The PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit (ARES), a leading global platform that gathers articles and ideas for leaders and enthusiasts in the real estate technology industry, also known as proptech, organized by PropertyGuru Group, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as PGRU and is a leading real estate technology company in Southeast Asia, held its annual summit this year, marking its 9th edition under the theme “Powering Communities for a Better Tomorrow.” The event featured discussions on how responsible leadership can create and develop future cities for everyone.

This year’s ARES 2023 attracted over 400 participants from around the world, attending the hybrid seminar held both at The Athenee Hotel Bangkok, a Luxury Collection Hotel, and online via Zoom. Nearly 40 guest speakers sparked interesting discussions on topics related to the future of the communities we live in, business, services, recreation, and innovation.

The theme of this year aligns with the new vision of PropertyGuru Group, which is to power communities to live, work, and thrive in tomorrow’s cities. This new vision was publicly announced by Mr. Harry V. Krishnan, CEO and Managing Director of PropertyGuru Group, during the opening ceremony of ARES 2023, held on December 7, 2023, just one day before the 16th anniversary of PropertyGuru Group on December 8.

Mr. Harry stated, “As a responsible market leader, we are committed to being a contributor to support or effectively assist everyone on their journey of buying, selling, renting, and investing in real estate, enabling them to make confident decisions with relevant information, insights, and our world-class service. From helping homebuyers find their dream homes and financing options to assisting foreign buyers in finding suitable accommodations, supporting corporate clients to achieve effective and satisfactory investment returns, sharing first-party data with banks, financial institutions, and appraisers, and providing meaningful data that impacts society at large to policymakers, it is clear that we are ready to collaborate with all sectors in the ecosystem to drive our cities and communities forward for a better tomorrow.”

The first segment of ARES 2023 focused on “Live: Future of Communities,” discussing the drive for a new economy and the overall economic trends in Asia for 2024, featuring Ms. Sumanah Rajarethnam, Regional Director for Southeast Asia at the Economist Intelligence Corporate Network, alongside human rights activist Dr. Edlum Abera Yemiru, Head of Knowledge and Innovation at UN-Habitat, who addressed the important issues regarding transforming communities and developing sustainable cities or Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Cities.

Additionally, David Gissen, a writer, designer, academic, consultant, and professor at the Parsons School of Design, discussed the critical issues surrounding the review of building designs, including the concept of a one-storey city.

The second segment, “Work: The Future of Business,” began with Ms. Chelsea Perino, Managing Director of Global Marketing & Communications at The Executive Centre, sharing insights on the evolution of workspace creation and hybrid work systems.

The first panel discussion of the day, led by Mr. Manaf Kamboj, Chief Technology Officer and Managing Director of the fintech business unit at PropertyGuru Group, featured discussions with technology experts utilizing A.I. in design, data management, Digital Twins technology, and blockchain metaverse, including Mr. Top - Jirayu Sapsee, Founder and CEO of Bitkub Capital Group Holdings, Professor Jason Pomeroy, Founder of Pomeroy Studio and Pomeroy Academy / Fellow in Sustainability Leadership at the University of Cambridge, and Mr. Wenhui Lim, Director of Spark Architects.

The morning session concluded with a showcase of PropertyGuru For Business (PG4B), which invests in data science to develop products and services for corporate clients in Southeast Asia. Mr. Jeremy Williams, Managing Director of the Marketplace business unit, and Ms. Shinyi Ho-Strengras, Managing Director of the Data and Software Solutions business unit, initiated the session discussing unlocking business opportunities.

This was followed by interesting insights from Dr. Naijia Li, Head of Real Estate Market Analysis at the Digital and Software Solutions team, regarding urban expansion and livability indices, concluding with a demonstration of innovative solutions from PG4B by Mr. Bob Koppes, Director of Strategy, focusing on payment and transaction processes using data analytics to provide insights that meet the needs of both service users and providers.

The afternoon session of ARES 2023 began with the third segment themed “Thrive: Future of Leisure,” starting with a virtual discussion from Malaysia by Mr. David Chong, CEO of the Training and Research Institute of the Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association (REHDA), who raised points about creating mega-cities that everyone can own.

This was followed by a panel discussion addressing dining destinations, the rise of urban pet culture, and demographic changes affecting the housing market. Participants included Dr. Alladdin D. Rillo, Senior Economic Advisor at the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), Ms. Amy Sawitta Leferp, former international journalist (former Reuters reporter), Ms. Christine Lee, Head of Research for the Asia-Pacific region at Knight Frank, Mr. Colin Chee, Creator and Creative Director from Never Too Small, Ms. Didi Almeida, a writer and former journalist and animal trainer in Indonesia, Ms. Jessica Safra, an award-winning writer, journalist, and animal welfare advocate, Mr. Kieran Gibb, Founder and Director of the marketing agency Monogic from Hong Kong, Ms. Michelle Martin, host of Money FM 89.3 from Singapore, Ms. Pippa Woodhead, Head of Podcast at the social learning platform Tigerhall from Singapore, and the husband-and-wife duo Ms. Faye-Thanchira Trakulwong and Chef Dan Bark, owners and managers of Cadence by Dan Bark (which received a Michelin star within six months of opening) and Caper by Dan Bark.

Additionally, Ms. Andrea Savage, Co-CEO of A Life Be Design, a renowned interior designer and former presenter from HGTV Asia, discussed the main topic of design as a universal language of space and creating experiences to shift perspectives, alongside Mr. Cameron Richards, Founder and CEO of the digital agency CPR Vision Management from Singapore.

As the chair of ARES 2023, Mr. Stephen Ohm, a value management expert and advocate for sustainable development / Managing Director of Quantum Analysis and Quantum Thailand, participated in a virtual discussion directly from COP28 in Dubai, addressing the latest goals for sustainable development, including steps for development and the distribution of development across cities worldwide.

The ARES event continues to showcase diversity, with 50% of the speakers being women and/or individuals from the LGBTQ+ community.

This year, Mr. Shane Bhatia, Deputy Director of the Equal Asia Foundation, shared insights on real estate for minorities and persons with disabilities in an accessible manner, concluding the third segment of the day.

The final segment of this year’s seminar focused on “Thrive: The Future of Innovation,” opening with key discussions led by Mr. Vinu Daniel, Founder of Wallmaker from India, an architect focused on climate change, who was selected as one of TIME100 Next, a list of influential individuals driving societal change. Additionally, Mr. Vinu spoke at TED2023 last April and received the PropertyGuru Visionary Award at ARES 2023 for his sustainable design work using earth and waste materials.

Mr. Vinu told Property Report by PropertyGuru, the official magazine for ARES 2023, “Construction is happening everywhere all the time, so it’s great if we can share the knowledge we have with others.”

On the other hand, Mr. Colin Chee, Creator and Founder of the popular website Never Too Small and recipient of the Visionary Award from ARES last year, returned to the ARES stage this year with a case study on interior design utilizing waste materials from construction and demolition sites, including clips from his limited series titled “Wonderful Waste.”

The fourth segment included discussions on various topics related to the real estate industry, business resilience, and challenges in sustainable development, featuring participants such as Ms. Cindy Tan Jarabatha from TAJARA Leisure and Hospitality Group, Mr. Hang Dang, Managing Director of CBRE Vietnam, Ms. Rita Shaw, Founder and CEO of Sunshine PR (China), Mr. Stephen Pimbley, Co-Founder and Director of Spark Architects, with Mr. Marco Lobelgut, Regional Editor for Asia of Bridges magazine, a digital business and lifestyle magazine targeting global business professionals, serving as the moderator.

Ms. Tong-Onrapak Wutthikosit, Senior Manager (Travel, Real Estate, and E-commerce) at Google Thailand, concluded the fourth segment with insights on the future of digital innovation.

The ARES 2023 summit is one of the key events in PropertyGuru Week, attended by executives and leaders in the real estate and related businesses across the Asia region. The week of events began with a seminar and executive roundtable for real estate leaders on December 6, followed by the ARES 2023 summit and the ARES VIP Cocktail Party on December 7. On December 8, two gala events were held, including a daytime awards ceremony for winners from China, Niseko, Japan, and India, and the announcement of the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards Grand Final 18, featuring winners from various countries in Southeast Asia, China, Japan, India, and Australia. The week of events concluded with an exclusive private screening of the limited series “Wonderful Waste” by Never Too Small.

The PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit (ARES) 2023 had official sponsors including portal partner PropertyGuru, the magazine Property Report by PropertyGuru, public relations partner Artemis Associates, and media partners including digital magazines Bridges, d+a, Hot, Manila Bulletin, REm, and Techsauce.

Supporting associations for this event included the International Finance Corporation (IFC) with the EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) initiative focusing on design excellence and improved efficiency, and the REHDA Institute for the ARES VIP Cocktail Party, supported by PG4B and sponsors such as Ethik Gifts (a project supporting women's empowerment) and Fah Mai Holdings Co., Ltd.

For more information, please contact via email at [email protected] or visit the website AsiaPropertyAwards.com