After a fun and educational weekend in Penang for the Malaysian Secondary Property Exhibition (MASPEX) 2015, the Estate123 team is back in KL! While salivating at the thought of delicious char kway teow, white curry noodles and assam laksa (the latter which we sadly didn’t have the chance to eat), let’s have a recap of our ‘adventures’ during Maspex 2015 in Penang, which was held at Queensbay Mall from 13 – 16 August 2015.
It was already late afternoon when our team touched down in Penang, so we did not join the first day of the 4-day event. Knowing that we would be very busy for the next few days, our team decided to head out for some delicious Penang street food that very evening.
Of course, we finished all that (and more besides) very quickly and were ready to take on Maspex 2015 for the weekend!
We were at the venue bright and early the next day (Friday) to set up our Estate123 booth. By the time we had completed setting up and decorating, it was already slightly past 10 a.m. – just before Queensbay Mall opened its doors and visitors started trickling in. As it was a Friday, there were no activities lined up and it was less crowded, so we had the opportunity to mingle with the other exhibitors and real estate agents there.
Besides promoting Estate123.com to increase awareness of our property listing website to real estate agents and the public, we also held a lucky draw for visitors at our booth to enter. Those who entered the lucky draw or registered as a member at Estate123.com on the spot were also given a mystery gift! 😉
The level of interest and excitement among visitors to the exhibition was visibly heightened during the weekend. Local experts and speakers – from property to technology to geography and even feng shui – were scheduled to give talks that were open to the public on Saturday and Sunday, and these drew considerable interest. The organizer, Malaysian Institute of Estate Agents (MIEA) of Penang, also held lucky draws for visitors to Maspex 2015 on both days, which included prizes like household electrical appliances.
MIEA vice president Lim Boon Ping
MIEA vice president Lim Boon Ping spoke on the pros and cons of buying secondary properties, giving an insight into the secondary property market that actually makes up to 85% of property transactions in the country.
Penang State Executive Councillor YB Chow Kon Yeow
Penang State Executive Councillor YB Chow Kon Yeow shared about the newly-announced Penang Transport Master Plan (TMP), which is a comprehensive plan to resolve traffic congestion on Penang island and includes suggestions for a more comprehensive public transportation system, such as the LRT, more public buses, an undersea tunnel to connect to the mainland, expansion of major roads, and even a sky cab service.
Map-maker Ho Chin Soon
Another engaging speaker was map-maker Ho Chin Soon, who distributed comprehensive and detailed maps of Penang, Johor and Kuala Lumpur to a few lucky audience members before beginning his talk. His talk not only showed stunning aerial views of Penang (which he uses to chart his maps) and upcoming developments, but also predicted the growth of developments and the impact of infrastructure in Penang hotspots. Needless to say, his session drew quite a large crowd.
Bernard Lee, Head of Classified Sales at Mudah.my
The property sector these days is closely related to technology, as evidenced by a talk on the topic by Bernard Lee, Head of Classified Sales at Mudah.my. During his session, he pointed out that QR code technology is impacting the property industry, and often used by real estate agents in America. In fact, Estate123.com‘s QR for profile was shared as one of the technologies that is ahead of the current trend. It is a useful piece of innovation that not only allows instant sharing of links (e.g. to agent profiles and/or property listings) without having to type long complicated URLs, but also easily and discretely integrated into business cards and other printed materials.
Feng shui expert Master Lee Cheng Hou (Photo from Penang Feng Shui Master Lee Facebook page)
For those looking to improve their property or personal life, Master Lee Cheng Hoe‘s session on how to enjoy a good life with feng shui drew a huge crowd eager to pick up some tips to increase wealth and minimise bad chi in the workplace and at home. Here are some tips we managed to pick up: 8 is the best number for 2015, while 5 is the exact opposite; direction-wise, North is the best and will bring wealth, but avoid renovations or knocking walls in the West.
The energetic Estate123 team had a very educational and eye-opening experience at MASPEX 2015 in Penang. We not only learned a lot about the developments in Penang, but also managed to interact with the real estate agents there and obtained precious feedback and opinions from them to help further improve and enhance our services. Of course, we sincerely hope that our efforts to promote Estate123.com as a property listing website with the best features available for property agents
After a wonderful four days in Penang, it was finally time to say goodbye to the Pearl of the Orient, along with its friendly people and mouthwatering local cuisine.
Before we end this recap, we would like to thank everybody who came by to visit our booth and join our lucky draw! Hopefully we will be able to come back for MASPEX next year. 😉
