Top 10 Real Estate Agencies in the Philippines: An Overview

Philippines has become a popular destination for investors in Southeast Asia and many international and local agencies have been active here since at least a decade back.

Even if the market was hit hard during the pandemic, Philippines is predicted to perform well in the long term with high economic growth, urbanization, and a healthy population increase.

Before you engage in the local property market, it’s important that you find a reliable and experienced real estate agent.

This is particularly the case as the residential condo market has suffered from an oversupply and the commercial property market is regulated.

Let’s start and review some of the top real estate agents available in the Philippines.

KMC Savills, Inc. (KMC MAG Group)

KMC MAG Group was founded in 2009 and an associate of Savills, one of the biggest real estate agencies in the world.

The company employs around 100 persons and has a long experience of catering to foreigners. The founder, Gregory Kittelson, has run a number of companies and lived in the Philippines for almost two decades.

Michael McCullough currently serves as the company’s Managing Director. He first went to the Philippines in 2007 and works with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority and the Board of Investments, for example.

Michael previously worked in Silicon Valley and represents a number of big clients, for example:

• Canon
• Huawei
• ANZ
• E-Bay

Awards & Recognition:

• 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

KMC Savills manages all kinds of residential and commercial property types such as:

• 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

Colliers International Philippines

Colliers International has around 15,400 employees in 69 different countries and is one of the biggest real estate agencies in the world.

The company was founded in the United States and still headquartered in Seattle.

David A. Young acts as the company’s COO in the Philippines with almost 30 years of experience in the real estate industry, working in both Europe and Asia. He lived in Hong Kong, Singapore and serves many well-known clients.

Richard Raymundo serves as the company’s Managing Director and has more than 15 years of experience in research and consultancy.

Richard manages clients like Sumitomo Mitsui Bank, Ashmore Investment, United Nations (UNDP), Lotte Hotel, Caesar’s Palace, SITA Far Eastern Group Taiwan Ascendas.

Awards & Recognition:

• Euromoney 2016 – Best Overall Advisor & Consultant Award in Philippines
• Euromoney 2014 – Best Overall Advisor & Consultant Award in Philippines
• International Property Awards Asia Pacific 2012-2013 – Philippines : Highly Commended Property Consultancy Award

Property types

Being one of the biggest real estate service providers in the Philippines, Colliers manages many different property types, including:

• 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

JLL Philippines

JLL is one of the biggest and most reputable real estate agencies in the world. Founded in the US, the company has more than 50 years of experience in the 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 the London School of Economics.

Awards & Recognition:

• The Asia Pacific Property Awards 2011 in association with Bloomberg Television
• Asia Retail Congress – International Property Consultancy of the Year for Excellence in Retail 2011

Property types

JLL manages both residential and commercial properties.

Services offered

• 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

Santos Knight Frank

Santos Knight Frank established when CBRE Santos decided to partner 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 and started their first local office in 1994. 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 around 1,200 professionals that serve most parts of the Philippines and has won a number of awards in the region.

Awards & Recognition:

• 2020-2021 Asia Pacific Property Awards: 5-Star Winner

• 2019 DOT Property Awards: Best Real Estate Agency for Southeast Asia

From 2020 – 2021, the company was awarded the title the “Best Property Consultancy Agency, Best Real Estate Agency, and Best Lettings Agency in the Philippines,” scoring 5-stars in all categories.

Knight Frank will therefore have the honor to represent the Asia Pacific as a nominee for the International Property Awards.

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

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

The company helps with sales, leasing, property management, and valuations, for example.

Office address

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

Sotheby’s International Realty Philippines

Sotheby’s first started as an auction house in 1744 and currently has more than 13,000 professionals working worldwide. It opened the first branch in the Philippines in 2013 and only deals with luxury real estate.

Darius Tenerife is the current COO of the company in the Philippines and previously held a number of senior management positions in different companies.

Property types

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

Services offered

Sales and procurement of luxury properties for high-net-worth individuals. In addition to real estate, Sotheby’s also works with auctions and the sales of arts, diamonds, and wines.

Office address

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

CBRE Philippines

CBRE is the biggest commercial real estate agent network in the world and was originally founded in the US. The company employs around 80,000 professionals worldwide and has offices in Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines, and most other Asian countries.

Rick Santos started CBRE Santos that later merged to become Santos Knight Frank, as explained above. Rick has decades of experience in the real estate industry and has an impressive track record.

Property types

Include both commercial and residential properties such as apartments, condos, office space, retail properties, and more.

The company also specializes in selling and leasing industrial properties and office space, for example.

Services offered

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

Office address

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

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 was incorporated in 2015.

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 and 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

Keller Williams Philippines

Keller William is the biggest franchised residential real estate network in the US in terms of employed agents. Over the years, the company has expanded to various Asian countries, including Thailand and the Philippines.

More than 150,000 associates and over 800 market centers across the globe.

Property types

Keller Williams primarily focuses on helping clients to buy, sell, or lease residential real estate. With that said, they can also help you buy commercial properties such as hotels and warehouses.

Examples of property types managed include condominiums, villas, houses with lots, and more.

In addition to providing sales services and consultancy, they also help with training and are active in publishing content related to the local real estate industry.

Services offered

Keller Williams helps clients to buy, sell or lease properties in the Philippines.

Most of the units up for sale are located in Metro Manila, but they serve pretty much the whole of the Philippines.

Office address

14th Floor San Miguel Property Centre Building, 7 St Francis, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong, 1500 Philippines

FAQ

Below I have included some frequently asked questions and my replies.

How much are real estate agent commissions?

Commission rates differ depending on if you hire a broker or an agent.

Brokers usually pocket a commission of 3% – 6% while agents pocket 2% – 3%.

Should I hire a solicitor?

Philippines is a developing country and it’s recommended to hire a third party for large transactions. For the purchases of condominium units, the agents can help you to connect with property lawyers.

The importance of hiring a solicitor privately can be high as they have deep knowledge about what regulations apply to foreigners.

They charge a fixed fee upfront, which reduces the risks of getting “tricked” into deals that you won’t benefit from.

In addition, they can guide through important steps in the conveyancing process, communicate with your seller, and help you with a number of services, for example, 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.