PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit Highlights PropertyGuru Week 2025 with Discussions on ‘Trusted Marketplaces and Thriving Communities’

ARES 2025 PROMOTES INDUSTRY DIALOGUE AND STRENGTHENS THE ROLE OF SECURE, RELIABLE PLATFORMS IN SUSTAINABLE, RESILIENT URBAN DEVELOPMENT

Bangkik, December 20, 2025: The 11th edition of the PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit (ARES 2025), supported by Sybarite Architects, highlighted PropertyGuru Week 2025 in the company of experts and industry leaders from across the Asia Pacific.

ARES 2025, also known as PropertyGuru Group’s thought leadership platform, took over The Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok on December 11 for a full day of expert talks, panel discussions, keynote presentations and networking sessions. The Summit served as a prelude to the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards Grand Final and International Luncheon, both held on December 12, which brought together the best real estate developers and design practices from 13 real estate markets in the Asia Pacific region.

Delving into this year’s theme of “Trusted Marketplaces and Thriving Communities,” ARES 2025 attracted more than 400 delegates eager to discuss topics at the intersection of real estate, technology and design.

Syetarn Hansakul, senior analyst for Southeast Asia at The Economist Intelligence Corporate Network, opened ARES 2025 with macro insights on a year of global challenges and prospects for the region heading into 2026.

Simon Mitchell, co-founder of award-winning design firm Sybarite Architects, then set the Design Spotlight firmly on ‘The Power of Place’, highlighting award-winning commissions such as SKP Wuhan.

A panel discussion, “The Brand Premium,” followed, with Bill Barnett, Managing Director of C9 Hotelworks, as moderator. Leading voices from the hospitality industry discussed how branded homes are rewriting the rules of value: Jael Fischer, head of development for Asia Pacific at Six Senses; Lee Lin, Regional Director for APAC at Nobu Hospitality; Penny Trinh, vice president of mixed-use development at Marriott International; and Saowarin Chanprakaisi, vice president of business development at The Ascott Limited.

In one of the most anticipated parts of the Summit, television personality Duncan James Simpson, founder and director of CyberAI, spoke about data security in an AI-driven market.

The afternoon featured a panel on rethinking Asian real estate equities, moderated by Dr. Nai Jia Lee, head of real estate intelligence at PropertyGuru Group. Contributing to the conversation were Dr. Jing Yu, Deputy Chief of UN-Habitat’s Bangkok Program Office; Marine Novita, co-founder and CEO of MilikiRumah; Dr. Tan Tee Khoon, Member of the Executive Board of the Singapore Institute of Estate Agents; and Anton Wormann, founder and CEO of Anton in Japan Media.

Further discussions focused on the wellbeing benefit in developing communities, led by Viona Zhang, Deputy Director of C9 Hotelworks. The panel included Christine Li, head of APAC research at Knight Frank; Dino Sukosol, co-owner and director of Sukosol Hotels; Kevin Tai, certified physiotherapist and Mister Global Taiwan 2023; and Pim Asavahame, host of the Pimchology podcast.

Ambassador Chantale Wong, former US Director of the Asian Development Bank, joined the subsequent panel on resilient cities in the age of digital economies. Moderated by Sumitha Soorian, head of marketing and commercial director of Headland, Phuket, the panel also included fresh perspectives from Cyndy Tan Jarabata, president of Tajara Leisure and Hospitality Group; Diep Do, green and resilient building program leader in Vietnam and Thailand for the International Finance Corporation; and Sanjay Popli, co-founder and group CEO of Cryptomind.

The summit concluded with an international keynote from two-time Olympic gold medalist Panipak ‘Tennis’ Wongpattanakit, who spoke about building resilience through sport and community.

Following the Summit, VIP guests were invited to an exclusive cocktail after-party at The Athenee Hotel’s Kandhavas Place. The occasion also honored the four ARES Power Women of 2025: Ambassador Chantale Wong; Marine Novita; Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, executive vice president of The Sukosol Hotels & The Siam and honorary president of the Thai Hotels Association; and Ar. (Dr.) Serina Hijjas, Principal Director of HIJJAS Architects + Planners and Chairman of the Malaysia Green Building Council.

PropertyGuru Week 2025 ended on December 13, 2025 with Kevin Tai returning to the stage, this time at Cinema Oasis in Bangkok. The Creator Spotlight further explored Tai’s experience in healthcare and wellness, as well as using popular platforms to drive influence without filters.

Jules Kay, Managing Director of PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards and Events, said: “We connect technology with design to bring together finance with sustainability, data with human experience, policy with innovation. All these things come together at ARES.”

He added: “There are more complexities facing Asia and more challenges emerging in the markets every year. Whether you’re building, financing, designing, marketing, regulating or even sourcing a property, the influencing forces are having an effect. Our job at PropertyGuru goes beyond offering properties for people to buy. We want to reduce uncertainty and create trust among the people who want to find real estate in Asia. When we make trusted decisions, those decisions improve and communities improve. Thank you for your continued trust in us as we continue to build trusted marketplaces and, through them, thriving communities.”

The PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit is held every year as part of PropertyGuru Week in Thailand, alongside the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards Grand Final.

Over the years, ARES has championed innovation, green building, climate action, gender equality and sustainability. Showcasing both innovative technologies and emerging leaders, the PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit has helped the industry move forward through much-needed conversations on proptech and beyond.

ARES 2025 was supported by Sybarite Architects, along with partners such as Bridges, BusinessWorld, Detik, D+A Magazine, Hot Magazine, Inquirer Property, Kompas.com, Kopi and Property, Luxury Society of Asia, Manila Bulletin, Niaga Times, Penang Property Talk, Prop2morrow, REm Thailand, SquareRooms, Tatler Asia Homes, TerraBKK, The Grid, The Malaysia Voice, The Philippine Star and Top10 of Asia.

For more information and to register online, visit asiarealestatesummit.com.

Corporate Communications India (CCI Newswire)