New dates have been announced for this year’s HSBC Advance Malta Property & Homes Expo at the Malta Fairs and Convention Centre, Ta’ Qali.

Addressing the media on Friday at the Grand Hotel Excelsior, Keith Pillow, CEO of organisers Duplex Real Estate Branding, said the new dates are from Friday, 13 April to Sunday, 15 April.

“Since the HSBC Advance Malta Property Expo was launched in 2009, the event has grown bigger in terms of the number of exhibitors and visitors, with every effort made to generate interest and introduce more attractions,” Mr Pillow said.

“This year, the homes aspect, particularly interiors, will be another highlight, ensuring that the expo will appeal to a wider audience with an enhanced visitor experience.”

This annual event is now much anticipated and people no longer ask what it is about but make a point of visiting it because they know what a high level of exhibitors they can expect to find. Right from when the expo was first held, when it won a Highly Commended Best Exhibition Platform at the OPP (Overseas Property Professionals) Industry Awards in 2009, this national property event has been raising the bar.

A total exhibition area of 6,500 square metres has been reserved, with the major focus remaining the major developments on the islands, real estate agencies and all those supplying services to the real estate market.

Many companies make special offers around the expo, ensuring visitors get greater benefit from attending. “We’ve heard that the best time to buy or sell a property is at the expo,” said Mr Pillow. “This is obviously our intention.” There will also be a number of competitions during the event, with attractive prizes, including an iPad, for the event’s Facebook page every day of the event. The public will shortly be invited to register for a limited number of places at a three-day course to be run by Re/Max on how to take up a career in real estate.

Mr Pillow thanked the exhibition partners, primarily HSBC Advance, represented by Ray Briffa, Head of Branch Banking and Deputy Head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management; the MFCC, represented by managing director Gerald Borg; the Malta Developers Association, represented by president Michael Falzon, vice-president Sandro Chetcuti and secretary Ian Fitzpatrick and Re/Max, represented by CEO Jeff Buttigieg.

Mr Borg said the MFCC was proud to have been associated with the expo, the only national event of its kind, since its inception

Mr Briffa said this was the fourth year that HSBC was sponsoring the expo. “The expo is a fantastic opportunity to bring together buyers, developers and estate agents in one location. It helps to identify what people are planning for the future and to identify key trends for the industry,” he said.

HSBC is well placed to offer mortgage solutions to local as well as overseas investors, many of whom are already HSBC customers. “HSBC is ready to help with all kinds of mortgage needs, whether for a first-time buyer, a foreign investor looking for a holiday property or buy-to-let solutions, or a real-estate professional looking for a good return on investment,” Mr Briffa continued.

“We pride ourselves on the personal service we offer and we are committed to providing an agreement to offer mortgage finance in just 48 hours. We also have specialists who can deal with more complex cases. Our promise is to provide a superior customer experience, thanks to our dedicated and professional members of staff.”

This year, for the second successive time, HSBC are sponsoring the Expo under the HSBC Advance brand. HSBC Advance which, like HSBC Premier, is an international HSBC proposition, provides customers with a wide range of valuable local and international benefits, including unique loyalty rewards, financial planning and protection, international services from the HSBC global network and access to trusted global investment opportunities.

“I am sure that the visitors to this year’s HSBC Advance Property Expo will once again be delighted with what will be on offer. I would like to thank the organisers for their efforts in putting this event together and wish all exhibitors the best of luck,” Mr Briffa concluded.

Mr Buttigieg said a substantial amount of Re/Max offices will be taking stands at the expo and the three-day course to be held during the expo will be conducted by Re/Max Malta’s exclusive trainer, Paul Vincenti. “We are proud to be part of the innovative idea that is the expo,” said Mr Buttigieg.

Mr Chetcuti said the Malta Developers Association was very happy to be working closely with Duplex on this year’s HSBC Advance Property & Homes Expo. “We are working very hard to help our members promote their property, and most especially encourage the initiative among all members who invest in good quality development around the Maltese Islands.

“Although times are not very good, we can confirm that demand for quality properties is good and therefore the issue of vacant property is not a result of oversupply. Most of the unsold properties are old and not up to standard.”

The MDA will be working hard for all those members who are trying their utmost to develop or upgrade properties to the latest technology, with good finishing and good value for money, he went on. Considering the returns and risks of other investment options, these good quality properties remain the best investment, especially in a small island like Malta.

“During the Expo, the MDA will have a stand not only to represent its members but also to assist the public by giving them professional advice. Any information, concerns and questions they might have about dealing with Mepa, civil rights questions, developers’ responsibilities vis-à-vis third parties, procedures in buying or selling, and much more, can be discussed with professionals on the MDA stand at no cost.”

Mr Chetcuti appealed to all MDA members who have not yet booked their stand to contact the organisers to join this initiative to support the industry. He also invited all those planning to buy or sell their property to visit the Expo, since he was sure that, like previous editions, there would be all the best Malta has to offer.

Among the exhibitors at the HSBC Advance Malta Property & Homes Expo this year are local estate agents, developers, banks, project consultants, local authorities, a Gozo pavilion, NGOs, interior designers, designer furniture, intelligent homes, turnkey contractors, suppliers of fabrics and fine decorating materials, and lighting.

For more information visit the expo website http://maltapropertyexpo.com and the Malta Property & Homes Expo page on Facebook.