City & Country: Website on ‘everything property’

The Edge Communications Sdn Bhd, publisher of The Edge and The Edge Financial Daily, launched its property portal, www.theedgeproperty.com, at the Sime Darby Convention Centre on Sept 28. The planning for this website was meticulous as ideas and suggestions were carefully sieved through to ensure that the final offering met the needs of the country’s property market.

The publishing group aspires to see its new website, headed by Au Foong Yee, City & Country editor and The Edge executive editor for property and retailing, become Malaysia’s top property portal. The site is stocked with information such as breaking news, timely market data and in-depth research analyses on property issues. These are complemented by a comprehensive listing of real-time hot deals, both for sale and rent.

“The real-time hot deals feature is basically a micro-tracking of property values and we think this will be of great interest to viewers simply because the government’s official transaction data is only available about three months or so after the sale and purchase agreement is signed. By which time, of course, the value of a property could have changed and time is of the essence in any form of investment,” said Au at the launch, which had the support of Maybank Maxihome, Island & Peninsular Sdn Bhd, Mah Sing Group, Sime Darby Property, Sunrise, Sunway City and S P Setia.

The launch partners were represented by Malayan Banking executive VP and head of mortgage and auto-financing, consumer banking Terry Lim, Sunway City MD of property development Ngian Siew Siong, Mah Sing Properties Sdn Bhd COO Ng Heng Phai, Sunrise Bhd COO and ED Lum Tuck Ming, Sime Darby Property Bhd property development division head Tengku Ab Aziz Tengku Mahmud, S P Setia Bhd CFO Teow Leong Seng and I & P Group Sdn Bhd group marketing and communications GM Noor Lida Nazri.

During the launch, The Edge’s editor-in-chief Ho Kay Tat said the business weekly’s web presence began in 1999 with the launch of www.theedgedaily.com, with reports on business and financial markets. And six months ago, the website passed another milestone when it was revamped and rebranded as www.theedgemalaysia.com, with coverage expanded to include politics and government affairs, lifestyle, technology and sports. The change was to give readers a quick and current update on financial and socio-political situations in Malaysia, hence its tagline — Your Window to Malaysia.

With the success of www.theedgemalaysia.com, it was soon time to provide a dedicated site where “everything property” could be attained.

“There are already a number of websites specialising in real estate listings in the country,” said Ho. “But what will make us stand out from them is that theedgeproperty.com will combine today’s news today with classified listings and other useful information.”

The Edge Communications’ director of marketing and advertising, Edward Stanislaus, described the website as an ideal marketing tool with a global reach. “Property developers, financial institutions, real estate agents, retailers of furniture, lightings, paints, interior décor, even household and audio visual equipment will find theedgeproperty.com portal a compelling marketing avenue,” he said.

During the launch, there was an overview of the portal’s features, followed by a special performance by The Banshees, a tribal bellydance troupe that did two numbers and thrilled the audience with their toned midriffs. The dance form fuses modern dance like hip-hop and breakdance with Egyptian or cabaret belly dance along with ethnic forms such as flamenco, kathak, bhangra and Balinese.

Be sure to bookmark www.theedgeproperty.com in your browser for the latest information and update on everything property.

This article appeared in City & Country, the property pullout of The Edge Malaysia, Issue 775, Oct 5-11, 2009.