to embrace diversity and inclusivity. Currently, one in four rental listings on PropertyGuru Singapore is labeled 'Everyone Welcome', making it easier for home seekers to find housing that is friendly to diversity. The 'Everyone Welcome' feature is also set to launch on PropertyGuru Malaysia's platform in April 2025.
This is part of the Group's ongoing commitment to creating a fair real estate market. In addition to launching this feature, the Group has established inclusive listing guidelines, implemented tools to check for potentially discriminatory language in the system, and provided channels for users to report discriminatory behavior directly.
Through collaborative efforts across various fronts, PropertyGuru is committed to reducing barriers and creating pathways to more inclusive housing, where everyone can find a home that meets their needs and feels equally welcomed.
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