Bentley International Property Awards

For the third year in succession the Pam Golding Property group took top honours at the prestigious Bentley International Property Awards presented in London on 4 November (2005), by winning the award for South Africa's Best South African Real Estate Agency as well as two major international awards for marketing and advertising.  The awards presented to PGP were:

  a.. Best South African Real Estate Agency - five star award
  b.. Best Real Estate Agency Marketing (worldwide) - five star award
  c.. Best Advertising Agency (worldwide) - four star award.
 

The Cape Town based company, which is South Africa's largest independent real estate group, competed against literally hundreds of leading property organisations from around the world in these globally respected awards, which recognise the highest levels of achievement in a range of property-related fields including estate agents, property developers, housing construction companies, resorts, interior designers, among others. Already established as a premier awards event for international property, the Bentley International Property Awards were this year even more prestigious and the entries of a much higher standard than before.

The judging panel was an independent body of professionals who are all pre-eminent in their own particular field - with a collective knowledge of the industry unsurpassed by any other property awards.  Among others they included: Peter Bolton King, CE of the National Association of Estate Agents; Andy Watt, marketing and communications director for Bentley European operations; James Lawton, principal designer at Laura Ashley; and Paul Wyatt, head of design at LYCOS (LYCOS is a powerful Internet search engine).

Speaking at the event, Andy Watt said the PGP group's entries stood out from the rest as not being just about the property, but about marketing the lifestyle the property suggested.  "Through their marketing material the consumer is totally engaged in a memorable experience - a rare achievement. For PGP to achieve this consistent level of marketing for several years in a
row and still to be top of the game is an achievement in itself. The international competition is fierce and once you are at the top you immediately provide the competition with something to aim for - yet PGP remain consistently ahead," he said.

On receiving the award on behalf of PGP, group marketing director Anthony Stroebel said the accolades provided recognition of the company's market leadership not only in South Africa, but also globally.

"Comments from the judges that we have taken real estate marketing to another level are extremely gratifying as we constantly strive to re-invent the way real estate is marketed - coupled with a devotion to building the PGP brand in order to develop strong bonds with our clients and, in the process, to deliver real and relevant value in line with their needs.  This is further enhanced with high international standards of design and art direction, and it is very gratifying to have this recognised at an international level," said Stroebel.

As the competition stipulated that the entry for Best South African Estate Agent could only be based on one specific office, PGP's entry in this category was modelled on its Sea Point office, a flagship office in a prime location and at the forefront of one of the most sought after and competitive real estate markets in South Africa - the Western Cape's Atlantic Seaboard.  This office also provided the blueprint for PGP's revitalised corporate identity for its offices nationally - to meet clients' ever changing needs in a highly competitive and sophisticated environment, while typifying the warmth and character with which the brand has become synonymous.

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Issued by Gaye de Villiers

Tel: 021 6837788 or 083 325 1939

On behalf of Pam Golding Properties