theceomagazine.com | 45other players that started small projects before
venturing to bigger developments.”
“Culture is everything,” Maricar agrees.
“You have to listen to your people because
they know where the gaps are and where
things can be improved. Even as COO, I still
like to talk to people and get their feedback.”
Roy believes that construction in the
Philippines still has a lot of room for progress
compared with highly industrialised countries.
“It’s vital that all players – developers, project
managers, designers, consultants, contractors
and suppliers – share the common goal to
work together to improve the industry.”
Euro Towers consistently improves on its standards in
safety, quality and functionality to reduce its impact on
society and the environment. “You have to shepherd your
flock,” says Roy. “A good leader should be at the back of his
flock during times of success, and at the front in times of
trouble. We’re always looking to improve our workforce
through mentoring and by sponsoring postgraduate studies,
training and seminars. Happy workers with caring leaders
will deliver the best results, and my favourite part of the
job is interacting and sharing my knowledge with younger,
inexperienced architects and engineers.”
FROM THE GROUND UP
Grounded in a culture of innovation, Euro Towers continues
to add to its roster of real estate breakthroughs. By creating
the Philippines’ first-ever Virtual Reality Showroom, the
company allows its customers to experience what their
unit will be like in virtual space, using cutting-edge
Oculus Technology. The showroom presents its landmark
developments in the Milan Residenze Fairview and Vivaldi
Residences Davao. “We make sure that every project is
better than the last by keeping our eyes and ears open
to new products and technologies, while still maintaining
our competitive price,” Roy explains.
“We’re a small organisation and this allows us to be
faster in adapting to the innovative changes that are
happening in the industry every day. We marry real estate
and technology, but it’s certainly not as easy as it sounds,”
Maricar adds. “Real estate is multifaceted and we have dozens
of touchpoints with other industries, from governments and
private consultants, architects and banks, to marketing and
sales. It’s so complex that when we’re developing a project,
we’re sometimes still in the process of planning it.”
Created as a means of bridging the seller–buyer
communication gap, Euro Towers’ EVE is the company’s
Google Assistant. Activated by voice or text, EVE provides
sellers and buyers with answers to common queries and
information regarding unit type, floor layout, pricing,
and sample computation with real-time information.
“All you have to do is say, ‘Talk to Eve’ and you can ask
her any question that you’d usually ask your sales agent,”
Maricar notes.FUTURE-FOCUSED
To streamline the buying process and establish a stronger
relationship with clients, Euro Towers has created a
dedicated Seller’s Portal to provide real-time information
on the status of property documents and payments at each
stage of the sale. “We work closely with our clients at
every stage of the purchase,” Maricar explains. “We’re
feeding the information to them, without them having
to ask us, and we’ve given them a platform to provide
feedback on our customer service.”
Both executives believe that maintaining the client
relationship post-sale is equally, if not more, important than
the initial transaction. “You have to believe in your product
and if the formula is right – with the right team and
resources in place – for all products can be copied but
you can’t ‘copy’ the customer experience,” says Maricar.
Looking to the future, Euro Towers expects to see a rise
in the number and size of central business districts in the
Philippines. “This growth will require the attention and
expertise of every property developer for many years to
come,” Roy predicts. “Right now, we’re working on the
33-storey Milan Residenze Fairview, and the 37-storey
mixed-use Vivaldi Residences Davao, set to be the tallest
building in Davao. Also in the pipeline is a master planned
development where Apo View Hotel – the Philippines’
second oldest hotel – is currently located in Davao City.”“ALTHOUGH WE’RE A
SMALL ORGANISATION
COMPARED WITH MANY
OTHER INDUSTRY PLAYERS,
WE’RE A VERY BRAVE TEAM.”Interview | INSPIRE