Amid the rising demand from local and foreign investors, real estate developers are searching for properties across the Philippines through The Final Pitch—a business reality television show.
“For the first time ever, we will be producing a season with a theme. The Final Pitch Season 5: Real Estate and Livable Cities Edition will be the first season focused on real estate projects, urban solutions and property technologies that contribute to the livability and sustainability of our cities,” said John Aguilar, a serial entrepreneur and the creator and host of the show.
Aguilar is also the CEO of Dragon’s Nest, a startup venture that aims to build the ASEAN region’s next exponential startups.
The show’s fifth season will start filming this November and will begin airing early 2020.
The Final Pitch Season 5 will feature landowners and entrepreneurs who will pitch their properties and businesses to a panel of investor-judges who are looking to own a piece of their properties or companies.
Previous seasons of the show focused on various technology startups and small and medium enterprises pitching their businesses to investor judges for funding. This time, real estate-related deals and solutions for the property sector will be at the forefront.
“With the jitters created by the possible volatility of the demand from the POGO [Philippine offshore gaming operation] sector impacting the entire industry, there is now an even more urgent need to prepare for an eventual down-cycle of the property sector and future-proof the business interests of developers and construction industry stakeholders,” Aguilar said.
“This can be done by either consolidating landholdings for the future, or even totally shifting business models to prepare for the seismic shifts that technological disruption will bring to the real estate sector,” he said.
Pitching for property
A property owner or owner’s representative or broker can pitch a property to the show’s investors.
“Whether for sale or joint venture, we are looking for properties across the Philippines ranging from raw land, buildings, islands, even prime properties in the Metro,” Aguilar said.
“Our foremost criteria for accepting these properties for consideration will be that the title is clean. We will not engage in a broker or broker’s representative who does not have exclusive rights to market or sell the properties they are proposing,” he said.
He said that properties or projects with an existing prospectus or highest and best land-use study are preferred, but not required. If the property is for sale, the selling price must be at least 20 percent below market value.
The properties must be free from any liens and encumbrances and must be fully owned by the party pitching the property. These properties will be pitched to the investors with the intention of selling the properties to them or engaging in a possible joint venture project together.
The terms of the deal may be flexible, but if the project is not interesting, the project might not even make it past the consideration stage.
“Ultimately, we are looking for great deals for the investors for properties that can be land banked, renovated or developed for the future,” Aguilar said.
Livable cities
Aside from real estate deals, the season will also feature startups who will pitch businesses that make for livable cities—green and sustainable building materials and technologies, clean energy, all the way to smart home and proptech (property technology) startups.
Entrepreneurs who pitch their enterprise, service or invention must have at least a minimum viable product or prototype.
Businesses that provide solutions that improve people’s quality of living, particularly those that address safety, hygiene, healthcare, the environment, recreation, public transport and access to goods and services will also be considered.
Judges and mentors
The show’s panel of investor judges is a mix of property developers, businessmen and corporate leaders keen on exploring new enterprises that can complement their businesses, integrate effectively into their value chain, allow them to diversify their portfolio or enable them to create meaningful impact through strategic initiatives and interventions.
The fifth season’s judges are real estate movers: Victor Consunji, CEO of Victor Consunji Development Corp., an innovative developer of homes and modern neighborhoods; Cary Lagdameo, first vice president of Davao-based Damosa Land Inc., the real estate arm of the Anflo Group of Companies; Cesar Wee Jr., president of Wee Community Developers Inc., one of the fastest growing premium residential developers in the country; and returning investor Jet Yu, founder and CEO of Prime Philippines, one of the youngest and most aggressive real-estate consultancy firms in the country.
In the mix to look for livable cities solutions and technologies is George Royeca, chief transport advocate of Angkas.
In turn, the show’s mentors, who will guide the finalists in the different aspects of their business proposals with Amor Maclang, public engagement head of the Urban Land Institute and co-founder of GeiserMaclang Marketing Communications Inc. and Hardy Lipana, president and CEO of Conveyance Realty Services Inc.
Interested property owners and entrepreneurs who want to pitch their property, solution or startup may log on to thefinalpitch.ph/application. Deadline for submission is Nov. 11, 2019.
