Beyond the glitz: A night to celebrate real estate excellence and the people behind extraordinary spaces

By Bernard Tong,

CEO

/ EdgeProp Singapore |

November 7, 2024 12:00 PM SGT

Tong: Eight years ago, we saw a need for a credible benchmark to recognise excellence and inspire progress in real estate. And that’s why we created the EdgeProp Excellence Award (Photo: Samuel isaac Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the eighth Annual EdgeProp Excellence Awards!

Even after eight years of organising the awards, I still get flashbacks to the early days: back when we were huddled in our office, trying to rationalise why anyone would want to host an industry awards show. There were the big questions, like: Why are we doing this? How do we find unbiased judges in a small market like Singapore? And would we end up annoying every developer who didn't win? (For the record, we’re still figuring that one out.)

Then there was that nagging voice that asked: Would people even care?

And trust me, we had our fair share of naysayers—both outside the team and inside. After all, organising an industry award ceremony can be a bit extra-lah.

We all squeeze into rented tuxedos, clipped-on bow ties, and gowns we had to diet for two months. Then, once the event finally begins, we pretend to listen to the organiser’s CEO's heartfelt speech while practising your winning smile. Meanwhile, everyone is waiting for their turn to collect their plexiglass trophy. Once back at the table, your colleagues will inspect the trophy, asking, “Why didn’t they use marble?”

And after three hours, only the bravest make it to the after-party, where someone is bound to ask: "Do they still serve champagne?"

Yet, despite the quirks, we all show up every year. Because beneath the tuxes, the selfies, and the dry-cleaning bills, we’re here for something more: to celebrate real work — the resilience, the innovation, and the spirit that drives our industry forward.

Eight years ago, we saw a need for a credible benchmark to recognise excellence and inspire progress in real estate. And that’s why we created the EdgeProp Excellence Awards. The bedrock of these awards is our judging process — rigorous, quantifiable, and deeply debated, with every choice independently verified by KPMG.

And if you're wondering whether these awards are doing something meaningful, let’s look at the numbers. Since we started, we’ve given out 64 Top Development awards — 34 in the Central Region and 30 in the Non-Central Region.

In terms of the annual price growth or CAGR for these developments — the Central Region winners achieved an average annual price growth (CAGR) of 2.62%, while those in the Non-Central Region achieved 4.19%.

By comparison, over the same period, the average resale prices of non-landed private residential properties across Singapore saw growth of just 0.71% for the Central Region and 4.15% for the Non-Central Region. And on the resale front, the results are even more telling.

Of those who’ve sold units in these award-winning developments, 6,173 have turned a profit, compared to just 176 who haven’t. That’s a 36-to-1 ratio of profitable sellers versus loss-making ones compared to the national ratio of 12-to-1 over the same time period since we started these awards.

What are the key takeaways from these data? Firstly, our stringent and meticulous selection process ensures that only truly deserving projects are given the awards.

And the deeper message here is this: you’ve done phenomenal work. You’re transforming barren lands into vibrant communities, turning ideas into living spaces and dreams into homes where people live in, work in, and play within.

Ultimately, this award is a celebration of you — not just of the finished projects but of the people behind them. Yes, we have the hairdos, the dry jokes, the tight gowns, and some people who will inevitably overdrink, but beyond the glitz, we’re here to honour the individuals and teams whose work shapes the Singapore skyline.

Each development is a product of the dedication and determination of so many people: the developers who envision the project, the project teams who strategise, the marketing teams who bring it to the public, and the architects who design with both beauty and functionality in mind, the consultants who ensure every step is aligned, and the many agencies who contribute their expertise.

It is through this collective teamwork, hard work, shared blood, sweat, and tears that these concepts become tangible places — places people are proud to call home, places that contribute to a thriving community, and places that leave a lasting impact.

So, please enjoy yourselves tonight. Take pride in what you’ve accomplished, and thank you for believing in this vision with us. Thank you for eight years of pushing boundaries and helping us make these awards possible — none of this would exist without you. Here’s to you, your success, and many more celebrations ahead.

Bernard Tong

EdgeProp Singapore CEO

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Bernard Tong

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