Words: Ashley Rigg

Published: 26th October 2009

Overseas Property Professional has announced this year’s winners of its industry awards. Judges of the nine categories included Thijs Stoffer, president of ICREA; Paul Owen, chief executive of the AIPP; Ian Tonge, chairman of NAEA International and John Sebree, vice president of policy at the Florida Association of Realtors.

A Place in the Sun picked up two awards and Rightmove won best online platform for the second year in succession. The full list of winners is as follows:

Best Developer

•    IPI BV (Netherlands)
“An extremely well run company linked to other multi-national companies, IPI Group has invested heavily in client protection and education as well as systems to support its extensive network of international agents.”

Best Estate Agent

•    Atlantic Estates (Portugal)
“Atlantic goes one step beyond to qualify buyers, PR and marketing is a strong point, and its geographical reach is widespread with a good mix of multi-lingual staff.”
   

Best Introducer

•    ROPUK (UK)
sales, excellent client after-care and a comprehensive and transparent due diligence of carefully selected developers.”
 

Best Innovation

•    Assetz (‘My Portfolio’ software)
“A particularly useful tool for investors and IFAs, providing much needed information for agents and their clients.”
   

Best Fractional Product

•    Resort Owners Group/Castle Pines (US)
“An impressive hybrid fractional and whole ownership model and structure that optimises usage.”
 

Best Fractional Service

•    The Registry Collection (Exchange & consultancy)
“The size, scale and expertise of this international company protects the buyer and its growing specialist knowledge creates value for a wide variety of developers.”
 

Best Exhibition

•    A Place in the Sun Live (APITS Ltd)
“Excellent support from a high profile brand and popular presenters, extensive research into visitor and experience, and successful new additions like emigration and fractional.”
 

Best Print Publication

•    A Place in the Sun (APITS Ltd)
“Still a market leader in the UK, supported by the most high profile broadcast media platform and one of the UK’s biggest overseas property exhibitions.”

Best Online Platform

•    Rightmove Overseas
“A comprehensive and well put together entry that displayed a huge effort to find out more about its visitor traffic, qualify it and help its advertising partners to sell more effectively.”