Imagine you’re a wizard, walking beside a lake. An epiphany strikes—you decide you’d love to live near that lake, which, upon closer inspection, is actually a lake-shaped swimming pool. Without hesitation, you teleport a bi-level penthouse with breathtaking views, a gym, a kiddie pool, and a clubhouse bar right next to it. Sounds impossible? Not if you’re Empire East and you’ve just built the Kasara Urban Resort Residences.
Building Homes, Creating Communities
Empire East Land Holdings Inc., a subsidiary of Megaworld Corporation, has mastered the art of developing homes for the middle-income market. In FY 2019, the company reported gross revenue of 4.922 billion pesos, approximately USD 98.4 million, and celebrated its 25th anniversary.
Success in real estate often boils down to location, location, location, but Empire East goes beyond that. The company builds quality homes strategically positioned near central business districts, schools, shopping centers, and leisure hubs. Understanding their customers’ desires, Empire East integrates key lifestyle elements into each development, ensuring that essential conveniences like churches and retail therapy are always within reach.
Pioneering Urban Living
Empire East’s projects reflect its commitment to providing homes that align with modern lifestyles. The Kasara Urban Resort Residences in Pasig City embodies the “vacation every day” concept, offering residents a tranquil escape amidst the city’s energy.
Another highly sought-after concept is transit-oriented developments such as San Lorenzo Place in Makati, Pioneer Woodlands in Mandaluyong, and Paddington Place in Mandaluyong. These properties offer seamless access to business hubs, public transport, shopping, and schools, making them instant bestsellers.
The pinnacle of Empire East’s innovation is the upcoming Empire East Highland City in Pasig-Cainta. Spanning 24 acres, this luxurious uphill community is set to become the Philippines’ first elevated city, comprising four key zones: Highland Park, Highland Mall, Highland Residences, and the Chartered Club.
Best Practices for Success
Empire East thrives on structured yet people-centric operations. One of its standout practices is salesperson accreditation, ensuring thorough vetting of documents, contracts, and transactions.
Open door communication is another pillar of its success, allowing rank-and-file employees to communicate directly with top management. President Anthony Charlemagne Yu exemplifies this by engaging directly with maintenance staff, drivers, and engineers, learning firsthand about on-site challenges and identifying areas for improvement.
Customer relations are also prioritized through a systematic ticketing service and live chat support, ensuring smooth interactions with homebuyers.
Corporate Social Responsibility
For its 25th anniversary, Empire East initially aimed to complete 25 CSR activities but exceeded expectations with 37 initiatives. These included Project SAVE, which supports adolescents and the elderly, EXCELerate, which focuses on expediting Filipino education and literacy, and WELLthy, a health initiative in partnership with local governments.
Making Homeownership More Accessible
Empire East has endured economic challenges, including the Asian Financial Crisis, emerging stronger with adaptive strategies. Recognizing that financing remains a major barrier to homeownership, the company introduced zero down payment and flexible payment terms, making homeownership achievable for more Filipinos.
These efforts cater to families seeking a permanent home, students desiring proximity to schools, and professionals aiming to live closer to work. By lowering financial barriers, Empire East helps turn aspirations into reality.
A Legacy of Listening
Making homes that bring happiness and comfort is just the tip of the iceberg for this developer. The underlying strength of the corporation lies in its ability to listen—to its markets, and within its organization, to each other - Shanggari Balakrishnan, Chief Executive Officer, MORS Group
By prioritizing innovation, accessibility, and community-building, Empire East continues to shape the urban landscape—one thoughtfully designed home at a time.
