Words: Ashley Rigg
Published: 26th October 2009
OPP Award winners announced
Overseas Property Professional has announced this year’s winners of its industry awards. Judges of the nine categories included Thijs Stoffer, president of ICREA; Paul Owen, chief executive of the AIPP; Ian Tonge, chairman of NAEA International and John Sebree, vice president of policy at the Florida Association of Realtors.
A Place in the Sun picked up two awards and Rightmove won best online platform for the second year in succession. The full list of winners is as follows:
Best Developer
•
IPI BV (Netherlands)
“An extremely well run company linked to other multi-national companies, IPI Group has invested heavily in client protection and education as well as systems to support its extensive network of international agents.”
Best Estate Agent
•
Atlantic Estates (Portugal)
“Atlantic goes one step beyond to qualify buyers, PR and marketing is a strong point, and its geographical reach is widespread with a good mix of multi-lingual staff.”
Best Introducer
•
ROPUK (UK)
sales, excellent client after-care and a comprehensive and transparent due diligence of carefully selected developers.”
Best Innovation
•
Assetz (‘My Portfolio’ software)
“A particularly useful tool for investors and IFAs, providing much needed information for agents and their clients.”
Best Fractional Product
•
Resort Owners Group/Castle Pines (US)
“An impressive hybrid fractional and whole ownership model and structure that optimises usage.”
Best Fractional Service
•
The Registry Collection (Exchange & consultancy)
“The size, scale and expertise of this international company protects the buyer and its growing specialist knowledge creates value for a wide variety of developers.”
Best Exhibition
•
A Place in the Sun Live (APITS Ltd)
“Excellent support from a high profile brand and popular presenters, extensive research into visitor and experience, and successful new additions like emigration and fractional.”
Best Print Publication
•
A Place in the Sun (APITS Ltd)
“Still a market leader in the UK, supported by the most high profile broadcast media platform and one of the UK’s biggest overseas property exhibitions.”
Best Online Platform
•
Rightmove Overseas
“A comprehensive and well put together entry that displayed a huge effort to find out more about its visitor traffic, qualify it and help its advertising partners to sell more effectively.”
User Comments
As I presented an award entry for my company ELITE Inmobiliaria. I can tell you that I'm not advertising with OPP. The criteria are fair. The judges did a difficult job. Some of their comments on me: The winning score in the Best Estate Agent category was 404 and your entry scored 359 points. A summary of judges feedback on your entry is as follows:
*Fred van Krimpen is a fascinating entry to these awards – multi-qualified, multi-lingual and highly professional.
*I would like to have seen more details about Elite’s specific work with other partners. However, all the positive testimonials about Elite are very impressive from both affiliates and clients.
Fred van Krimpen,
ELITE Inmobiliaria
I'm not a judge at the awards but I follow who advertises with them and only a small percentage of the winners do. Last year, they awarded Global edge with the Best Partnership Product Award and we are competitors. I believe the awards are fairly impartical although it does cost to enter.
Ashley Rigg,
Global edge
I'd be interested to know under what criteria these winners were chosen, and also who were the competition? Is it a closed award only open to paying entrants or to just paying advertisers (in which case not much use), or was it a fair selection from the whole market?
nicolas,
syndite