Land Asia has come a long way since its humble beginnings as a one-man business of Ricardo ‘Ric’ Inting in 1992.
Fast forward to today, the company has become one of the leading realty firms in the Philippines, with 4,000 brokers and agents working under its banner.
In celebration of its 30th anniversary, the company’s founder is looking back to its rich history while also keeping his eyes firmly set on the future.
With more offices, Land Asia would be able to provide even better service, making it the top choice for anyone looking to buy or sell property in the Philippines.
“When I started Land Asia, there were only a few brokers in Cebu. While others were focusing on brokerage, I found a niche market, which was (the marketing and selling of) pre-selling projects,” said Inting.
Cebu, he noted, was not yet as developed as it is today. He recalled how there was little to no demand for subdivision projects at that time. So, he pivoted his strategy to helping market and sell memorial lots, specifically the Cebu South Memorial Park in Talisay City, where he sold P180 million worth of lots in a span of six months.
This early success led to more projects being entrusted to Inting and his company Land Asia, which grew its portfolio to include some of the country’s biggest developers like Ayala Land and Filinvest, among many others.
From these humble beginnings, Land Asia has now expanded nationwide. It has branches in major cities in the Visayas-Mindanao regions such as Cagayan de Oro City, Davao City, and General Santos, among others.
Network
When Inting started his real estate career, he quickly realized that to be successful, he would need to gain a global perspective.
So he enrolled in a Real Estate course in Australia in the 1990s and worked for Australia’s largest real estate group, Ray White, where he not only learned about the industry, but also had the opportunity to sell properties.
Ricardo ‘Ric’ Inting, Founder of Land Asia Realty Corp. | Contributed Photo
The realtor also flew to the US to grow his network of OFWs who were interested in investing in the Philippines. However, he realized that he would need to put in some substantial work to make this happen, given that he does not know anyone in the US.
So, he started by volunteering to sing at the different gatherings of Filipino communities in Las Vegas. His powerful voice and charming personality soon made him a popular figure within the OFW community, remembering him as the “singing realtor.” As his popularity grew, so did his network of contacts.
Advice to new and aspiring realtors
“Success is 10% skills and 90% process,” is Inting’s advice to new and aspiring realtors.
To him, skills refer to the natural ability to speak or connect with people. On the other hand, process is about learning the ins and outs of the real estate industry and applying it to their profession. Having both is the perfect mix for success in this industry, but he notes that having the right process is more important than having natural skills.
This is because even if a realtor has the natural ability to connect with people, if he/she doesn’t know the ins and outs of the industry, he/she won’t be able to succeed in real estate. In other words, the multi-awarded realtor believes that process is what will take one from being a good realtor to a great one.
In addition, Inting emphasized the importance of complying with government mandates in professionalizing the real estate practice in the country, such as the e Real Estate Services Act, which requires all individuals practicing real estate services to have the required knowledge and be duly licensed and registered with the government.
5-Year Plan
In the next five years, Inting’s vision for Land Asia is to expand the company’s physical office locations from 10 to 50.
He believes that having more physical presence would provide a wider network for Land Asia brokers and agents, allowing them to serve more customers anywhere in the Philippines. This expansion will also help provide excellent service and support to all of Land Asia’s customers, helping them to buy or sell property quickly and easily.
With more offices, Land Asia would be able to provide even better service, making it the top choice for anyone looking to buy or sell property in the Philippines.