PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit 2025
PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit (ARES) 2025 spotlighted conversations on trusted marketplaces and thriving communities.
The ARES promotes industry dialogue and reinforces the role of secure, dependable platforms in sustainable and resilient urban development.
The 11th edition of the PropertyGuru ARES was held in the Athenee Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand on Thursday December 11 and supported by Sybarite Architects.
The Summit delved into the theme of ‘trusted marketplaces and thriving communities’ in the company of experts and industry leaders from across Asia Pacific.
Syetarn Hansakul, senior analyst for South-East Asia at The Economist Intelligence Corporate Network, opened the Summit with insights on a year of global challenges and outlook for the region heading into 2026.
Simon Mitchell, co-founder of Sybarite Architects, then put the Design Spotlight firmly on “The Power of Place,” highlighting award-winning commissions such as SKP Wuhan.
The Summit also featured a panel discussion titled “The Brand Premium,” with Bill Barnett, managing director of C9 Hotelworks, as moderator to discuss the way branded residences are rewriting the rules of value. He was joined by 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.
This was followed by a highly anticipated address on data security in an AI-driven market by broadcast personality Duncan James Simpson, founder and director of CyberAI.
The afternoon featured a panel on rethinking equity in Asian real estate, moderated by Dr. Nai Jia Lee, head of real estate intelligence at PropertyGuru Group. He was joined by Dr. Jing Yu, deputy chief of the Bangkok Programme Office of UN-Habitat, Marine Novita, co-founder and president director of MilikiRumah, Dr. Tan Tee Khoon, executive council member of the Singapore Institute of Estate Agents and Anton Wormann, founder and CEO of Anton in Japan Media.
Further discussions examined the wellness edge in developing communities, moderated by Viona Zhang, deputy managing director of C9 Hotelworks. The panel comprised Christine Li, head of APAC research at Knight Frank, Dino Sukosol, co-owner and director of Sukosol Hotels, Kevin Tai, licensed physical therapist and Mister Global Taiwan 2023 and Pim Asavahame, host of the Pimchology podcast.
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Ambassador Chantale Wong, former US executive director to the Asian Development Bank, joined the subsequent panel on resilient cities in the era of digital economies. Moderated by Sumitha Soorian, chief marketing and commercial officer 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 lead 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 medallist Panipak “Tennis” Wongpattanakit, who spoke about building resilience through sport and community.
After the Summit, VIP guests were invited to honour the four ARES Power Women of 2025: Ambassador Chantale Wong, Marine Novita, Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi and Ar. (Dr.) Serina Hijjas.
Jules Kay, general manager of PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards and Events, said: “We connect technology with design to bring finance together with sustainability, data with human experience, policy with innovation. All these things come together at ARES.”
The ARES advocates for innovation, green building, climate action, gender equity, and sustainability. Showcasing innovative technologies as well as up-and-coming leaders, the PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit has been helping the industry advance through much-needed conversations on proptech and beyond.
