One hundred top-performing real estate professionals and firms were honoured at the sixth edition of the StarProperty Awards Realtor Edition (SREA) organised by StarProperty Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Star Media Group Bhd (SMG).

Hosted at a gala dinner at M Resort & Hotel here yesterday, this year’s awards encompassed 27 categories (with three new categories) and 33 sub-categories to recognise outstanding achievements of 11 real estate agencies.

The three new categories are – the Chief Executive of the Year Award, the StarProperty Millionaire Masters Award, and the Real Estate Negotiator of the Year Award.

In his speech at the event, SMG group chief executive officer Alex Yeow commended property agencies and negotiators as “unsung heroes” in society that deserved recognition for their roles in the real estate industry.

“They act as vital bridges, connecting property developers, owners and buyers, facilitating transactions and ensuring the fulfillment of all parties’ interests.

“They empower homeowners and investors, helping them make informed choices by understanding marketing dynamics, as well as sharing relevant information, laws and regulations, including those that impact sellers and buyers.

“In certain cases, they also help investors identify lucrative investment opportunities and provide valuable advice,” he said.

With Malaysia’s property sector showing signs of growth, Yeow said it pointed to the pivotal role that real estate professionals play in boosting the sector even further.

“Given the growth trend and increasing demands facing the industry, many have scaled up their capabilities to deliver added value to their clients and remain relevant to market trends.

“Their dedication to professional development and ongoing education ensures they provide high-quality service while upholding ethical standards.

“In recognition of such exceptional efforts, the StarProperty Awards 2023 Realtors Edition is about honouring the finest talents in the Malaysian real estate industry,” he said.

The 2023 edition of SREA saw not only an increase in the number of entries, but also the quality of the submissions, which is a testament to the robustness of the industry.

“We would like to thank our esteemed panel of judges for their commitment, dedication and support in conducting the necessary assessments for these submissions,” added Yeow.

Also present at the gala dinner were SMG independent non-executive director Chan Seng Fatt, chief business officer Lydia Wang and chief content officer Esther Ng.

Real estate agency Rahim and Co. International Sdn Bhd’s chief executive officer Siva Shanker won the Chief Executive of the Year Award, an exclusive category accessible solely through invitation.

As for the StarProperty Millionaire Masters Award, the winners were Jibril Chong Kim Hui from Believe Realty Sdn Bhd, Hugo Chan Wei Qiang, Felicia Lee Choy Fun and Kimberly Yang from IQI Realty Sdn Bhd, as well as Desmond Gan Pui Chow from Knight World Realty (M) Sdn Bhd.

The Real Estate Negotiator of the Year Award (Residential) Excellence Trophy went to John Teh Yew Seng from IQI Realty.

At the same time, Knight World Realty’s John Lee and Tech Realtors Properties Sdn Bhd’s Tom Ting Tung Ming won the Honours and Merit trophies, respectively.

In the commercial sub-category, Ken Yap from Knight World Realty took the Excellence trophy, while Tech Realtors Properties’ Terence Tih Kah Kit took the Merit trophy.

Meanwhile, Alexis Yeong Kwai Ling from Tech Realtors Properties won the Honours trophy in the industrial sub-category.

The evening also saw IQI Realty bagging a total of 30 trophies, followed by Tech Group of Companies (20), Knight World Realty (14), Nexsgen Realty Sdn Bhd (13), Foreward Realty Sdn Bhd (12), Maxxan Realty Sdn Bhd (3), Quinco Realty Sdn Bhd (3), The Roof Realty Sdn Bhd (2), while Rahim and Co, Chester Properties Sdn Bhd and Believe Realty each won one.

The Roof Realty took home the Outstanding Achievement Awards for their Malaysia Book of Records accomplishment, having achieved the Highest Subsales Value Transacted in 2021 By A Property Agency and Highest Monthly Transacted Value.

The awards were assessed by independent judges comprising industry experts from a comprehensive range of disciplines in property and real estate business.

They include Sime Darby Property Bhd group managing director Datuk Azmir Merican, Messrs Gan and Zul, Advocates and Solicitors group managing partner Datuk Simon Lim Seng Chai, Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association Youth president Lee Han Rick, RHB Bank group community banking’s homeowners consumer finance head Christine Wong, and Gamuda Land projects executive director Lam Sew Chee.

About 400 guests and recipients graced the award gala dinner, which has become one of the nation’s foremost event for the real estate services sector since its debut in 2017.

Themed Shanghai Nights, guests who dressed for the occasion enjoyed a series of live performances and dances.