As of the first half of 2010, great milestones have already been achieved. Numerous new and expansion projects encompassing residential, commercial/retail, offices and mixed-use developments have been launched and the market has been very supportive with brisk sales. There is great momentum and Ayala Land is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Rex Mendoza, Ayala Land Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing & Sales Officer says, "There is a tremendous market turnout for this year across the board that we have decided to revise our original plans to accommodate the growing demands. In fact, we are advancing some projects we thought we were going to be doing in the third or fourth quarter and we're doing them now in the second quarter. Some of the things on slate for 2011, we'll probably be doing at the last quarter of this year."
Among those which have shown surprising sales velocity are Ayala Land Premier's residential projects, Park Terraces in Ayala Center, Makati and Santierra in NUVALI, Laguna. Mendoza explains selling a project usually takes two to three years. But just in its first week of launch, 90% of Park Terraces was already sold. "We launched Santierra on January and we're supposed to be selling phase one, but as we speak, we already sold out phase three," he states.
Enhancing land, enriching lives for more people
True to Ayala Land's unwavering vision, the company continues to stretch their reach across the country, expanding in 3 ways: in geography, product type and target market.
According to Mendoza, people have generally perceived Ayala Land as a Mega Manila player, but the company has proven they can go far and beyond. From their successful Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and retail developments in the south (Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Bacolod, and Iloilo) to the north (Subic, Baguio), they are now gearing for bigger moves in the residential side with Ayala Center Cebu and MarQuee in Pampanga. "Of course, within Mega Manila, our growth will still be unprecedented. People can expect a lot of developments in Makati, Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, and TriNoma in Quezon City."
With the shifting national landscape and active Philippine tourism campaign, Ayala Land has announced its big plans for their leisure developments. Site plans for El Nido resorts in Palawan have been revealed and development is already in full-swing. "Our hotel line is going to be expanded. In the next years, our tourism and resort business will be a major contributor to the overall landscape. We are collaborating with several business partners because we want it to be huge," Mendoza says.
Ayala Land is also engaging a wider target market with the recent launch of Avida's economic housing brand called Amaia. "We want to fulfil their dreams by delivering top quality homes with revolutionary and easy-to-maintain designs at affordable prices. At Ayala Land, we create communities that cater to our customers' needs," states Mendoza.
Sustainable designs for better quality of life
Ayala Land continues to raise the bar in the real estate industry by offering quality products & services combined with corporate social responsibility. "Our company is centered on environmental stewardship and impact reduction. We have metrics for efficient energy and water utilization, waste management, and air quality improvement. Our thrust is clearly market-shaping. It's about educating real estate buyers for long-term sustainability," says Mendoza.
Each Ayala Land development implements green design innovations such as high-performance architecture, safe pedestrian and bike lanes, use of environmentally-sensitive products in construction, and allowing natural landscapes to thrive.
"People will have to realize that we have married our business goals with our sustainability goals. One cannot survive without the other. As of the moment, there is not enough consciousness about sustainability. And it's a challenge for us to educate all our stakeholders that they always have the green and better option," he explains. "This is not just a stop-gap move, because if the idea of sustainability becomes something of an afterthought or maybe a retrofit, it doesn't work. It has to be there from the very start. In terms of the future, we're still stretching ourselves in coming up with more innovations and approaches to reach more lives with sustainable living, " Mendoza states.
Ready for tomorrow
The 2010 ramp-up is just the beginning for Ayala Land. According to Mendoza, this is a great opportunity to step up and create more openings for improvements in service and customer relations in the coming years. "It's not going to be more of the same. It's going to be more of more," Mendoza promises. "By 2011, we should be able to enhance the template that we've laid out for 2010. Infrastructures? Yes. Open space and green areas? More. Very ironic, but that's a challenge. The remaining months of 2010 will be very challenging for Ayala Land as we pursue establishing our ground and putting our stake for what we believe our customers need. 2011 marks the year when these growth centers will thrive. "
