The Philippines grows fast and I often get calls from people who have either bought or are interested in buying properties there. You’ll be able to find a number of real estate agencies, both international and local, who help foreigners to find properties.

It’s not easy to find summarized information about their management, what properties and services that they provide, what achievements they’ve made over the years and more.

Therefore, I’ve written this article where I present some of the most popular real estate agencies in the Philippines. Let’s have a look.

Introductory remark

The real estate agencies are listed in a random order.

1. Phil. Property Expert

Phil Property Expert, Inc. is a well-established real estate agency that first started as a listing website in 2012. The company was founded by Joanne Almaden and incorporated in 2015, it currently has around five employees, many with a long experience in the real estate industry.

In 2016, the National Consumers Affairs Foundation voted Phil. Property Expert as the “Most Trusted Brand by Consumers”.

You’ll also find much valuable content on their website, they claim to always educate and put their clients needs first.

Property types

Includes both commercial and residential properties in the whole of Philippines, for example:

• Condos
• Apartments
• House with lots
• Land

Services offered

Phil Property Expert offers a wide range of services, including juridical ones:

• Sales and leasing
• Property management
• Real estate titling
• Loan application assistance
• Appraisal services

Office address

10-01 One Global Place, 5th Ave cor 25th St., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Metro Manila

2. Marsh Real Estate Agency

Marsh Real Estate Agency was founded in 2007 and is run by Rossanna (Anna) Marie Nisperos (currently serving as Owner & CEO) and Douglas (Doug) J. Marsh (acting as COO and Managing Director).

Property types

Include both commercial and residential real estate, for example:

• Condos
• Apartments
• Houses
• Office space

Services offered

The company offers many services, for example:

• Sales and leasing
• Property management
• Negotiations
• Buyers qualification
• Financing
• Market analysis

Office address

Unit # 102 Granada Bldg, Vista De Lago Villas, Taguig City, Philippines 1637

3. KMC Savills, Inc. (KMC MAG Group)

KMC MAG Group was founded in 2009 and is an associate of one of the biggest real estate agencies in the world, Savills. The company employs around 100 professionals and highlight that they target foreigners who wish to buy properties in the Philippines. The founder, Gregory Kittelson, has run a number of companies and lived and worked in the Philippines for over a decade.

Michael McCullough currently serves as the company’s Managing Director, he first went to the Philippines in 2007 and has over 6 years experience in the real estate industry. Michael previously worked in Silicon Valley and represents a number of big clients, for example:

• Canon
• Huawei
• ANZ
• E-Bay

The company has won a number of awards over the years, some include:

The 2016-2017 International Property Awards – 5-Star Best Real Estate Agency for Marketing in the Philippines

The 2014 International Property Awards – 5-Star Best Real Estate Website in the Philippines

Property types

Include both residential and commercial properties, for example:

• Condos and apartments
• Houses
• Land
• Office space
• Retail properties

Services offered

• Tenant Representation
• Project Marketing
• Capital Markets
• Consulting and Research
• Offshoring Corporate Services
• Asset Management Services
• Residential Services
• Serviced Offices
• Hotels & Leisure

Office address

11th Floor, Sun Life Centre, 5th Avenue corner Rizal Drive, Bonifacio Global City 1634, Philippines

4. Colliers International Philippines

Colliers International has around 15400 professionals working in 69 different countries worldwide, hence it’s one of the biggest real estate agencies in the world. The company was founded in the United States and is headquartered in Seattle.

David A. Young acts as the company’s COO (Chief Operating Officer), he has almost 30 years experience in the real estate industry in both Europe and Asia. He previously lived in Hong Kong and Singapore and serves a number of big clients.

Richard Raymundo serves as the company’s Managing Director, he has more than 15 years of experience in research and consultancy. Clients managed by Richard include Sumitomo Mitsui Bank, Ashmore Investment, United Nations (UNDP), Lotte Hotel, Caesar’s Palace, SITA Far Eastern Group Taiwan Ascendas.

The company has won a number of awards, for example:

a. International Property Awards Asia Pacific 2012-2013 – Philippines : Highly Commended Property Consultancy Award

b. Euromoney 2016 – Best Overall Advisor & Consultant Award in Philippines

c. Euromoney 2014 – Best Overall Advisor & Consultant Award in Philippines

Property types

Include both residential and commercial properties, for example:

• Condos and apartments
• Villas
• Land
• Retail properties
• Office space

Services offered

• Landlord representation
• Investment services
• Valuation and advisory services
• Sales and leasing
• Project management
• Others

Office address

Colliers International | Manila, 11F Frabelle Business Center, 111 Rada Street Legaspi Village, Makati City 1229 Philippines

Colliers International | Cebu, Unit 703A FLB Corporate Center, Archbishop Reyes Avenue, Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines 6000

5. JLL Philippines

JLL is one of the biggest and most reputable real estate agencies in the world. Originally founded in the US, the company has more than 50 years of experience in Asia Pacific and over 32,000 professionals working in 83 countries. Christophe Vicic is heading the operations in the Philippines, he has worked for JLL since 2007 and previously earned an MBA from London School of Economics.

The company has won a number of awards over the years, some examples are:

a. The Asia Pacific Property Awards 2011 in association with Bloomberg Television

b. Asia Retail Congress – International Property Consultancy of the Year for Excellence in Retail 2011

Property types

According to JLL’s website, the focus mainly on office leasing.

Services offered

The company offers a number of services, for example:

• Tenant representation
• Leasing
• Consulting
• Valuation and advisory
• Investment sales and acquisitions

Office address

Equitable Bank Tower, 8751 Paseo de Roxas, Makati, 1200 Metro Manila, Philippines

6. Top Realty

Top Realty was founded by Bien Singson, she has won a number of awards over the years and produce impressive results, despite her young age. Some awards include the 2010 Chairman’s Excelsior Circle award and the 2011 Supremus Silver Award. The company currently has 15-20 employees and sell properties all over the Philippines.

Property types

Include both commercial and residential properties, for example:

• Office space
• Condos
• Houses
• Land

Services offered

• Sales
• Renting
• Leasing

Office address

UNIT M6, MANCOR CORPORATE CENTER, 32ND STREET, BONIFACIO GLOBAL CITY, TAGUIG, 1634 METRO MANILA

7. Santos Knight Frank

Santos Knight Frank was established when CBRE’s Santos decided to partner together with Knight Frank. Both CBRE and Knight Frank are two of the biggest and most reputable real estate agencies in the world. Rick Santos (thereby the company’s name) headed CBRE’s operations in the Philippines.

Rick started CBRE Philippines in 1994 and has decades of experience in the real estate industry. He studied at Oxford University, London School of Economics and serves as the first Vice President of the American Chamber of Commerce.

Knight Frank has 1200 professionals serving most parts of the Philippines and has won a number of awards in the region.

Property types

Include both commercial and residential properties, for example:

• Villas
• Apartments
• Hotels
• Land
• Office space
• Others

Services offered

• Tenant Representation & Office Agency
• Research & Consultancy; Valuations
• Investments & Capital Markets
• Facilities Management
• Technical Services
• Property Management
• Project Management
• Asset Management
• Residential Services and Group Business Services

Office address

10F Ayala Tower One Exchange Plaza, Ayala Triangle, Ayala Avenue, Makati City, 1226, Philippines

8. RE/MAX Philippines

RE/MAX is one of the biggest franchised real estate networks in the world, it was originally founded in 1973 in the United States. The company currently has more than 110,000 professionals working in over 100 countries.

RE/MAX Philippines was established in 2012 and currently has around 20 offices with 200 professionals working in different cities. Elizabeth Duenas is the president of RE/MAX Philippines, she’s been in the industry for two decades and managed to build up a good track record and won a number of awards, for example:

• Member, National Association of Realtors
• Past President, Guam Association of Realtors 2012
• REMAX Hall of Fame Award
• REMAX Platinum Awards
• REMAX 100% Club Awards

Property types

Include both mostly residential properties, such as:

• Condos
• Apartments
• Villas
• Land
• Townhouses
• Others

Services offered

Sales, leasing and renting.

Office address

25/F Citibank Tower, 8741 Paseo de Roxas St. Makati City, Philippines

9. Sotheby’s International Realty Philippines

Sotheby’s first started as an auction house in 1744 and currently has more than 13,000 professionals working world wide. Their Philippine branch was opened in 2013, the difference between Sotheby’s International Realty and other firms is that they focus solely on luxury real estate.

Darius Tenerife is the current COO of the company, he has previously had a number of senior management positions in different companies.

Property types

Include mostly luxury residential properties like apartments, condos, penthouses and villas.

Services offered

Sales and procurement of luxury properties.

Office address

Unit 802, EcoTower, 32nd Street corner 9th Avenue, BGC, Taguig, 1634 Metro Manila, Philippines

10. CBRE Philippines

CBRE is one of the biggest and most reputable real estate agencies in the world, it was originally founded in the US currently employs around 80,000 professionals worldwide. Rick Santos started CBRE Santos that later merged to become Santos Knight Frank.

Rick has decades of experience in the real estate industry and has an impressive track record that you can read more about above (see Santos Knight Frank).

Property types

Include both commercial and residential properties, for example, apartments, condos, office space, retail properties and more.

Services offered

• Relocation management
• Business and capital planning
• Due diligence
• Sales and leasing
• Others

Office address

Unit 1002 To 1005, 10/F Ayala Tower 1 And Exchange Plaza, Ayala Triangle, Ayala Avenue, Makati City, Metro Manila

How much do I need to pay my real estate agent in commission in the Philippines?

Commission rates differ depending on if you hire a broker or a an agent. Brokers usually pocket a commission of 3-6% while agents pocket 2-3%. Why? Because brokers usually have more experience and education from the industry.

Should I hire a Solicitor in the Philippines?

Philippines is a developing country and it’s important that you hire a Solicitor, who understands the regulations that apply to foreigners. Solicitors often charge a fixed fee upfront, which reduces the risks of getting “tricked” into deals that you won’t benefit from.

They can guide through important steps in the conveyancing process, communicate with your seller and also help you with a number of services like registering the property in your name.

If you find a Solicitor, you can check the State office of Court Administration’s website, they can help you to confirm whether the Solicitor is credible and provide information about his or her experience.

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